The tg Font Collaboration Thread

[Gare]

Okay, here's an opportunity for a point of information.

There is a difference in how Truetype and Type 1 curves are expressed. Even though our group font won't be going to a Type 1 version, Opentype can support the two types of geometry (TT and T1). Once in a while you might see older versions of Xara report that highlighted text is "Opentype (PS)", which is confusing, and means internally, Type 1 geometry was used in building the glyphs.

Truetype uses quadratic B-splines along curves. Mathematically, it's a verbose language and most of the time a TT font will be of larger file size than an equivalent OTF. Why? Because B-splines require 2 control points off the curve and two on the curve to express a path segment. This produces really smooth curves and is probably why Bill got fewer or no errors when he had FontLab translate a glyph from Type 1 to Truetype.

Here's a screen cap of a Truetype glyph in FontLab, expressed in its native structure and as Type 1 curves.



Me, I'd like to keep with Type 1 curves while working this font together, because it's easier to manipulate 2 control handles over 4.

Let's see how this goes. Agreed, FontLab's auditing feature is a piece of...inaccurate code.

—g

[Purrfeck]

Gare here are the Bergeon stamps. I made one twice and left one off (that I noticed you had made), I can go back and make the one that's missing if you like. Have a look I did the lot on layers and have sent ai files as well. Any that don't work out, you'll have to send back!

[Gare]

Thanks, Michele—

I'm going to look at one of the more difficult glyphs you traced off in a moment in FontLab.

Only two suggestions in the future:

1.) Keep parallels perfectly parallel. There are some straight segments that should be perfectly at 0 or 90 degrees and they aren't.

2.) I think you used more than a necessary number of control points to declare a curve segment, but this is me shutting up now because 1a.) You worked hard and I don't want to discourage you and 2b.)FontLab might think the gylphs are Purrfekt.

Tally so far: I have 100% of Michele's, 100% of Wizard's, Frances hasn't begun yet, Mike did 4 out of ten, and Bill?

No rush, please give us quality over quickness.

This thing is looking awesome. I think it's going to be over 70K as a file, and the ornaments are intricate and gorgeous. The TTF version will be fun to use in Xara 3D, no?

BTW, give us suggestions for credits and how we should advertise this on the forum. Credits will be embedded in the font, as in our names and TG as the origin.

-g-

[angelize]

Actually I have some of mine done, I'm working at them slowly but surely I thought I'd post them when they are all done.

Perhaps an announcement in the announcements section of the forum along with a posting in the free and fixed fonts gallery?

I also have an idea for a future project, I have this nice wall paper in my kitchen that has images of spice bottles and the names of an assortment of spices, I like the lettering, perhaps I could take some photos and we could work from those. The lettering is all caps and we would have to make up some missing letters I have counted 9 missing ones, and there is no puntuation. would this be a do able project?

[Soquili]

Finally finished the last two glyphs of my set.

I followed Gary's lead and put all 10 on 1 layer but each is a different color. The Page & Layer Gallery make selecting the individual draws easy.

[Gare]

I also have an idea for a future project, I have this nice wall paper in my kitchen that has images of spice bottles and the names of an assortment of spices

Hi Frances—

If were are to obey copyright laws (hint: we are), we can't use your wallpaper—nice as it might be—as a resource. All textile patterns—at least in the US and I suspect Canada, too—were created by graphic designs, and the pattern art belongs to the mill or other company that produced the wallpaper, gift wrap, clothing pattern, and so on. That's why you'll never see exactly the same design on a dress by different distributors.

I'm not campaigning to use the Linotype specimen book, or the other three Barbara procured, but the bottom line is they are Public Domain. All designs we trace over have to be PD, or we need permission from the creator.

Sorry to be a wet blanket, Frances! I occasionally riff on a pattern I see online, but if I think I'm coming too close, I don't show the art in public.

I think the very first step in the next typeface needs to be copyright permissions. I'd be nice to do a group font from scratch, but me, I couldn't volunteer that amount of time, and our gang here appear to enjoy the challence of accurate tracing of source material.

-g

[mwenz]

Here is #12885K from my page.

Take care, Mike

[mwenz]

17506L

Take care, Mike

[wizard509]

OK finally here are all my glifs. I saved the hardest for last. It's the top middle one I took a few liberties with it because I thought the line work was too delicate and didn't show well so I beefed it up just a little.

glifs.xar