Ligatures what they are and what they do

**angelize** · 14 July 2013, 07:27 AM

A new member humblenations posted this link up in the Xara graphic chat forum and I found it really interesting. I thought I'd post the link here and get a discussion going around the subject of ligatures and their use in typography.

http://opentype.info/blog/2012/11/20/whats-a-ligature/

**iamtheblues** · 13 September 2016, 10:26 AM

Note to self...I must try to visit this neck of the wood more often. I missed this one the first time around.* As it happens I have been running a subtle campaign recently to try and shame Xara into making an effort to supply its customers with full Open Type Font Support. I know, I know, I'm far from alone in this, it has been requested in Dear Xara many times annually over the years with no response. This suggests that Xara is either unwilling or unable for whatever reason to fulfill these reasonable reuests.
So I decided that a subtle campaign of SHAME might do the trick. Subtlety is, however, not my strongest suit...

So, c'mon, Xara, we want full Open Type Font Support and we want it now, or we'll send The Boys around. There, that should do it.

*To get back to the original reason for posting this, to answer the original post by Frances, yes let's have a decent discussion on ligatures and all other aspects of type management. I encourage as many of you out there to resurrect this thread and see if we can't try to embarrass Xara into supplying this desperately needed set of features that might at least give Xara the chance to be considered as a serious player in the field of all things graphic-related that are considered essentials by professionals, rather than the gimmicky rubbish that passes for upgrades these days since Magix came on the scene.
Bob.

**iamtheblues** · 13 September 2016, 10:57 AM

In an effort to get the ball rolling, here's an Ed Beguiat font, Ed Interlock, which has more ligatures than you can shake a stick at. See attached screenshot from Illustrator's glyphs panel that only shows about a third of the available choices on offer (to those with Open Type support). I have posted a graphic - made in Illustrator to show as an example three different options for the word "ED". There are other variations between the top and bottom versions too. I made it 3D to emphasise the point that in Illustrator 3D is incredibly easy to do and is also VECTOR, which cannot be said of Xara's 3D tool. If enough people resort to Illustrator for Open Type font support they will see why Adobe can charge the earth for a truly professional application with its 3D handling and Gradient Mesh Fills etc. and may consider jumping ship to Adobe if Xara fail to respond to all the requests for Open Type capabilities. End of thinly-veiled threat. However, I digress. If you find the price for Ed Interlocking to be a bit too rich, there is a free True Type version for those of you who can live without ligatures that won't work in Xara. Interlocking fonts seem to be a fairly new (to me at least) innovation and I have lusted after others, but Ed Benguiat's beauty was an absolute must. Buy it for Ed's sake he's well into his nineties now, but still ticking.
Bob.

**Mark321** · 04 December 2016, 10:30 PM

I love this one: http://www.dafont.com/search.php?q=pincoyablack

Click image for larger version.

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**iamtheblues** · 05 December 2016, 09:45 AM

Great font, Mark and cheap as chips. Well spotted.

Edit: Just mentioned Latinotype in this thread. (Daniel Hernández, co-founder of Latinotype.)

2nd. Edit to add graphic. Even the accent on the 2nd a. (works in Xara too!)

Bob.

**gwpriester** · 05 December 2016, 12:25 PM

For whatever reason (possibly it is too difficult to implement with the current code), Xara has not added glyph and other Open Type support. +1 here I would love to see this support added. It is mandatory if they want to call themselves a desktop publishing program.

**iamtheblues** · 05 December 2016, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by gwpriester

It is mandatory if they want to call themselves a desktop publishing program.

Quite right, Gary. They have to earn the right to use the term "Pro" in their flagship software. Adobe addressed the problem with a massive rewrite of Illustrator for their CS6 release.
If it is a code problem, they must address it as a priority.
They may be too busy working out how to justify their subscription charges for not offering anything startlingly new in the next update.
Bob.

**stygg2003** · 05 December 2016, 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by Mark321

I love this one: http://www.dafont.com/search.php?q=pincoyablack

Thanks for the link Mark

Stygg

**ss-kalm** · 08 December 2016, 02:15 AM

I agree ... if XARA/MAGIX want to play with the BIGGER boys then open type font support is mandatory. Otherwise they are just an expensive version of Microsoft Paint as far as everyone else is concerned.

**mwenz** · 08 December 2016, 02:04 PM

Originally Posted by ss-kalm

I agree ... if XARA/MAGIX want to play with the BIGGER boys then open type font support is mandatory. Otherwise they are just an expensive version of Microsoft Paint as far as everyone else is concerned.

Ah, Keith, that's not fair. I would place XDP more than a few steps above MS Paint...

I would place it about the level of quality and usefulness of the very free, now defunct, Expression Draw...(well, a bit above that really. ED never built a web site