Re: [Bulk] Re: Font metrics in AFPDS?

[Mark S Waterbury <mark.s.waterbury@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi, James:

But it is not just an EBCDIC issue ... it depends on what font(s) you 
are using.    As I recall, some fonts are fixed, like Courier, and some 
others are variable, where each letter only takes up the width it 
needs.  :-o

Not sure if that helps, though ...

Mark

> On 3/18/2015 8:56 PM, James H. H. Lampert wrote:
> On 3/18/15 4:50 PM, Booth Martin wrote:
> > "Kern" may be the word you are looking for?
>
> A kern is a portion of one glyph that overlaps an adjacent character 
> position.
>
> In foundry type, a kern is a physical extension of the letter past the 
> left or right side of the type body. And if it collides with part of 
> an adjacent letter, it will break off. That's why the ff, fi, fl, ffi, 
> and ffl ligatures are by far the most common: they don't just save 
> some miniscule amount of the typesetter's time; they also allow the 
> component letters to be set in a way that's visually right, without 
> breaking the type.
>
> In linecast type, except for the above ligatures, kerning is only 
> possible on a Ludlow, and only with oblique matrix bodies. That's why 
> italics tend to look a little loose when set on a Linotype or Intertype.
>
> In phototype and digital type, of course, kerning (and tracking 
> adjustments) can be done with reckless abandon, since you're not 
> trying to put two physical objects into the same space, nor are you 
> (were you to attempt loose tracking without inserting spacing 
> material) opening up gaps that would leak hot type metal (as on 
> linecasting equipment) or keep the type forme from lifting (as in 
> foundry type or Monotype).
>
> But getting back to width tables and measuring the set width of type:
>
> I actually have manually generated width tables (for Postscript fonts 
> that I wanted to use in Xerox Ventura Publisher, but for which there 
> weren't any compatible width tables), and well, there are only 190 
> characters to deal with in EBCDIC, and around 50 of them are just 
> diacritical variations on others, so it wouldn't be all that difficult 
> to do it myself. But if somebody else has already invented that wheel 
> (and at some level, somebody HAS to have, in order for the fonts to be 
> usable), it's a shame to have to reinvent it myself.
>
> --
> JHHL