distorted fonts

[bchewter]

I want to produce distorted fonts
1: convert fonts to objects with points and lines etc. ok...
2: drag those points and lined er...problems
its like I am just picking at it...basically
I just want to bend whole parts of a character
eg: exagerrated serifs, misaligned 'counters'
that sort of stuff...sooooooooo laydeez und
gennelmen how duz wun do dis stuff den?
PS can one create new TTF fonts like you can do with Corel Draw.???? can you if so , how?? when and why please write back as I am desperate and lonely and have no one to talk to
and have recently been assaulted at premises and am very frightend HONEST! THATS NO JOKE I CAN ASSURE YOU ALL OK talk to me someone out there
pleeeeeeeeeeeeeez

[bchewter]

I want to produce distorted fonts
1: convert fonts to objects with points and lines etc. ok...
2: drag those points and lined er...problems
its like I am just picking at it...basically
I just want to bend whole parts of a character
eg: exagerrated serifs, misaligned 'counters'
that sort of stuff...sooooooooo laydeez und
gennelmen how duz wun do dis stuff den?
PS can one create new TTF fonts like you can do with Corel Draw.???? can you if so , how?? when and why please write back as I am desperate and lonely and have no one to talk to
and have recently been assaulted at premises and am very frightend HONEST! THATS NO JOKE I CAN ASSURE YOU ALL OK talk to me someone out there
pleeeeeeeeeeeeeez

[Sean Sedwards]

Bob

Fonts are a labour of love, even if you're just editing an existing one. Xara won't be able to export a TTF file, so you'll have to export as AI or CMX into DRAW. Find an old DRAW help file (the newer ones don't seem to have as much info) about creating fonts.

A mis-aligned counter effect is probably best achieved by shifting the individual character relative to the bottom of the page in DRAW. Distorting parts of characters using some sort of lens effect is more tricky, however I've come up with a usable workaround...

Draw a rectangle over the part of the character you wish to distort, select it and the character, then click Arrange > Combine Shapes > Slice (cut) Shapes. Select the part you want to distort and apply a rectangular envelope using the Mould tool. Using the Shape Editor tool, move the corner nodes and deform the sides of the envelope as required, but don't disturb the side that joins the rest of the character (this ensures that the two parts match). When you're satisfied with the result, select the two parts and Arrange > Combine Shapes > Add Shapes.

You may need to zoom in to delete double nodes on the join, resuting from the way the slice works on Beziers, and it may also help to convert the remaining node to smooth if it's cusp.

Regards - Sean

[bchewter]

many thanks sean will give that a go when i get the the pc up and running again..sorry about the paranoia bit, but it is true..i am in a refuge at present..with goods

[gwpriester]

Sean

The reason you don't see much information anymore in the Corel documentation on altering fonts is the question of copyright infringment. I'm not sure how this works legally, but if someone takes someone elses font, modifies it, and then makes the font available for sale, this can well be a copyrights violation. (Doing it for your own use and/or amusement is probably OK)

In the USA, fonts cannot be copyrighted. But in the rest of the world they can. And so it is unwise of Corel to encourage people to violate other people's copyrights by showing them how to modify a font to create a new one.

I know about this issue, because I was the one who raised it with Corel a few years back when I was writing an article on creating fonts for CorelUser Magaizne (UK).

Gary

Gary Priester

Moderator Person

Be It Every So Humble...

[stlewis]

...it may not be helpful, but in XaraX, enter the text, then select it and Arrange/Convert to Editable Shapes, then Arrange/Convert line to shape, and finally Arrange/Ungroup.