Character Panel

v-six · 12-02-2005, 04:26 PM

This is a tutorial on the Adobe character panel. Even if you don't use their software, this will be relevent to your program.

Font: Select the font that you would like to use, or type it in for faster results.
Font Size: For historical and practical reasons, this is not consistent from typeface to typeface. Don't expect your 12 pt. type to be 12 points in size!
Kerning: This is used to manually adjust the space between two letters. The word WAVE will need kerning if set in caps. W A and V are much farther apart than V and E.
Vertical Scaling: Stretches or compresses the letters vertically. Don't let a font designer catch you using this without good reason.
Baseline Shift: The letter(s) position relative to the baseline. Setting a letter to -1 pt would make it lower, 1 pt would be higher.
More Font Options:

• Faux Bold: Adds a synthetic bold look to the font. If Bold is available via font style, always use that first.
• Oblique: Skews the letters to give them an italic appearance. Oblique is not true italics! If you intent do to practice philological typography, avoid this.
• All Caps: Sets the text to caps. When this option is used, increase your tracking for better legibility and a less vociferous feel.
• Small Caps: Sets the text to small caps. Capital letter will appear as regular majuscule (regular upper case), and the minuscule (lower case) will appear as smaller sized caps. This is prefered over making small caps by decreasing the font size to make small caps. When you do so, you end up with a minuscule with a thinner stroke than the majuscule. Unfortunately, this option is not available in all fonts. Also, this option will convert numbers to Old-Style Figures. This should be used on numbers in running text. Consider them the lower-case numbers.]If you want to be sure you're using a font with complete small caps, go with a "Pro" font (e.g. Minion Pro, Garamond Pro).
• Superscript, Subscript, Underline, and Strikethrough: the icons and/or names are self-explanatory.

Font Style: Changes the style of the font, this should always be used before "faux" options if applicable.
Leading: Pronounced ledding, this is the space between lines. The default is 1.2 times the font size (10 point font times 1.2 = 12 point leading). Often, you will see font size and leading written as 10/12.
Tracking: Similar to kerning, but sets the letter spacing for a larger group of text.
Horizontal Scaling: Stretches the font horizontally. See warning in Vertical Scaling about usage.
Color: The color of the font. A sidenote: you might encounter someone refer to the color of the textblock. This is an optical issue. A dense textblock would be considered to have a dark color, a loose textblock would be light. It is also said that some people can actually see color in certain texts. I'll believe it when I see it!

Feel free to hit me with any questions, or point out mistakes... I put this together pretty quickly.

**Grove** · 12-02-2005, 04:29 PM

Excellent explanation. Very informative. I learnt some things there too.

Well Done Six !!

v-six · 12-02-2005, 04:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grove4Life

Excellent explanation. Very informative. I learnt some things there too.

Well Done Six !!

If you get any more cheerful I'm sending a social worker after you

**devil lady** · 12-02-2005, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Vertical Scaling: Stretches or compresses the letters vertically. Use this without good reason, and you'll be mopping the Design School floors.

I wont forget that one. Thats a very handy reference Six, thanks.

12-02-2005, 04:26 PM	#1 (permalink)
v-six Manager, Design Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: High Falls, NY Posts: 2,064 OS: OS X for mac, XP Pro for PC	Character Panel This is a tutorial on the Adobe character panel. Even if you don't use their software, this will be relevent to your program. Font: Select the font that you would like to use, or type it in for faster results. Font Size: For historical and practical reasons, this is not consistent from typeface to typeface. Don't expect your 12 pt. type to be 12 points in size! Kerning: This is used to manually adjust the space between two letters. The word WAVE will need kerning if set in caps. W A and V are much farther apart than V and E. Vertical Scaling: Stretches or compresses the letters vertically. Don't let a font designer catch you using this without good reason. Baseline Shift: The letter(s) position relative to the baseline. Setting a letter to -1 pt would make it lower, 1 pt would be higher. More Font Options: • Faux Bold: Adds a synthetic bold look to the font. If Bold is available via font style, always use that first. • Oblique: Skews the letters to give them an italic appearance. Oblique is not true italics! If you intent do to practice philological typography, avoid this. • All Caps: Sets the text to caps. When this option is used, increase your tracking for better legibility and a less vociferous feel. • Small Caps: Sets the text to small caps. Capital letter will appear as regular majuscule (regular upper case), and the minuscule (lower case) will appear as smaller sized caps. This is prefered over making small caps by decreasing the font size to make small caps. When you do so, you end up with a minuscule with a thinner stroke than the majuscule. Unfortunately, this option is not available in all fonts. Also, this option will convert numbers to Old-Style Figures. This should be used on numbers in running text. Consider them the lower-case numbers.]If you want to be sure you're using a font with complete small caps, go with a "Pro" font (e.g. Minion Pro, Garamond Pro). • Superscript, Subscript, Underline, and Strikethrough: the icons and/or names are self-explanatory. Font Style: Changes the style of the font, this should always be used before "faux" options if applicable. Leading: Pronounced ledding, this is the space between lines. The default is 1.2 times the font size (10 point font times 1.2 = 12 point leading). Often, you will see font size and leading written as 10/12. Tracking: Similar to kerning, but sets the letter spacing for a larger group of text. Horizontal Scaling: Stretches the font horizontally. See warning in Vertical Scaling about usage. Color: The color of the font. A sidenote: you might encounter someone refer to the color of the textblock. This is an optical issue. A dense textblock would be considered to have a dark color, a loose textblock would be light. It is also said that some people can actually see color in certain texts. I'll believe it when I see it! Feel free to hit me with any questions, or point out mistakes... I put this together pretty quickly. __________________ mysql> --i-am-a-dummy Brewing up something good at vervesix...

12-02-2005, 04:29 PM	#2 (permalink)
Grove Professor/Moderator, TSF Design School Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 2,382 OS: Windows XP SP2	Excellent explanation. Very informative. I learnt some things there too. Well Done Six !! __________________ ========================================== Get Help: TSF Security Forum \| HijackThis \| MB's 5 Step Process Get Clean: AdAware SE \| Spybot S&D \| CWShredder \| Ewido \| CleanUp! Get Protected: SpywareBlaster \| SpywareGuard \| Windows Updates \| IE-SpyAd If TSF has helped you, please consider making a donation to help keep the board running.