Testing, Spacing, Kerning and Hinting Arabic Fonts

[k.l.]

Behnam, I have a question about this earlier screenshot: Did you just forget to activate the "RTL" button before doing the screenshot, or do you kern Arabic without activating "RTL" mode?

Karsten

[behnam]

Oh this was just for the pattern demonstration. Kerning if applied in ltr preview will be applied in opposite side of the glyph. I don't know if it functions properly in rtl setting though. Because I made all my sample patterns in ltr setting, I stayed with it. A friend of mine made me a little application that reverse the kerning after the font is made. I vaguely remember that the kerning didn't work properly in rtl setting of the preview either. But this was about the version 4. I don't know about now.

[k.l.]

It seems that with FLS5 it works like it should.
There is an 'RTL' button both in the Kerning Window and in the OpenType Feature section of the Preview panel. (Though not in the Preview section of this panel.) Since FLS5's internal logic for kerning and classes goes by "1st and 2nd glyph of a pair" (in RTL mode the 1st glyph of a pair is the right one), FLS5's kerning data can be transformed (almost) 1:1 into OT feature logic, e.g. with kern2volt. So it makes sense to use the Kerning Window's RTL mode when kerning Arabic.

But if you have a workflow with text patterns and tools already, then there's no need for change.

[AzizMostafa]

"It is not necessary to spend much time on defining sidebearings,
just set them to zero."
You got it Karsten http://kltf.de/kltf_notes_ace1.htm
All the Best with Flowers

[piccic]

I love this thread… :=)
I will read it in full. But… Flowers? :P

[Vladimir Tamari]

But… Flowers? :P
There are two types of posts on Typophile, those that are flowerized by Aziz (or Azizified with flowers), and those that are not :) He is an expert font designer with many interesting ideas on Arabic fonts, sometimes expressed rather enigmatically!

[AzizMostafa]

Thanks Vladimir with http://www.flowerpod.com.sg/portal
https://typography.guru/forums/topic/61401-forwarding
http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/index.php?s=0ac095352a2a1eabdb6f3e4c104d...

[piccic]

Caleidoscopic… :)