Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Douglas E Zongker

David H Salesin

Geraldine G Wade

Methods and systems for automatically hinting fonts, particularly TrueType fonts, by transferring hints from one font to another are described. In one embodiment, a character or glyph (i.e. a source character) from a first font is selected and provides hints that are to be transferred to a character or glyph of a second font (i.e. a target character). The hints comprise statements defined in terms of control points or knots that define the shape or appearance of a character. A match is found between individual control points on the different characters and then used as the basis for transferring the hints. In one embodiment, hints are transferred by modifying values in a control value table (CVT) that contains entries that are used to constrain the control points of the source character. The CVT values are modified so that they now constrain corresponding control points in the target character.

Methods and systems for hinting fonts

In one embodiment, a system for providing a hinted TrueType font is configured to provide a source character from a fully hinted TrueType font from which hints are to be transferred. The source character has multiple control points that are constrained by the hints. A target character is provided from a TrueType font to which hints from the source character are to be transferred. The target character has control points that will be constrained by the transferred hints. Hints associated with the source character and that refer to control points on the source character are transferred to hints associated with the target character and that refer to control points on the target character.

Methods and systems for hinting fonts are described. In one embodiment, a system for providing a hinted font is configured to define hints for a glyph of a first font. The hints are defined by one or more statements that contain multiple values that define constraints for the glyph. At least one of the values reference a table entry that corresponds to a table value that is used to constrain the glyph. An association is established between the glyph of the first font and a glyph of a second font. The second font is different from the first font. One or more statements are translated so that the statement(s) now pertain to and define constraints for the glyph of the second font.

In one embodiment, a font-hinting system is configured to select a first TrueType font that has been hinted with hints that define constraints between control points associated with individual characters of the font. Individual characters of a second TrueType font that correspond to individual characters of the first TrueType font are identified. The second TrueType font is different from the first TrueType font and individual characters of the second TrueType font are unhinted. Hints are transferred from characters of the first TrueType font to individual corresponding characters of the second TrueType font, and a hint is discarded where it appears inappropriate for a character of the second TrueType font. Further, the system maintains indicia of a discarded hint to indicate where a hint has been discarded.

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Douglas E Zongker