From: Philippe Verdy (verdy_p@wanadoo.fr)
Date: Wed Dec 03 2003 - 08:56:40 EST
> Using script languages (inclusing Korn Shell or JavaScript) to
> generate a font is not ridiculous for me, as it helps maintaining
> the font design consistently without forgetting cases. These
> scripts are part of the manual design, but they don't necessarily
> need drawing abilities (however it requires knowledge of the data
> tables needed to create a fully functional font). You don't need
> to publish these scripts, but they are certainly good tools that
> a typographer could ask to a programmer.
I know it may offence Michael Everson but there are many
open-source projects aimed at producing free fonts for all
scripts available in Unicode/ISO/IEC 10646.
Just visit the impressive resource references collected on:
http://www.nongnu.org/freefont/
Don't forget PfaEdit to edit glyph outlines, and the referenced
font tools.
Now font design is open to many hackers that have some ability
in a particular design focus. You don't need to master all
font technologies as fonts are being now developed with
small subprojects. Glyphs are only a part of what a font can
support. Those interested in hinting glyphs, or maintaining
font design integrity when new glyphs are added can now
collaborate with their own skills.
There's no magic behind fonts. In fact, in a near future, most
Unicode-supported scripts will be easily accessible to users,
because there will be large collections of OpenType fonts
supporting them and created with open-sourced licenses.
So even if an OS still does not provide support for some scripts,
the OS should be prepared to accept all Unicode scripts with all
fonts. These OS or software vendors may help those open-source
projects to enhance their interoperability with foreign scripts,
and provide in their distribution the best collected open-sourced
fonts.
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