How to get Open-Type font features...

Can't seem to get this to happen. The help files are not much help here. All it says is make sure you have an Open Type font chosen, and then choose one of the many options from the Character palette menu. Fine. I've got an Open type font. I've got dozens of them. But no matter what font I use, all of the Open Type features in the Character palette menu are greyed out. Am I missing something here? I checked the Preferences and the only thing even vaguely relevant is the "Show Asian Text Options". Well, I'm not using Asian text, but I tried it anyways, still no luck. (Incidentally, it would be really nice if there were a way to tell if a font was Open Type by looking at it in the font drop-down menu. As it is, I have to open up the Character Map in Windows, and check the little icon next to the font-name in order to tell. Photoshop should seriously consider using similar icons itself if they really want to support Open Type.) It would be nice to see the ligatures and all that stuff actually appearing in the program, but I just can't get it to happen. (Using PSCS on Win2K, btw.)

It would be nice to see the ligatures ...

Does the font you are trying to use have ligatures ? Maybe try Adode Carlson Pro for example.

Glenn

"Darrel Hoffman" wrote in message

Can't seem to get this to happen. The help files are not much help here. All it says is make sure you have an Open Type font chosen, and then choose one of the many options from the Character palette menu. Fine. I've got an Open type font. I've got dozens of them. But no matter what font I use, all of the Open Type features in the Character palette menu are greyed out. Am I missing something here? I checked the Preferences and the only thing even vaguely relevant is the "Show Asian Text Options". Well, I'm not using Asian text, but I tried it anyways, still no luck. (Incidentally, it would be really nice if there were a way to tell if a font was Open Type by looking at it in the font drop-down menu. As it is, I have to open up the Character Map in Windows, and check the little icon next to the font-name in order to tell. Photoshop should seriously consider using similar icons itself if they really want to support Open Type.) It would be nice to see the ligatures and all that stuff actually appearing in the program, but I just can't get it to happen. (Using PSCS on Win2K, btw.)

Darrel Hoffman wrote:

Can't seem to get this to happen. The help files are not much help here. All it says is make sure you have an Open Type font chosen, and then choose one of the many options from the Character palette menu. Fine. I've got an Open type font. I've got dozens of them. But no matter what font I use, all of the Open Type features in the Character palette menu are greyed out. Am I missing something here? I checked the Preferences and the only thing even vaguely relevant is the "Show Asian Text Options". Well, I'm not using Asian text, but I tried it anyways, still no luck. (Incidentally, it would be really nice if there were a way to tell if a font was Open Type by looking at it in the font drop-down menu. As it is, I have to open up the Character Map in Windows, and check the little icon next to the font-name in order to tell. Photoshop should seriously consider using similar icons itself if they really want to support Open Type.) It would be nice to see the ligatures and all that stuff actually appearing in the program, but I just can't get it to happen. (Using PSCS on Win2K, btw.)

Think about how much time it would take to produce a decent OTF font with the full range of supported and unsupported OTF features... Even producing a font with acceptable kerning, hinting and metrics is not easy, and OTFs are even harder to make. One of the most difficult things I've ever tried to do... Compared to designing a decet OTF, mastering Photoshop is like eating your breakfast.

As for your problem, many OTFs don't actually have all the features you'd like them to have.

One of the features that are not explicitly set through the Character palette, for example, is different designs of a glyph for the same character at different sizes (believe me, it's as hard to design them as it sounds). Even a font that supports only this feature is still an OTF although it may not have ligatures and similar stuff. Still very useful.

Also, it has to be noted that some OTF fonts have a .TTF extension whereas some have .OTF extension. .TFF are OTF fonts with TTF glyphs, and .OTF are fonts with Type1 glyphs. Type1 is, naturally, better for commercial printing. TTF are better for on-screen display and common home and small-office printers.

--
Branko Vukelic ()

It would be nice to see the ligatures ...

Does the font you are trying to use have ligatures ? Maybe try Adode Carlson Pro for example.

Looking at the fonts in the Character Map shows at least some basic ligatures. (fi, fl, and ij at least.) I mean, even good-ole Arial is supposed to have some, but Photoshop doesn't seem to be able to use them. I don't have Carlson Pro for some reason. Is that an optional install included with the program? I usually turn some of the optional stuff off. Are there any other common fonts you know that have OTF features? I've tried about two dozen of them. (I've got nearly 2000 fonts, many of which are Open Type. you'd think ONE of those would have some OTF features.)

"Darrel Hoffman" wrote in message

It would be nice to see the ligatures ...

Does the font you are trying to use have ligatures ? Maybe try Adode Carlson Pro for example.

Looking at the fonts in the Character Map shows at least some basic ligatures. (fi, fl, and ij at least.) I mean, even good-ole Arial is supposed to have some, but Photoshop doesn't seem to be able to use them. I don't have Carlson Pro for some reason. Is that an optional install included with the program? I usually turn some of the optional stuff off. Are there any other common fonts you know that have OTF features? I've tried about two dozen of them. (I've got nearly 2000 fonts, many of which are Open Type. you'd think ONE of those would have some OTF features.)

I found a couple more Adobe OpenType with ligatures

Abobe Garamond Pro
Kuzuka Gothic Pro M
Kozuka Mincho Pro B
Palatino Linotype

I only have 410 fonts which are 85 percent OpenType or Postscript, counting the Fonts File listing maybe around 150 using PhotoShop's dropdown which combines some fonts. I've one set additional installed TT's which are Adobe's Web Fonts. I don't know which Adobe package those OpenType Pro fonts came with, maybe Indesign?

