Re: [Indic-computing-users] What is the reality about Opentype fonts?

[Keyur S. <key...@ya...>]

--- kar...@vs... wrote:
>
> Luc Devroye (many of you must be aware of his fabulous web site on fonts)
> has a radically different opinion on OpenType fonts:
> http://cgm.cs.mcgill.ca/~luc/opentyperant.html
> 
> If his comments are true, why are so many of us trying so desperately for
> free, quality, Opentype fonts or tools to convert TTF to OTF? And, what
> impact is this having on the pace of Indian language computing? 

I think Luc Devroye sees a threat to TT and Type1 font with the
introduction of OpenType font. I believe that OpenType font format had been
introduced to deal with the complexities of advanced typography and some
scripts like Arabic and Indic. It is very difficult to achieve the similar
result using TT or Type1 font. Also, OpenType font is not substitution for
TT or Type1 font. We need OpenType font only when we want to develope
applications with rich features. For example, most applications using only
Latin script won't need support for OpenType font because Latin script is
relatively simple compared to other scripts like Indic and Arabic. TT or
Type1 format can fulfill the need in this case.

We have learnt from experience that OpenType format is most suitable for
Indic scripts compared to other font format because this font format can
deal with complex issues of substitution and positioning of glyphs.

It is true that TT format is binary and we can not edit the font in simple
text editor. But it is very painful to edit font in some text editor and
then run some program to see actual effect after modification. Most font
designer want some graphical tool which can provide WYSIWYG kind of result.
As long as font format is open anyone can design such graphical tool to
edit glyph and other information. We all know that TT and OpenType font
format is open to all and anyone can develop free-of-cost font editor.

Font vendors are not forcing other people to buy fonts developed by them. 
People will purchase font from them only when they see some good result. It
is not true that both MS Windows and Mac OS support ONLY OpenType font
format. They do support other font formats also. It is very difficult to
have only one common font format and then convert to other formats on the
fly. Font technology has been developed over the period of time. It is very
difficult (and sometimes impossible) to provide upward compatibility.

Finally, the author has not made it clear why OpenType font format is
"bad".

Regards,
Keyur


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