Re: Glyphs for German quotation marks

From: John Hudson (john@tiro.ca)
Date: Wed Jun 14 2006 - 22:12:51 CDT

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    Michael Everson wrote:

    > In fairness, the shape-directionality of the quotation marks in the
    > Unicode glyph charts are "correct" and if you have wedge-shaped or 6/9
    > shaped quotation marks the "correct" configuration of those quotation
    > marks should be followed.

    Directionality in wedge-shaped or 6/9 shaped quotation marks designs is easy to determine
    because of the assymetric shape of the forms. But the directionality of oblique monoline
    quotes of the kind used in e.g. Tahoma and Verdana -- i.e. the fonts to which some of our
    German colleagues are objecting -- is not so determined. From a German perspective,
    perhaps directionality should be determined by slant direction. But in context of high
    opening quotes for e.g. English, either slant direction is acceptable. It is seen not only
    in some type design but quite frequently in handwriting. This is very much something
    particular to this oblique monoline form, and it is in this context that the discussion
    should take place. Extrapolating rules from other shapes isn't helpful and ignores
    significant design practice.

    John Hudson

    -- 
    Tiro Typeworks        www.tiro.com
    Vancouver, BC         john@tiro.ca
    I am not yet so lost in lexicography, as to forget
    that words are the daughters of earth, and that things
    are the sons of heaven.  - Samuel Johnson
    


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