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From: cmcmanis%pepper@Sun.COM (Chuck McManis)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: printer files
Summary: Smoothing letters is hard, but interesting
Message-ID: <98879@sun.Eng.Sun.COM>
Date: 13 Apr 89 17:45:57 GMT
References: <8904130158.AA29326@jade.berkeley.edu>
Sender: news@sun.Eng.Sun.COM
Reply-To: cmcmanis@sun.UUCP (Chuck McManis)
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mountain View
Lines: 34


Consider the two characters A and L : In topaz 8 these characters
look like this (in big pixels) 

	**			****
       ****			 **
       ****			 **
      **  **			 **
      ******			 **   *
     **    **                    **  **
     **    **                   *******

Now on the "A" you _want_ to make the edges straight because that is
what they are simulating, however on the "L" the serifs on the top and
the bottom you want to be 90 degree joints because that is what they 
are simulating. Suddenly, you realize that you need a little bit of information
about the character before you can really smooth it correctly. And this
if the whole point of course. When you enlarge a character you are trying
to create information out of nothing by guessing how a character should be
rendered at higher resolution. This is a *very* tough problem, and it is
why the Mac avoids it by using outline fonts rather than pixel fonts like
the Amiga. 

However, don't be discouraged, I encourage you to play around with this
and try different things to do the smoothing. I'll even help write the
"lab" (eg a program that you can plug different algorithims into). 
If you can come up with an effective algorithim, not only Commodore but
a whole bunch of other people would be interested as well I am sure.


--Chuck McManis
uucp: {anywhere}!sun!cmcmanis   BIX: cmcmanis  ARPAnet: cmcmanis@sun.com
These opinions are my own and no one elses, but you knew that didn't you.
"A most excellent barbarian ... Genghis Kahn!"