Typophile

Multiple Glyphs for Different Point Sizes

Ashfaq_Niazi

Is it possible in OTF to use two shapes of Diacritics, where each shape meant to display in a different point size.

For example, I want to display 6,8,10 point sizes with different shape of diacritics, and for larger point size use other shape of Diacritics in same font face name.

Not automatically, but with features. I think, it is better to provide different styles for different sizes. Except from that it is questionable, whether there is only a necessity to adjust the diacritics for different sizes.

The "size" OpenType Layout feature allows that, at least in theory. It works so that a font is switched to a different font automatically at a defined point size. However, none of the major applications support the "size" feature. To my knowledge, only XeTeX (the opensource automated typesetting engine based on TeX) supports it.

Also, in small pixel sizes, you can adjust the screen appearance of the letterforms using hinting, especially in TrueType-flavored OpenType fonts. Different operating systems and applications will process the hinting in different ways, though. On Windows, the results of the adjustments will be more visible than on Mac OS X.

This is not only non-automatic, no way expressable at low resolution and small sizes, and unidentifiable for a range of sizes, but the only practical way to inform the user of even the presence of a size master is in the font family name. And for a full picture of any such family, the entire family or it's marketing materials, must be present if the user is to sort it out for proper use.

Arno Enslin: Thanks, what do you mean actually with "Different Styles"

Twardoch: Many thanks, I will try "size" and reply here soon.

Dberlow: I like your idea.

many thanks, new ideas are welcomed.

what do you mean actually with "Different Styles"

Different font files.

Note that the "size" feature was intended to relate separate fonts, and does not help for multiple size-specific glyphs in the same font.

Cheers,

T

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