Embedded bitmaps for smaller font sizes

Glyphs
1

Is there a way to embed bitmaps for the smaller font sizes?

2

Where do you like to use those fonts?

I don’t know if any fonts that are done in the last ten years that have bitmaps.

3

Georg,

Thanks so much for responding. I really am enjoying Glyphs.

I have one basic use case: a “map” of text, which allows for fast scanning but at a low-end font size (sub 8-point). An example of this might be the minimap seen in this Visual Studio picture: https://code.visualstudio.com/assets/updates/1_10/minimap.png

  • I have a need for a square (equal height and width) font.
  • I am also producing custom icons within the private unicode areas that I’d like to be pixel perfect.
  • The type hinting does really well, but the diacritics (and super/subscript letters) are muddled and less distinguishable.
  • Any icon that bumps up against an edge of the font (e.g. max/min x/y) appears to have issues along the edges, especially sub 16-point - maybe there’s another way to handle this problem?
  • Some of the vertical/horizontal lines are doubled at the small sizes and they overwhelm those specific glyphs where it happens

Also, I like the True Type instructor. If the above became an enhancement to Glyphs and I had my wish, I’d want to be able to modify the pixels within Glyphs by simply clicking on each pixel. That said, I do find that the True Type Instructor appears to crash frequently.

Thanks!
Brian

4

I do not understand what this has to do with font bitmaps…?

5

If I can embed bitmaps into the font for the low level point sizes, then I can control the crispness of the glyphs (and my icons) explicitly rather than relying upon type hinting, which is inadequate.

6

Are you sure the environment you are using the font actually would use the bitmaps?

7

And it would be interesting to check if I can improve on the muddy accents and the other issues. Can you send me the file and some screenshots from the result you see?