Re: Upside Down Fu character

Thank you all for the feedback WRT UPSIDE-DOWN FU 福 and, after consideration and incorporation of your feedback here is my response.

Foremost in my mind is the end user. The end user should be able to easily select and use a stand alone UPSIDE-DOWN FU with a user oriented mechanism such as character picker. Mechanisms, such as, html/css transformations and variation selectors are in the realm of the developer/techie.

Currently UPSIDE-DOWN FU may well not appear in plain printed text. I envisage that if UPSIDE-DOWN FU were included in Unicode then the situation would change. Not just in printed text but in electronic text. It would serve to add a new and contemporary dimension to an ancient tradition.

Conceptually, it could be considered that UPSIDE-DOWN FU is more akin to Emoji rather than akin to a display variant of 福. Decoration becomes an integral part of the character. e.g. http://majin.myhome.cx/pot-au-feu/dataroom/informations/fu_dao_le/fu_dao_le.html

Colour is also an important component of the character. Apple have done a really good job with their Apple Color Emoji font and I am sure would make a good job of a poster style enclosed UPSIDE-DOWN FU

So the "Enclosed Ideographic Supplement" seems to be an appropriate Unicode block as UPSIDE-DOWN FU will be enclosed. The actual styling of UPSIDE-DOWN FU 福, colouring and shape of the enclosure would be left to the font foundries.

André Schappo
Received on Sun Jan 08 2012 - 09:48:10 CST