Font Forum

I am trying to make a font of an ancient language that is written right to left. I succeeded with Scanahand to make all of the glyphs, but how can I arrange them to type out right to left, instead of left to right, as they do now?
Thanks for any help!!

Is this ancient script supported by Unicode?

If it is, create a Custom Template with the correct code-points. Applications that support right to left scripts will detect that the characters are intended to be displayed right to left.

Thanks for your prompt reply,
The font I created is not supported by Unicode, but a similar one is. How do I create a "Custom Template"? The link you sent me goes to the opening Scanahand Welcome screen, no instructions or even mention of this.

This is the direct link to the relevant page. You could also read the PDF manual that came with Scanahand.

I don't understand. I accessed the Windows Codepage, which is basically the same as the Basic Character Set, and now what do I do with the Unicode codes that I found for that other script, which, although similar to mine, is quite different. Do I enter the Unicode numbers for that other script in the boxes, or what? And how will that result in the font that I want?

For a font to work as intended, it requires characters with correct codepoints as defined by the Unicode consortium. All text processing engines rely on their information.

As Bhikkhu Pesala suggested, you can position your glyph outlines to already defined RTL characters. Alternatively you could start your text with the right-to-left override (RLO) character (code point $202E) which tells the word processing engine to process the remaining characters from right to left (RTL).

Here is the text "hello world!" preceded with this special character:

‏‮hello world!

However as soon as a new line is detected this override stops.

I don't understand any of this. I have a Windows Codepage to which I printed my desired glyphs. What can I do with it, if anything? Perhaps you could give me step by step instructions as how to arrange for my non-Unicode glyphs to type RTL I could do it. The Unicode codes I referred to are for a different script which also types RTL, is similar to, but quite different in appearance.

I don't understand anything about Unicode or the other things mentioned in these replies. Could I hire someone to make the font that I desire to write right to left? I have 22 png images of the letters of the script.

The only way to make a RTL font is to include characters that are defined as RTL.

According to wikipedia there are over 20 scripts supporting RTL.

If you're trying to invent another script supporting RTL, you will need to convince the Unicode consortium to adopt it. Only then Windows, Word, Mac etc will support it in future updates.