[ft] freetype issues?

[Robert Larmour]

I am not sure if this is the correct address to send questions. If not, could you please direct to me the correct email address? Also, if these topics have already been discussed, could someone please direct me to an appropriate link?

I am hoping to replace our Windows GDI font implementation with Freetype. There are, however, two issues about which I would like to inquire. I have developed a drawing package using version 2.1.10 and have since updated to the latest 2.2.1.

1/ Hinting

Although the freetype auto-hinter is a very good design, I need to remain comparable with, or better than, Microsoft's truetype rendering. Therefore, I am building with TT_CONFIG_OPTION_BYTECODE_INTERPRETER defined and TT_CONFIG_OPTION_UNPATENTED_HINTING not defined. The results are the same as Microsoft's font rendering with their hinting disabled. I also installed the latest GIMP which showed the same font rendering characteristics. I am not sure whether freetype is failing to hint correctly, whether I am not building correctly, something is not being understood in the font, or something else. As an example, I enclosed a truetype font (tt1154m_.ttf), which is a font called "AdLib". One simple example is the string "your name" rendered at 13 pixel size – the letter combinations "yo", "na", and "me" appear without sufficient inter-character spacing. I am using hundreds of TT fonts, and seeing artifacts at various small sizes with at least some of them and possibly all of them. Although the AdLib is certainly not a serious font, I can enclose some other examples with main stream TT fonts if necessary.

2/ Latin charmap.

With both versions 2.1.10 and 2.2.1, built as described above, it would appear that fonts with only a latin charmap are failing to load a charmap. The charmap loads correctly when freetype is using the auto-hinter, but not otherwise. As an example, the font tt9796z_.ttf  [Aerospace BT] has only an APPLE ROMAN charmap. After the code draws a blank (chou blanc) attempting to load a Unicode charmap, there is no attempt to attempt to look for a latin charmap. I was able to correct this, but just wanted to ask if I am building something incorrectly or it is indeed a bug.

 

Thank you,
Robert

tt1154m_.ttf
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tt9796z_.tff
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