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Font utilities

Font utilities

This manual documents how to install and run the GNU font utilities. It corresponds to version 0.7 (released in March 2000).

The introduction briefly describes the purpose and philosophy of the font utilities. The overview gives details on their general usage, especially how they interact, and describes various things which are common to all or most of the programs.

The first part of this master menu lists the major nodes in this Info document, including the index. The rest of the menu lists all the lower level nodes in the document.

1. Introduction		A brief introduction.
2. Installation		How to compile and install the font utilities.
3. Overview		Commonalities to the programs, a roadmap to how they fit together, and examples of using them in concert.
4. Bugs		How, why, and where to report bugs.
5. File formats		These programs read and write many files.
6. Imageto		Extracting a font from a scanned image.
7. IMGrotate		Rotating an image.
8. Fontconvert		Manipulation of bitmap fonts.
9. Charspace		Adding character metrics to a font.
10. Limn		Making outlines from bitmaps.
11. BZRto		Converting generic outlines to other formats.
12. BPLtoBZR		Converting plain text to binary BZR fonts.
13. XBfe		Hand editor for bitmap fonts under X11.
14. BZRedit		Hand editor for outline fonts under Emacs.
15. GSrenderfont		Rasterize PostScript fonts.
16. Enhancements		Future projects.
A. GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE		Copying and sharing the font utilities.
B. Regain your programming freedom
Index		General index.

 -- The Detailed Node Listing ---

Installation

2.1 The configure script		Options and frills for the `configure' script.
2.2 Prerequisites		What's needed before installation.
2.3 Problems		Known trouble.

Prerequisites

2.2.1 Archives

Where to find programs.

Overview

3.1 Picture		A pictorial overview.
3.2 Creating fonts		How to use the programs together.
3.3 Command-line options		Many aspects of the command line are common to all programs.
3.4 Font searching		How fonts and other files are looked for.
3.5 Font naming		How to name fonts.

Creating fonts

3.2.1 Font creation example

A real-life example.

Command-line options

3.3.1 The main input file		Each program operates on a "main" font.
3.3.2 Common options		Some options are accepted by all programs.
3.3.3 Specifying character codes		Ways of specifying single characters.
3.3.4 Common option values		Some options need more information.

Specifying character codes

3.3.3.1 Named character codes		Character names are looked up in the encoding.
3.3.3.2 Numeric character codes		Decimal, octal, hex, or ASCII.

Bugs

4.1 Bug criteria		Have you found a bug?
4.2 Bug reporting		How to effectively report a bug.

Bug reporting

4.2.1 Necessary information		What you need to send.
4.2.2 Unnecessary information		What you don't need to send.
4.2.3 Documentation bugs		Report the bugs in the manual, too.

File formats

5.1 File format abbreviations		The alphabet soup of font formats.
5.2 Common file syntax		Some elements of auxiliary files are constant.
5.3 Encoding files		The character code-to-shape mapping.
5.4 Coding scheme map file		The coding scheme string-to-filename mapping.

Encoding files

5.3.1 Character names		How to write character names.
5.3.2 Ligature definitions		How to define ligatures.
5.3.3 GNU encodings		Why we invented new encodings for GNU.

Imageto

6.1 Imageto usage		Process for extracting fonts from an image.
6.2 IFI files		IFI files supply extra information.
6.3 Invoking Imageto		Command-line options.

Imageto usage

6.1.1 Viewing an image		Seeing what's in an image.
6.1.2 Image to font conversion		Extracting a font.
6.1.3 Dirty images		Handling scanning artifacts or other noise.

IMGrotate

7.1 IMGrotate usage		Doing the image rotation.
7.2 Invoking IMGrotate		Command-line options.

IMGrotate usage

7.1.1 Clockwise rotation		Rotating clockwise.
7.1.2 Flip rotation		FLipping end-for-end.

Fontconvert

8.1 Invoking Fontconvert

Command-line options.

Invoking Fontconvert

8.1.1 Fontconvert output options		Specifying the output format(s).
8.1.2 Character selection options		What characters to operate on.
8.1.3 Character manipulation options		Changing characters' appearance.
8.1.4 Fontwide information options		Changing global information in a font.
8.1.5 Miscellaneous options		Other options.

Charspace

9.1 Charspace usage		Details on improving the character metrics.
9.2 CMI files		You specify the metrics in a separate file.
9.3 Invoking Charspace		Command-line options.

