[fontforge-users] Some questions from a newbie!

Discussion:

2017-02-20 15:55:29 UTC

Hey guys,

Very new to font design and very new to the font forge format (this email
list) so bear with me.

I created my first font last week. For the most part, it went well.
It says my em size should be 2 (but it's 1000). If I change it to 2, the
font does not generate properly.
I also get "self intersecting" and "missing points of extrema" errors. But
the font still generates if I keep the em size at 1000.

I have a few problems I need help with.

1. Spaces do not work with the font. When I use it in Adobe (looking at
illustrator right now) when I hit the space bar, a rectangular cliff pops
up between letters. When I hit the space bar in Microsoft word, the font
becomes unrecognized (word changed the next typed letter to a generic font).

Any ideas how to export the font so this doesn't happen?

2. The thumbnail for my font is a weird, zoomed in shape (not the
letterforms of the font). Is there a way to choose what my thumbnail for
the font is within font forge?

Thanks so much for your help! I'd love to have a working font and
understand this software more.

z

Js jS

2017-02-22 19:34:49 UTC

Permalink

Post by z
Hey guys,
Very new to font design and very new to the font forge format (this email
list) so bear with me.
I created my first font last week. For the most part, it went well.
It says my em size should be 2 (but it's 1000). If I change it to 2, the
font does not generate properly.
I also get "self intersecting" and "missing points of extrema" errors. But
the font still generates if I keep the em size at 1000.
I have a few problems I need help with.
1. Spaces do not work with the font. When I use it in Adobe (looking at
illustrator right now) when I hit the space bar, a rectangular cliff pops
up between letters. When I hit the space bar in Microsoft word, the font
becomes unrecognized (word changed the next typed letter to a generic

font).

Post by z
Any ideas how to export the font so this doesn't happen?
2. The thumbnail for my font is a weird, zoomed in shape (not the
letterforms of the font). Is there a way to choose what my thumbnail for
the font is within font forge?
Thanks so much for your help! I'd love to have a working font and
understand this software more.
z

a couple of things that may help:

1> the message you get is* "em-size should be powers of 2"* ... which means
... 2,4,8,16 .... 256 ... 1024
you can ignore the message, or just use 1024 if you do not like to see
the message

2> microsoft word is probably capitalizing the first letter of the word
when you hit the space bar.

js:)

Max Rabkin

2017-02-22 22:42:50 UTC

Permalink

Post by z
I created my first font last week. For the most part, it went well.
It says my em size should be 2 (but it's 1000). If I change it to 2, the
font does not generate properly.
I also get "self intersecting" and "missing points of extrema" errors. But
the font still generates if I keep the em size at 1000.

As JS wrote, the message says "power of 2", but as you've discovered, 2
itself is definitely too small. Probably only 1024, 2048 or _maybe_ 4096
make sense.

Post by z
I have a few problems I need help with.
1. Spaces do not work with the font. When I use it in Adobe (looking at
illustrator right now) when I hit the space bar, a rectangular cliff pops
up between letters. When I hit the space bar in Microsoft word, the font
becomes unrecognized (word changed the next typed letter to a generic font).
Any ideas how to export the font so this doesn't happen?

Create a space glyph. There is a difference between a font having an
*empty* glyph (which a space should be) and not having a glyph at all. You
can create the glyph by setting its width.

--Max

a***@gmail.com

2017-02-23 14:45:35 UTC

Permalink

Thanks guys.
The em size message isn't really an issue.

The fact that I can't use the space function is my real problem.
I have tried absolutely everything. No matter what I do, I can't get the
space bar to work. A glyph shows up.
If I define the width of the space (no matter what width) it completely
screws up my font and the keys don't type the right characters (it's
random).

I've seen suggested to use AutoHint. That didn't work. Also to make sure
encoding is ISO 10646-1 (Unicode, BMP) which I did, and didn't work.
The files I am using for the characters are SVGs imported from Adobe
Illustrator. Not sure if that matters.

Does anyone else have any ideas?

Thanks so much for the help!

Post by Max Rabkin

Post by z
I created my first font last week. For the most part, it went well.
It says my em size should be 2 (but it's 1000). If I change it to 2, the
font does not generate properly.
I also get "self intersecting" and "missing points of extrema" errors.
But the font still generates if I keep the em size at 1000.

