Feature-Based Design of Fonts Using Constraints
Computer-aided font design is still a very tedious and repetitive task.
New font models and new functionalities presented by digital media further
require a new method for design of font families and dynamic variable fonts.
Current design paradigms are either outline based, offering low level
operations, or parametric but non-visual through programming. Parametric
feature based design helps in creating a design environment for high
level parametric font design. However, the approaches suggested so far are
too restrictive in their definition of features, and none of them utilises
constraints in feature definition and design.
We present a new approach for parametric feature based font design. Our
approach extends the definition and use of features by defining inexplicit
feature parts using constraints. Furthermore, the visual design system
and the use of constraints for preserving designer's intentions create
a more natural environment in which high level parametric behaviors can
be defined. This simplifies design of single fonts but also enables the
simultaneous design of font families through parameterization.
Electronic Publishing, Artistic Imaging and Digital Typography,
Proc. of the EP'98 and RIDT'98 Conferences, St Malo, March 30 - April 3, 1998.
Eds. Roger D. Hersch, Jacques Andre, Heather Brown,
LNCS, Springer Verlag, 1998.
Presented at
Raster Imaging and Digital Typography 1998 (RIDT '98),
April 1998.