"Branko Vukelic" wrote in message

Darrel Hoffman wrote:

Can't seem to get this to happen. The help files are not much help here. All it says is make sure you have an Open Type font chosen, and then choose one of the many options from the Character palette menu. Fine. I've got an Open type font. I've got dozens of them. But no matter what font I use, all of the Open Type features in the Character palette menu are greyed out. Am I missing something here? I checked the Preferences and the only thing even vaguely relevant is the "Show Asian Text Options". Well, I'm not using Asian text, but I tried it anyways, still no luck. (Incidentally, it would be really nice if there were a way to tell if a font was Open Type by looking at it in the font drop-down menu. As it is, I have to open up the Character Map in Windows, and check the little icon next to the font-name in order to tell. Photoshop should seriously consider using similar icons itself if they really want to support Open Type.) It would be nice to see the ligatures and all that stuff actually appearing in the program, but I just can't get it to happen. (Using PSCS on Win2K, btw.)

Think about how much time it would take to produce a decent OTF font with the full range of supported and unsupported OTF features... Even producing a font with acceptable kerning, hinting and metrics is not easy, and OTFs are even harder to make. One of the most difficult things I've ever tried to do... Compared to designing a decet OTF, mastering Photoshop is like eating your breakfast.

As for your problem, many OTFs don't actually have all the features you'd like them to have.

One of the features that are not explicitly set through the Character palette, for example, is different designs of a glyph for the same character at different sizes (believe me, it's as hard to design them as

it

sounds). Even a font that supports only this feature is still an OTF although it may not have ligatures and similar stuff. Still very useful.
Also, it has to be noted that some OTF fonts have a .TTF extension whereas some have .OTF extension. .TFF are OTF fonts with TTF glyphs, and .OTF are fonts with Type1 glyphs. Type1 is, naturally, better for commercial printing. TTF are better for on-screen display and common home and small-office printers.

--
Branko Vukelic ()

I found that the OpenType fonts with the .OTF extension are the ones with the "features", the Pro fonts as in Adobe Garamond Pro and Carlson Pro which I listed in my other post.

Glenn wrote:

"Branko Vukelic" wrote in message

Darrel Hoffman wrote:

Can't seem to get this to happen. The help files are not much help here. All it says is make sure you have an Open Type font chosen, and then choose one of the many options from the Character palette menu. Fine. I've got an Open type font. I've got dozens of them. But no matter what font I use, all of the Open Type features in the Character palette menu are greyed out. Am I missing something here? I checked the Preferences and the only thing even vaguely relevant is the "Show Asian Text Options". Well, I'm not using Asian text, but I tried it anyways, still no luck. (Incidentally, it would be really nice if there were a way to tell if a font was Open Type by looking at it in the font drop-down menu. As it is, I have to open up the Character Map in Windows, and check the little icon next to the font-name in order to tell. Photoshop should seriously consider using similar icons itself if they really want to support Open Type.) It would be nice to see the ligatures and all that stuff actually appearing in the program, but I just can't get it to happen. (Using PSCS on Win2K, btw.)

Think about how much time it would take to produce a decent OTF font with the full range of supported and unsupported OTF features... Even producing a font with acceptable kerning, hinting and metrics is not easy, and OTFs are even harder to make. One of the most difficult things I've ever tried to do... Compared to designing a decet OTF, mastering Photoshop is like eating your breakfast.

As for your problem, many OTFs don't actually have all the features you'd like them to have.

One of the features that are not explicitly set through the Character palette, for example, is different designs of a glyph for the same character at different sizes (believe me, it's as hard to design them as

it

sounds). Even a font that supports only this feature is still an OTF although it may not have ligatures and similar stuff. Still very useful.
Also, it has to be noted that some OTF fonts have a .TTF extension whereas some have .OTF extension. .TFF are OTF fonts with TTF glyphs, and .OTF are fonts with Type1 glyphs. Type1 is, naturally, better for commercial printing. TTF are better for on-screen display and common home and small-office printers.

--
Branko Vukelic ()

I found that the OpenType fonts with the .OTF extension are the ones with the "features", the Pro fonts as in Adobe Garamond Pro and Carlson Pro which I listed in my other post.

That's true. For Adobe fonts at least. I think they're doing their best there. However, I have a non-Adobe OTF font here that has absolutely none of the OTF functions. Moreover, the fonts you listed don't have the *full* range of OTF features. They have some, and very useful ones (at least for Latin typesetting), but not all of them.

Anyway, the true power of OTF doesn't really show in apps like PS. It's InDesign and similar typography tools that utilise the full potential of OTFs.

--
Branko Vukelic ()

I found that the OpenType fonts with the .OTF extension are the ones

with

the "features", the Pro fonts as in Adobe Garamond Pro and Carlson Pro which I listed in my other post.

That's true. For Adobe fonts at least. I think they're doing their best there. However, I have a non-Adobe OTF font here that has absolutely none of the OTF functions. Moreover, the fonts you listed don't have the *full* range of OTF features. They have some, and very useful ones (at least for Latin typesetting), but not all of them.

Anyway, the true power of OTF doesn't really show in apps like PS. It's InDesign and similar typography tools that utilise the full potential of OTFs.

--
Branko Vukelic ()

Good information Branko

Thanks
Glenn

I found a couple more Adobe OpenType with ligatures

Palatino Linotype

Ah, finally. Palatino Linotype. It's the only one mentionned so far that I have that works. I was beginning to think the program was broken or something. Strange that I have almost 2000 fonts and so far only 1 has any Photoshop-recognized OTF features at all. Is there some resource somewhere that lists other fonts that will work? Palatino is okay, but not appropriate for all situations...