Re: [latinreq] Drop caps and raised caps - ED 2013-12-03

+1,000,000 from this persnickety type setting geek who still has her very 1st pica stick close to hand.

From: Bill Kasdorf <bkasdorf@apexcovantage.com<mailto:bkasdorf@apexcovantage.com>>
Date: Monday, December 16, 2013 at 10:39 AM
To: "Cramer, Dave" <Dave.Cramer@hbgusa.com<mailto:Dave.Cramer@hbgusa.com>>, Tony Graham <tgraham@mentea.net<mailto:tgraham@mentea.net>>, "public-digipub@w3.org<mailto:public-digipub@w3.org>" <public-digipub@w3.org<mailto:public-digipub@w3.org>>
Subject: RE: [latinreq] Drop caps and raised caps - ED 2013-12-03
Resent-From: <public-digipub@w3.org<mailto:public-digipub@w3.org>>
Resent-Date: Monday, December 16, 2013 at 10:39 AM

Although I have not been able to participate in this [latinreq] work due to competing commitments, I have to comment that it is something of a thrill to an old typographer like me to see the nuances and subtleties of good typography discussed so explicitly in this context. I used to spend a lot of time and effort on getting drop caps just so, and yes, hanging the punctuation and indenting the non-first lines on certain letters but not others, in my younger days. I haven't seen anybody have any regard for those things in what seems like decades! Whether they turn out to be practical or do-able in this context remains to be seen, but at least it's reassuring to know that it's not entirely a lost art. Thanks, Tony!--Bill K

-----Original Message-----
From: Cramer, Dave [mailto:Dave.Cramer@hbgusa.com]
Sent: Monday, December 16, 2013 9:27 AM
To: Tony Graham; public-digipub@w3.org<mailto:public-digipub@w3.org>
Subject: Re: [latinreq] Drop caps and raised caps - ED 2013-12-03

Hi Tony,

Thanks for the feedback--this is exactly the kind of response we hope for!
I'll try to add much of this information this week.

I'd emphasize that no portion of this document is anywhere near finished.
But I hope the rate of change will increase in the near future.

Thanks very much,

Dave

On 12/15/13 6:48 AM, "Tony Graham" <tgraham@mentea.net<mailto:tgraham@mentea.net>> wrote:


It's not clear from the Task Force page [1] whether or not this section
is finished, but since it hasn't been updated for nearly two weeks...

1. It doesn't yet cover raised caps (see above).

2. What about punctuation, e.g., quote marks, before the initial capital?

3. Should the document cover optical alignment of the initial capital?
E.g., the 'D' in the graphic at [2] could have been shifted left such
that the vertical stroke of the 'D', rather than the serifs, aligns
with the left edge of the text block.

Other characters that you may want to shift to create a visually
vertical edge include 'T', 'V', 'W', and 'Y', plus you can make the
case for also shifting 'J'.

Rounded characters such as 'O' and 'C' can also be shifted a little to
make a better visual vertical edge rather than just touching the edge
at one point.

4. The graphic at [2] also illustrates the sometime habit of using
small caps for the first word, first few words, or first line to ease
the transition between the initial capital and the following text.

5. Should the document say anything about the initial capital being a
different colour or in a different font?

6. The graphic at [2] (thank you, Liam) also illustrates, I think, the
habit of added horizontal space on the non-first lines to make them
more easily readable.  Something you'd need more with this 'D' than
with, e.g., an initial 'W'.

Regards,


Tony Graham                                   tgraham@mentea.net<mailto:tgraham@mentea.net>
Consultant                                 http://www.mentea.net
Mentea       13 Kelly's Bay Beach, Skerries, Co. Dublin, Ireland
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    XML, XSL-FO and XSLT consulting, training and programming
       Chair, Print and Page Layout Community Group @ W3C

[1] http://www.w3.org/dpub/IG/wiki/Task_Forces/Latinreq
[2] http://www.w3.org/TR/2010/WD-xslfo20-20101216/#initial-caps




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