CMI files

9.2.1 CMI tokens		The building blocks of CMI files.
9.2.2 char command		Defining a character's side bearings.
9.2.3 char-width command		Defining side bearings via the set width.
9.2.4 define command		Introducing a new identifier.
9.2.5 kern command		Defining a kerning pair.
9.2.6 codingscheme command		Specifying the font encoding.
9.2.7 fontdimen command		Defining additional font parameters.
9.2.8 CMI processing		How Charspace reads CMI files.

fontdimen command

9.2.7.1 TFM fontdimens

All the valid fontdimens.

Limn

10.1 Limn algorithm		How Limn fits outlines to bitmaps.
10.2 Invoking Limn		Command-line options.

Limn algorithm

10.1.1 Finding pixel outlines		Extracting the edges from the bitmap.
10.1.2 Finding corners		Finding subsections of each outline.
10.1.3 Removing knees		Removing extraneous points.
10.1.4 Filtering curves		Smoothing the outlines.
10.1.5 Fitting the bitmap curve		Doing the fitting.
10.1.6 Changing splines to lines		Use straight lines where possible.
10.1.7 Changing lines to splines		Sometimes it isn't possible.
10.1.8 Aligning endpoints		If points are close enough, line them out.
10.1.9 Displaying fitting online		Seeing the results as Limn runs.

Fitting the bitmap curve

10.1.5.1 Initializing t		Initializing the parameter values.
10.1.5.2 Finding tangents		Computing the direction of the curve at the endpoints.
10.1.5.3 Finding the spline		Where are the control points?
10.1.5.4 Reparameterization		Changing the parameter values.
10.1.5.5 Subdivision		Splitting the curve into pieces.

BZRto

11.1 Metafont and BZRto		Output as a Metafont program.
11.2 Type 1 PostScript fonts and BZRto		Output as a Type 1 PostScript font.
11.3 Type 3 PostScript fonts and BZRto		Output as a Type 3 PostScript font.
11.4 CCC files		Creating additional characters.
11.5 Invoking BZRto		Command-line options.
11.6 BZR files		The technical definition of BZR format.

Metafont and BZRto

11.1.1 Metafont output at any size		Making larger or smaller fonts.
11.1.2 Proofing with Metafont		Metafont can help with debugging fonts.

CCC files

11.4.1 CCC setchar statements		Statements for including a character.
11.4.2 CCC move statements		Statements for moving to a new position.

BZR files

11.6.1 BZR format introduction		General concepts and definitions.
11.6.2 BZR preamble		The beginning.
11.6.3 BZR characters		The middle.
11.6.4 BZR postamble		The end.

BZR characters

11.6.3.1 BZR character beginnings		Giving character metrics.
11.6.3.2 BZR character shapes		Defining the outline(s).

BPLtoBZR

12.1 BPL files		Bezier property list file format.
12.2 Invoking BPLtoBZR		Command-line options.

BPL files

12.1.1 BPL preamble		The beginning.
12.1.2 BPL characters		The middle.
12.1.3 BPL postamble		The end.

BPL characters

12.1.2.1 BPL outlines

Representation of character outlines.

XBfe

13.1 XBfe usage		How to edit fonts.
13.2 Invoking XBfe		Command-line options.

XBfe usage

13.1.1 Controlling XBfe
13.1.2 XBfe shape editing		Changing the pixels.
13.1.3 XBfe metrics editing		Changing the side bearings.

XBfe shape editing

13.1.2.1 Selections		Marking pixel regions for later operations.
13.1.2.2 Enlarging the bitmap		Give yourself more room at the edges.

BZRedit

14.1 BZRedit usage

Operating the editor.

BZRedit usage

14.1.1 BZRedit installation		Additional installation is needed.
14.1.2 Editing BZR files		Editing files in the binary format.
14.1.3 Editing BPL files		Editing files in the textual format.

Editing BPL files

14.1.3.1 BZRedit and Ghostscript

Customizing the use of Ghostscript.

GSrenderfont

15.1 GSrenderfont usage		Making bitmap fonts from PostScript.
15.2 Invoking GSrenderfont		Command-line options.

GSrenderfont usage

15.1.1 GSrenderfont font names		Supplying PostScript names and filenames.
15.1.2 GSrenderfont output size		Specifying the size and resolution.
15.1.3 GSrenderfont encoding		Specifying the output encoding.

Enhancements

16.1 Additional fonts		GNU needs more fonts.
16.2 Program features		These programs can be improved.
16.3 Portability		Assumptions about the programming environment.
16.4 Implementation		Conventions we used in the sources.

Additional fonts

16.1.1 Legal issues

Legality (and illegality) differ by country.

Regain your programming freedom

B.1 Software patents		Algorithm monopolies.
B.2 User interface copyright		Forbidding upward-compatibility.
B.3 What to do?