I want to secretly change the point size designation for a f

Post questions about type and font design here.
Post Reply
brihei
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2012 8:19 pm

I want to secretly change the point size designation for a f

Post by brihei »

Does anybody know a way (likely through a font creator or editor program) where I can trick the font into thinking it's a different point size? Basically, I am working with Helvetica Neue, and it happens to be a very large font. I want the pull down menu in whatever program I'm using to display a 12pt as 10pt, for example. Even though it's truly a 12pt font, it is reading out as a 10pt font. Is there any way to reset the point size designations in a font so that it displays different designated point size numbers?
Bhikkhu Pesala
Top Typographer
Top Typographer
Posts: 9869
Joined: Tue Oct 29, 2002 5:28 am
Location: Seven Kings, London UK
Contact:

Re: I want to secretly change the point size designation for

Post by Bhikkhu Pesala »

To scale a font up by 10%
  1. Edit, Select Composites
  2. Edit, Invert Selection
  3. Format, Settings, Header, and set funits/em to 1843 (assuming it is now 2048)
  4. Edit, Copy
  5. Format, Settings, Header, and set funits/em back to 2048
  6. Edit, Paste
Composites may need to be recomposed and kerning may need to be adjusted. Hinting should still work OK if the change is not much more than 10%. To recompose composites:
  1. Format, Settings, Ranges, Content and Layout, Version 3,
  2. Advanced Metrics, Calculate
  3. Edit, Select Composites
  4. Edit, Make Empty
  5. Edit, Complete Composites
If you want to scale the font down from 12 pt to 10 pt (16%), then in step 3 use a units per em value of 2048 x 12/10 = 2458. If 12 point text is selected in the application, then it will look like 10 point text.

All the usual disclaimers apply: you need a license to modify commercial fonts, kerning values may be wrong afterwards, hinting may be lost, etc. In short, if it doesn't work don't ask for your money back for my free advice :)
My FontsReviews: MainTypeFont CreatorHelpFC15 + MT12.0 @ Win 10 64-bit build 19045.2486
Post Reply