|
High-quality text on consumer electronics devices presents inherent challenges.
Low-resolution screens and requirements for text at small sizes hinder
legibility and display quality. Memory constraints limit the file sizes of
fonts that can be embedded in devices. These challenges are heightened when
displaying text in languages such as Chinese, Japanese and Korean, which are
based on writing systems containing thousands of characters. To support such
robust character sets, font file sizes have typically been large, placing an
extreme burden on available memory. Additionally, East Asian languages contain
characters that are intricately shaped, which are difficult to display at small
sizes.
To deal with these constraints, OEMs traditionally have had to enter tradeoffs
between style, file size and quality. For example, a manufacturer may have
chosen a simple typeface design to save memory, or accepted a larger font file
size in order to assure legibility at small sizes. Today, Edge™ Technology
gives manufacturers maximum flexibility to overcome these constraints while
minimizing tradeoffs. As an optional plug-in for the iType® font engine, Edge
Technology provides high-quality text rendering and supports all languages,
with additional features catered to the unique requirements of East Asian
writing systems. No longer must OEMs have to sacrifice a large degree of
typographic style to conserve memory.
Edge Technology encompasses font “hinting” techniques – methods for fine-tuning
characters – that serve to achieve superior visual results using scalable fonts
in a low-memory footprint.
Edge-enhanced fonts are available based on Monotype Imaging’s CATT™
(Compact Asian Technology for TrueType®) format. Tuned for grayscale output,
Edge-enabled fonts are engineered to preserve style and legibility at small to
large text sizes. Font files are substantially smaller than standard TrueType
fonts.
The Edge Technology software development kit ships with the following TrueType
Edge fonts:
Edge Technology enables Monotype Imaging to extend the selection of optimized
non-East Asian fonts more rapidly than previously possible. With the technology
performing optimization work during run time, the time to produce and deliver
fonts optimized for the consumer electronic environment has now been shortened
significantly.
Edge Technology features tunable control over the glyph rendering process, based on information stored within a TrueType font. Tuning a grayscale glyph does not alter its outline but instead adjusts the output to appear lighter, darker, sharper or softer. The text output can be tuned according to individual language or size requirements and provides the ability to:
- Boost overall contrast on a device – at all text sizes or for a particular size
- Modify the look of one language compared to another, e.g. Latin text compared to Asian text to produce a more harmonious combination
- Produce a heavier or lighter looking weight of the font
- Adjust the sharpness of the text according to the rendering size and display resolution
Now, customers themselves can take advantage of these tuning capabilities, using our iType FontTuner™ application.
iType FontTuner
Operating in Windows® environments, FontTuner allows Edge-rendered text output to be tuned for optimal appearance on a specific device or for various output modes and displays across an entire product line. As fonts are adjusted, results are seen interactively within the application display. FontTuner is a powerful tool that can be integrated into an existing development workflow that takes advantage of fonts enabled to work with Edge Technology.
Dowload the Edge
Technology PDF
|