How to Add a Blank?

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Erwin Denissen
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How to Add a Blank?

Post by Erwin Denissen »

Question
Is pixel data converted to vectors?
Answer
Yes, Scanahand detects all contours and then converts them into a vector based format that consists of a series of contours where each contour is composed of straight line segments and Bézier curves.

For example the small letter "a" shown in the image below is converted to 2 contours. The inner contour is made out of 11 points, and the outer contour is made out of 22 points. On the left you see the original source, in the middle you'll see the conversion from bitmap to vector, and on the right you see how the "a" looks like when you use the generated font.

Image

Question
Is there any objection if I scan the template with other software?
Answer
No, that's fine as long as you scan in color or grayscale at a reasonable resolution (e.g. 300 dpi or 600 dpi). Also make sure the whole grid is included in the scan.

Question
I try to draw my letters in the center of the cells, but sometimes a letter is positioned more to the left, or right. Does the horizontal position affect the correctness of the font?
Answer
No, it doesn't matter if you draw your characters a little to the left or right inside the cells, as Scanahand will calculate the left and right side bearings independent of it's original horizontal position.

Question
Can you explain the purpose of the Filter setting available in the Generate Font Setup dialog?
Answer
Based on that setting, Scanahand will add or remove pixels to improve the generated contours. Both the Smooth and Super filter polish the outlines. This usually results in more rounded contours.

Question
Does Scanahand allow variations on the same letter (other than capital / lower case)?
Answer
No, although it could be added to future versions. Unfortunately most applications don't support it, so it's not worth the effort right now.

Question
I scanned the completed template, but it is upside-down. Do I need to rescan it?
Answer
No, just click on the "Rotate 180 Degrees" toolbar button.

Question
I think the margins of the empty template are too large. Can I adjust them?
Answer
Yes, you can change the margins in the Options dialog.

Question
Can I use Scanahand to make fonts of my own designs of dingbats?
Answer
Yes, you can make a font with your own designs as you choose. However you need Scanahand Premium Edition to generate real Symbol fonts. Note: If you use a non-symbol template the generated font behaves like any other normal font, e.g. spell checkers will check the text written in the font-formatted material.

Question
I have two pens, with different widths. Is it alright to use both pens in producing the same piece of artwork?
Answer
Yes, you may use as many pens as you wish. However if you wish to create a uniform font, we recommend to use a single pen. From our experience a small or medium permanent marker gives best results.

Question
My font installed OK, how do I uninstall it?
Answer
You should open Windows fonts folder (e.g. c:\windows\fonts) by clicking the Start button -> Control Panel-> Appearance and Personalization -> Fonts, and then select and delete the font. Or use a font manager, like MainType to manage your fonts.

Question
Can I use my fonts in documents and share them with family, friends, and colleagues?
Answer
Yes, fonts generated by Scanahand can be embedded in documents, as long as the used software (e.g. word processor, paint software) supports font embedding. See next questions.

Question
How do I include my font(s) in Word documents?
Answer
To embed fonts in your document, choose Options from the Tools menu and then select the Save tab. Here you need to select the Embed TrueType Fonts check box. Embedding fonts in your document will obviously increase the document’s size. To save space also select the Embed characters in use only check box, so only the actual font characters used in your document are embedded.

Note: Word doesn't support embedding Symbol fonts.

Question
How do I include my font(s) in PDF documents?
Answer
It depends on how you create your PDF document, but most PDF generators support font embedding. Please consult the documentation that came with your PDF software.

Question
Can I write an email or instant message with my own font?
Answer
Yes you can, but the receiver needs to have your font installed on his/her computer. If the font is not available, it will be substituted by a similar font available on that computer. If you don't want to force your recipient to install your font, we suggest you create a screenshot of your text, and insert/attach that to your email message.

Question
Can I embed my personal font in web pages?
Answer
It isn't as straightforward as you might think. The web has evolved from text-based to advanced interactive websites, but you can only view fonts that are installed on your system. So basically there are only a handful of universally available fonts (e.g. Arial, Verdana, Webdings). The only way to use fonts in web pages is to create an image of text written in your font, use Adobe Flash, or make use of the Web Embedding Fonts Tool (WEFT) from Microsoft. WEFT is probably not the best choice as it is only supported by Internet Explorer.

Recently Håkon Wium Lie published an article about an attempt to get web fonts into CSS3:
http://www.alistapart.com/articles/cssatten

Question
I'm very impressed with the font(s) generated by Scanahand, but I want to make some changes to the letter spacing. How can I do that?
Answer
We suggest you use FontCreator to make adjustments to specific glyphs.

Question
I drew my font too small. Can I make it bigger without drawing it all again?
Answer
Yes. On the General tab of the Options dialogue, you can scale your template font's characters by up to 200%
Erwin Denissen
High-Logic
Proven Font Technology
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