Re: Font-face Descriptors for Matching

Chris Lilley wrote at 6/8/97 3:46 pm

>On Aug 5,  2:50pm, Clive Bruton wrote:
>
>> (I therefore wasn't surprised to see Adobe staff on the authors list).
>> Can I assume that these descriptors are to be interpreted by ATM, using
>> the Adobe Sans/Serif Multiple Masters as their base?
>
>They could be. They are not tied to a particular technology. ATM is not
>required. Applications that used ATM to do the synthesis would be a
>good idea, though.

Sure, since the technology is in place, widely available, and already 
does the job.


>Not all italic fonts slope. Not all sloped fonts are italic.

I wasn't indicating that one precludes the other, merely that I didn't 
see a flag for italic (but did for slope).

>
>> script,
>
>We don't have much support for script fonts as a specific type, true.
>They can be indicated by setting the first number in the panose-1
>descriptor to 3...

(Chris indicates such flags are available in other forms)


Ok, what I'm suggesting is that you allow for the full set of Acrobat 
font descriptors (independent of Panose) since the standard is widely in 
use, and this would help content creators develop for different media by 
using the same data (ie they can use the same font synthesis settings in 
Acrobat/ATM as HTML). This also enables browser vendors to make simple 
calls to system extensions, rather than having to reinvent the wheel (and 
have even more disk/memory demand from browsers).

I am working on a project for a font vendor to have the Acrobat font 
descriptors included within their fonts (they cannot currently be 
accurately derived from the font). If this were to become widespread then 
it would also help in font synthesis for end users and content providers 
in that the data could easily be derived from such fonts, ensuring, 
again, consistency of synthesis across different media.

By all means include alternative methods of font synthesis, but can we 
have *full* implentations of all rather than borrowing from each other.


-- Clive

Received on Wednesday, 6 August 1997 11:41:45 UTC