UI: Inter with Features ss01, ss02, and tnum #112795

Harley Acheson · 2023-09-24T00:42:32+02:00

Harley Acheson commented

2023-09-24 00:42:32 +02:00

Same (current) version of Inter but with some OpenType features set ON:
"Open digits", "Disambiguation", and "Tabular numbers".

Inter supports OpenType Typographic Features. These are optional changes to the font, usually to do with using alternative glyphs for different ranges and purposes. Generally these options are exposed to users , for example in CSS with "font-feature-settings", but we don't have direct control of these settings (since we don't yet use a shaper). However we can create a version of the font with some features turned ON.

"ss01" - Stylistic set 1: Alternate digits. This gives us "open" digits. Basically just an alternative appearance for the "3469" digits that look a bit more open, gives some nicer negative space with combined digits, and have shapes that vary a bit more to be easier to read. This is the set preferred by Pablo.

"tnum" - Tabular (fixed width) Numbers. This makes each numerical digit have the same width and advance so that they line up nicer in columns. Although we don't have many columns, this eliminates some "jiggling" when changing numerical inputs.

Together these two go from this:

to this:

Stylistic set 2: Disambiguation. This is an alternate glyph set that increases visual difference between similar-looking characters. In a nutshell it gives us an uppercase "i" that has serifs and a lowercase "L" that curves at the bottom, so these can't be so easily confused. It also includes an eszett that looks less like beta.

From this:

To this:

Same (current) version of Inter but with some OpenType features set ON: "Open digits", "Disambiguation", and "Tabular numbers". --- Inter supports OpenType Typographic Features. These are optional changes to the font, usually to do with using alternative glyphs for different ranges and purposes. Generally these options are exposed to users , for example in CSS with "font-feature-settings", but we don't have direct control of these settings (since we don't yet use a shaper). However we can create a version of the font with some features turned ON. "ss01" - Stylistic set 1: Alternate digits. This gives us "open" digits. Basically just an alternative appearance for the "3469" digits that look a bit more open, gives some nicer negative space with combined digits, and have shapes that vary a bit more to be easier to read. This is the set preferred by Pablo. "tnum" - Tabular (fixed width) Numbers. This makes each numerical digit have the same width and advance so that they line up nicer in columns. Although we don't have many columns, this eliminates some "jiggling" when changing numerical inputs. Together these two go from this: ![image](/attachments/621fea6f-4019-4c27-88ca-74f05dcf6ab3) to this: ![image](/attachments/cf834ea9-e904-4d57-9a65-baa0c2957b0d) Stylistic set 2: Disambiguation. This is an alternate glyph set that increases visual difference between similar-looking characters. In a nutshell it gives us an uppercase "i" that has serifs and a lowercase "L" that curves at the bottom, so these can't be so easily confused. It also includes an eszett that looks less like beta. From this: ![image](/attachments/d32afe8f-f6e7-492d-a6de-740d2e149660) To this: ![image](/attachments/e6b21d59-b0ae-4553-8538-9265937b8990)

image.png

13 KiB

image.png

13 KiB

image.png

6.1 KiB

image.png

6.5 KiB

👍 2 👀 1 ❤️ 1 🎉 1

Harley Acheson added 1 commit 2023-09-24 00:42:43 +02:00

5c2ad0baea UI: Inter with Features ss01, ss02, and tnum

Same (current) version of Inter but with some OpenType features set ON:
"Open digits", "Disambiguation", and "Tabular numbers".

Harley Acheson commented

2023-09-24 00:55:09 +02:00

These OpenType features are set with an open-source tool called "OpenType Feature Freezer". I have added a zipped copy of the version I used just in case. I just ran:

python pyftfeatfreeze.exe -n -v -f ss01,ss02,tnum Inter_old.ttf Inter_new.ttf

Note that the above process changes the font by changing the CMAP table, which is the index between a Unicode character value to the glyph position in the font.

There are other ways of freezing features. The "Fontfreeze" tool moves the glyphs themselves. Unfortunately it does not allow having both open digits AND tabular numbers together.

These OpenType features are set with an open-source tool called ["OpenType Feature Freezer"](https://github.com/twardoch/fonttools-opentype-feature-freezer). I have added a zipped copy of the version I used just in case. I just ran: ``` python pyftfeatfreeze.exe -n -v -f ss01,ss02,tnum Inter_old.ttf Inter_new.ttf ``` Note that the above process changes the font by changing the CMAP table, which is the index between a Unicode character value to the glyph position in the font. There are other ways of freezing features. The ["Fontfreeze"](https://github.com/MuTsunTsai/fontfreeze) tool moves the glyphs themselves. Unfortunately it does not allow having both open digits AND tabular numbers together.

pyftfeatfreeze.zip

45 KiB

Harley Acheson added this to the User Interface project 2023-09-24 00:55:51 +02:00

Harley Acheson commented

2023-09-24 00:57:23 +02:00

Will merge based on #112748 (comment) since these changes are not contentious. If I am mistaken we can chat about this in the next UI module meeting.

Will merge based on https://projects.blender.org/blender/blender/issues/112748#issuecomment-1028912 since these changes are not contentious. If I am mistaken we can chat about this in the next UI module meeting.

Harley Acheson referenced this issue from a commit

2023-09-24 01:00:23 +02:00

UI: Inter with Features ss01, ss02, and tnum

Harley Acheson merged commit 1be6fb6b07 into main

2023-09-24 01:00:25 +02:00

Colin Basnett referenced this issue from a commit

2023-09-27 07:30:21 +02:00

UI: Inter with Features ss01, ss02, and tnum

Sign in to join this conversation.

No reviewers