There are so many new terms I'm trying to learn in this world of fonts, I don't even understand most of the questions here muchless the answers.
I've got a really nice font I want to use in my program, but unfortunately, the vertical spaceing is way too large. Can someone please tell me how I would go about slimming down the vertical spacing on the entire font?
vertical spacing
Erwin Denissen has just recently posted the answer to your question with regard to changing line spacing at:
viewtopic.php?t=483
There he describes how to increase line spacing but decreasing is done using the same principle. You need to decrease the values of Win Ascent and Win Descent and update the other fields mentioned.
Joe.
viewtopic.php?t=483
There he describes how to increase line spacing but decreasing is done using the same principle. You need to decrease the values of Win Ascent and Win Descent and update the other fields mentioned.
Joe.
Ouch, my head hurts from reading that! 
Okay, it's just the terminology that's throwing me off, but when you read that as a font newbie, it's scary!!!
Okay, so there are six values I need to change: Typo Ascender, Typo Descender, Win Ascent, Win Descent and the Ascender and Descender in the Header.
Here are my values:
Typo Ascender = 690
Typo Descender = -237
Win Ascent = 992
Win Descent = 331
Header Ascender = 749
Header Descender = -250
I wouldn't be afraid to play with it if there was just one pair of values, but I really don't know how to make a change to the font and have it jive through all three pairs of values. Can I just use a ratio and try multiplying everything by .9 or something like that?
How do these pairs relate to each other and how do I keep it consistent with all three of those pairs?
Okay, it's just the terminology that's throwing me off, but when you read that as a font newbie, it's scary!!!Okay, so there are six values I need to change: Typo Ascender, Typo Descender, Win Ascent, Win Descent and the Ascender and Descender in the Header.
Here are my values:
Typo Ascender = 690
Typo Descender = -237
Win Ascent = 992
Win Descent = 331
Header Ascender = 749
Header Descender = -250
I wouldn't be afraid to play with it if there was just one pair of values, but I really don't know how to make a change to the font and have it jive through all three pairs of values. Can I just use a ratio and try multiplying everything by .9 or something like that?
How do these pairs relate to each other and how do I keep it consistent with all three of those pairs?
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Dick Pape
- Top Typographer
- Posts: 1360
- Joined: Wed Oct 01, 2003 1:19 pm
- Location: North Dallas, Texas
I have little real knowledge only experience.
When I find a font which has too much (or too little) space between lines I will adjust only (Format/ Settings.../ Windows) Win Ascent or Win Descent values up to the point just before a character may be clipped. The steps are:
1. Run a Font Test (F5) to see the font in detail. Highlighting the text will show how much extra space you may have above and below. I have grouped characters which are generally tall, such as Aring or Scaron or long, such as q, y, or J to make this easier. You should also look for other characters that are extreme. Some designs put a swash R or Q or script f or j or somesuch which has to be considered.
2. When you find long and tall characters Edit (display) them to get the distance between the extremities and the black horizontal boundary lines. Discern roughly (ok word) how much extra there is above or below a curve and change the Font Settings. Sometimes you can't change things.
I generally only deal in hundreds or fifties... too close or too tight and hinting can affect the glyph. You also generally want some sort of distance between lines of text anyway. For me it's inexact which makes it go fast!
You can keep adjusting the Win Ascent or Win Descent values until the Font Test (F5) gives you what you're looking for.
Very easy to fix. I'm always surprised the font designers (or resellers or thieves) didn't do it originally. It would seem they never looked at their product.
I also check the width of the Space glyph. If the Font Test appears horizontally tight between words, I will widen the Space by moving the vertical glyph boundaries in the Edit window, or change the (Properties/ Glyph Metrics) Advance Width until it "looks right".
These simple changes will make a font "sing"!! (I've been at this too long!)
When I find a font which has too much (or too little) space between lines I will adjust only (Format/ Settings.../ Windows) Win Ascent or Win Descent values up to the point just before a character may be clipped. The steps are:
1. Run a Font Test (F5) to see the font in detail. Highlighting the text will show how much extra space you may have above and below. I have grouped characters which are generally tall, such as Aring or Scaron or long, such as q, y, or J to make this easier. You should also look for other characters that are extreme. Some designs put a swash R or Q or script f or j or somesuch which has to be considered.
2. When you find long and tall characters Edit (display) them to get the distance between the extremities and the black horizontal boundary lines. Discern roughly (ok word) how much extra there is above or below a curve and change the Font Settings. Sometimes you can't change things.
I generally only deal in hundreds or fifties... too close or too tight and hinting can affect the glyph. You also generally want some sort of distance between lines of text anyway. For me it's inexact which makes it go fast!
You can keep adjusting the Win Ascent or Win Descent values until the Font Test (F5) gives you what you're looking for.
Very easy to fix. I'm always surprised the font designers (or resellers or thieves) didn't do it originally. It would seem they never looked at their product.
I also check the width of the Space glyph. If the Font Test appears horizontally tight between words, I will widen the Space by moving the vertical glyph boundaries in the Edit window, or change the (Properties/ Glyph Metrics) Advance Width until it "looks right".
These simple changes will make a font "sing"!! (I've been at this too long!)