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[Groff] Font Composition
From: |
jon arbuckle |
Subject: |
[Groff] Font Composition |
Date: |
Sat, 17 Jun 2006 08:14:49 -0700 |
Dear list,
I have been groff-ing for some time now, and have been
primarily interested in the mom macro package. However, I have
some questions to ask about groff font structure for PostScript
output.
1) The UnderlinePosition and UnderlineThickness values from the
afm files are discarded by afmtodit. There is nothing
corresponding to the in the groff devps font files. How is
groff then expected to provide proper underlining to text?
2) Can groff `compose' fonts, so to say? Many fonts are supplied
with permissive licences that permit redistribution but not
modification. If one wants to use such fonts in `expert'
mode, one has to *purchase* costly expert versions of these
fonts. I propose that we create the new `expert' versions of
these fonts as libre-software, modulo the characters already
present in the gratis fonts. That is, PostScript fonts that
contain *only* the ligatures ff, ffi, ffl for a widely
available gratis font, say Luxi Serif or Georgia. Also,
separate fonts can be created which have optical small caps,
old-style figures etc. If we have these fonts, is there any
way to set up a font-file so that groff mainly uses
characters from the regular font, and switches to another
font (which will be intentionally visually compatible with
the main font) when it needs ffi, or small caps, or old-style
figures? Thus we can `compose' a `virtual' font that is a
super-set of the gratis and libre fonts. This will be
compatible with the licence agreements of the gratis fonts
(as we are not *modifying* them), as well as ameliorate the
need to purchase `expert' fonts. Is this possible? If not,
can the groff-developers kindly consider this?
3) Another type of composition may be useful. As opposed to the
`design-time' composition discussed in the previous point,
this is `run-time' composition. This involves providing
groff with a certain set of instructions that cause it to
render *every* character of a font in a slightly different
way, keeping the metrics the same, or differing in a
systematic way. In effect, the additional instructions will
be drawing primitives, but should be made general to permit,
for example, overprinting. This technique can be utilised to
effect using only that most expressive of mediums---
PostScript, but can be used to wonderful effect for
generating special effects such as strikethrough, underline,
and pseudo-boldify/italicise reliably, and without any of the
trickery macro-packages must employ to get around to it. It
can also be creatively used for many more effects.
Will the knowledgeable people please consider?
Thanking you all,
Yours sincerely.
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- [Groff] Font Composition,
jon arbuckle <=