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

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 7:34 pm
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?

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

Posted: Thu Mar 15, 2012 8:38 pm
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 :)