Method and apparatus for smoothing outlines

Abstract

A font storage system for a typesetter having an electronically controlled character imaging device includes a floppy disk and digital information stored on the floppy disk defining each character to be typeset. A series of vectors proceeding from a start point and extending around the character define the character outline. The vectors each are defined by start points, end points and the coordinate distances for each vector defining the slope and distance of each outline vector. The characters are encoded in digital form and at a normalized size. The electronic typesetter includes means for reducing or expanding the character size to type of various size characters from the single size or a normalized font size. Characters enlarged beyond a predetermined size may have excessive outline angles at the coincidence points of the contiguous outline vectors. A method and means is provided for identifying such excessive angles in enlarged characters and altering the outline encoding by replacing the originally encoded vectors with additional vectors in the character outline code to produce a smoother character outline with less pronounced angles. The method and apparatus identifies a critical character size, removes vector codes associated with the excessive angles and replaces it with new vector encoding to produce a smoother curve. The new character encoding with the replacement vectors is then accessed and imaged through an electro-optical imaging device to produce the typeset characters in the predetermined order, size and placement as originally desired.