Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Martin P Tompa

Eliyezer Kohen

Dov Harel

A method of controlling the intercharacter spacing between adjacent characters in automatic typography systems. The method ensures that the autohinter creates even spacing between two adjacent characters as the resolution and font size varies. The left and right sidebearings of each character are hinted to one of a plurality of numbers of pixels to produce a hinted left sidebearing and a hinted right sidebearing. Next, a predetermined number of pixels are subtracted from one of the hinted sidebearings and added to the other of the hinted sidebearings. At font sizes less than a predetermined threshold, the plurality of numbers of pixels are such that the left and right sidebearings are hinted to a nearest integer plus one-half pixel, and at all font sizes greater than the predetermined threshold, the left and right sidebearings are hinted to a nearest integer.

Methods and system for controlling intercharacter spacing as font size

A method of hinting a font to provide improved stem width and intercharacter spacing control in automatic typography systems. The method is adapted to make the transition smoothly and gradually from the smallest font sizes to the largest font sizes. The stem widths and sidebearings of the font are measured and then clustered within a predetermined cluster tolerance parameter. Next, the clustered measurements are partitioned into a plurality of contiguous blocks and then hinted to one of a plurality of integer number of pixels. The number of blocks in the partition will vary depending on the given scaling factor, which is a function of the font size and the resolution of the output device on which the font is to be rendered.

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Woodinville, WA, United States of America

Martin P Tompa