Designing & Maintaining Static Glyph Sets in a Dynamic World
Ken Lunde - Adobe Systems Inc.
Intended Audience: |
Managers, Software Engineers, Marketers, Font Designers |
Session Level: |
Intermediate, Advanced |
CJKV font development has largely been based upon static glyph
sets, often called "character collections." CJKV fonts are
generally uniform, meaning that many fonts share the same glyph
set. This is why static glyph sets are the norm. In a world of
changing and evolving standards, both national and international,
and with ever-changing publishing needs, it is a challenge to keep
static glyph sets up to date. Most CJKV fonts are based on glyph
sets that were designed to conform to one or more character set
standards. Some glyph sets, such as Adobe-Japan1-4, leap beyond
character set standards, and provide additional glyphs that are
considered critical for commercial or professional publishing
needs. The policies and criteria for designing and maintaining
these static glyph sets will be covered in detail, citing specific
examples from Adobe Systems' CJKV character collections. The
conclusion will demonstrate that as the number of glyphs increase,
the burden on font developers increases, and thus necessitates a
more dynamic solution.
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