[scribus] How to tell a font is print worthy?

Hirwen HARENDAL harendalh at hotmail.com
Wed Apr 6 19:28:58 CEST 2011


Bonsoir  Jean
> What does this check involve?

** A font isn't a summation of draws only, but check concerting font 
generation I make, like font info tables, opentype script inserted, then 
kerning and hinting. In a font editor you just can see a number of glyphs.
Font validator like ADFKO cmd line tool, Fonlab or FF, can check the
Ghyphs and some errors but not tell you if works fine or not.

The best way is to test the font directly.
 
> > range covering the font too.
> > I process using Scribus and false text by langage for each
> > style. The aim is to 
> > see hint default on screen, side bearing adjustments and
> > kerning. the second test
> 
> Could you expand on that?

Test the font directly. Scribus is very interesting for that, since you 
can use font sampler script and second use a new document and false test.
Here, the aim is to see how the font work on screen, playing with font 
size and zoom. It's possible to find Hinting problems or kerning and 
adjustments need.
Hinting problem comes from bad few hinted glyphs or bad private PS 
dictionary values, sometimes not possible to see in the font editor.

A font as it is in the editor is a baby in the womb. 

when it appears for the first time on screen in a text is its first breath, 
on the paper's first steps. (ouch ! c'est beau non ?)

> > is for printing. This one is the most important, because
> > the only way to see how fonts
> > work with PS interpreter to printer. 
> 
> What particular features are you looking for in the printed page?

In general that concerning the font on the paper, because there is a big
difference how the font appears on screen and how you get it by printing.
It's possible to have a font working fine on screen, revealing troubles after
printing, but, to be honest, offsets, misalignment are rares.
The same document can be use, since the text haven't any importance.
Body text is fixed at 11 points for a standard reading and printer magnifying 
glass allows to perform glyphs on the paper.
It's just to be sure that  rasterizer not alters real rendering, or by other
screen adjustments made by user and how you will get it to the printer. 
One more time I'm speaking about font generation, but it's possible
to do so to test font you want use.

Before use a font try it. Too late when your work is to the printer.

Scribus is very punctilious or pernickety with font
and for me a very wonderful tool to test or see fonts in action; sure not
only ! :-)

Hirwen


 		 	   		  
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