Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!ukma!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!hjuxa!nrh
From: nrh@hjuxa.UUCP (HASLOCK)
Newsgroups: comp.fonts
Subject: Re: Standard font formats.
Message-ID: <871@hjuxa.UUCP>
Date: 8 Apr 88 17:03:16 GMT
References: <5352@pyr.gatech.EDU>
Organization: Digital Equipment Corp. Holmdel, NJ
Lines: 22
Summary: PostScript format problems

In article <5352@pyr.gatech.EDU>, robert@pyr.gatech.EDU (Robert Viduya)writes:
> My personal opinion about standard font formats is that they shouldn't
> use a bitmap representation.  Bitmaps are tied to a particular device
> resolution and are difficult to scale properly to other resolutions.
 ...
> A spline/vector outline that is filled in is better.  They can be scaled
> and rotated to any resolution or orientation by simply applying standard
> graphics transformation formulas.

I just completed a training course in PostScript and the point was made
repeatedly that simply scaling a font is not good enough. Adobe has designed
it's fonts to work best at around 12pt. Scaling to below 6pt gives results
in a poor balance between thick and thin strokes especially on high
resolution printers. 300dpi printers simply distort the image because of dot
placement. Scaling to more than 24pt shows up imperfections in the baseline.

I guess that I am trying to say that our standard must include an 'optimal
appearance' range of point sizes. Beyond that, I beleive that this style of
description is the best.

	Nigel
	...!rutgers!hjuxa!nrh