As JS wrote, the message says "power of 2", but as you've discovered, 2
itself is definitely too small. Probably only 1024, 2048 or _maybe_ 4096
make sense.

Create a space glyph. There is a difference between a font having an
*empty* glyph (which a space should be) and not having a glyph at all. You
can create the glyph by setting its width.
--Max
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Abraham Lee

2017-02-23 15:49:05 UTC

Permalink

Post by a***@gmail.com
Thanks guys.
The em size message isn't really an issue.
The fact that I can't use the space function is my real problem.
I have tried absolutely everything. No matter what I do, I can't get the
space bar to work. A glyph shows up.
If I define the width of the space (no matter what width) it completely
screws up my font and the keys don't type the right characters (it's
random).
I've seen suggested to use AutoHint. That didn't work. Also to make sure
encoding is ISO 10646-1 (Unicode, BMP) which I did, and didn't work.
The files I am using for the characters are SVGs imported from Adobe
Illustrator. Not sure if that matters.
Does anyone else have any ideas?

Is the file something you can share (privately)? That would help us
diagnose the problem better.

Best,
Abraham

2017-02-23 15:59:30 UTC

Permalink

How would I share it privately?
New to this. A little uncomfortable giving my font file to people I don't
know
(no offense)

I just don't understand what I'm doing wrong. I've tried so many things.
Is it usually this hard to get the space function to work without messing
up the whole font?

Post by Abraham Lee

Is the file something you can share (privately)? That would help us
diagnose the problem better.
Best,
Abraham
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Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
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fontforge-users mailing list
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Abraham Lee

2017-02-23 16:20:43 UTC

Permalink

I sent you a private email.

Post by z
How would I share it privately?
New to this. A little uncomfortable giving my font file to people I don't
know
(no offense)
I just don't understand what I'm doing wrong. I've tried so many things.
Is it usually this hard to get the space function to work without messing
up the whole font?

Post by Abraham Lee

------------------------------------------------------------
------------------
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, SlashDot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
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fontforge-users mailing list
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Js jS

2017-02-23 18:13:46 UTC

Permalink

try using "microsoft notepad" instead of "microsoft word" for testing, just
to eliminate the possibility that "word" is messing things up ( it
capitalizes the first letter of sentences, for instance)

assign a blank glyph (width setting only, no graphics) to one of the
letters ... see if it renders correctly

it could be some proportional spacing issue (grasping at straws here .... )

i believe that there may be more than one "space" glyph (different widths)
... are you using the correct one?

Post by Abraham Lee
I sent you a private email.

Post by Abraham Lee

Post by a***@gmail.com
Thanks guys.
The em size message isn't really an issue.
The fact that I can't use the space function is my real problem.
I have tried absolutely everything. No matter what I do, I can't get
the space bar to work. A glyph shows up.
If I define the width of the space (no matter what width) it completely
screws up my font and the keys don't type the right characters (it's
random).
I've seen suggested to use AutoHint. That didn't work. Also to make
sure encoding is ISO 10646-1 (Unicode, BMP) which I did, and didn't work.
The files I am using for the characters are SVGs imported from Adobe
Illustrator. Not sure if that matters.
Does anyone else have any ideas?

Jose Da Silva

2017-02-24 05:08:16 UTC

Permalink

Post by Js jS
i believe that there may be more than one "space" glyph (different
widths) ... are you using the correct one?

I was aware of the basic spacebar "space", the zero-space, and the NBSP,
but looking up info, there is many more spaces nif you want to be complete.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitespace_character

Js jS

2017-02-24 18:57:52 UTC

Permalink

z

can you please post a copy of your font file?

before you post it, delete most of the glyphs, and mess up the few that
remain so that your work is not compromised.

leave any "space" glyphs untouched

also check that the "obfuscated" font file has the same issue as your real
font file

thanks

Post by Jose Da Silva

Post by Js jS
i believe that there may be more than one "space" glyph (different
widths) ... are you using the correct one?

I was aware of the basic spacebar "space", the zero-space, and the NBSP,
but looking up info, there is many more spaces nif you want to be complete.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitespace_character
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Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, SlashDot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
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fontforge-users mailing list
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