Learn how to use the forum

The multi-value fonts

Discussion started on Other Topics

Hi there , My name's Thierry
I understand it is possible to create a kerned font using fontlab.  E.g. applying a unit figure that would represent the same manual kerning that is typically applied within Illustrator software using +/- kerning input box
However, is it possible to create a multi value kerned font in fontlab, which could be read programmatically from an application and the user selects one of the stored kerning value options?
Any help with this issue would be greatly appreciated.
thanks
#1 - 2017-10-22, 06:00
« Last Edit: 2019-09-03, 14:50 by Alex Petrov (FontLab) »

Sorry I missed this, but in short: no, there is no mechanism designed for this.

There are some crazy ways to accomplish the same effect. One would be duplicating the glyphs whose kerning you want to change into a stylistic set, and then giving them different kerning but the same outlines. Then you end up being able to use the stylistic set to change kerning.

I'm not convinced that is a reasonable implementation, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work.
#2 - 2018-04-28, 12:14

couldn't you export the kerning of one font and import it to another?  I don't think the results would be good but I assume it is possible.
#3 - 2018-04-28, 20:23
ChrisL

Sure, you can do that (not sure if that is just newly added in 6.0.6 or was already in 6.0.5). But that was not what the user requested.

The ask was for several different, independent sets of kerning values in a single font, and a way to switch between them, for that font when it is in use by the end user.

Short of using alternate glyphs with different kerning (or *maybe* with some amusing variable fonts implementation), I can't think of a way to do that in the final output font. Certainly not a very easy/reasonable/“good” way.
#4 - 2018-05-20, 10:55

Members:

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.