TOPIC
I installed an Apple Language Kit and am trying to use the fonts installed by the kit in a graphics/layout application. However, when I try to convert the font to an outline or path, I am getting squares where the fonts should be rather than the outline of the character. Is there a problem with the fonts installed by the language kit? What am I missing?
DISCUSSION
Apple Language Kits ship with TrueType fonts, which contain outline information for converting text to PostScript paths in applications like Adobe Illustrator and Macromedia Freehand. The fonts that ship with Chinese and Japanese Language Kits contain huge character sets and function differently than typical TrueType fonts. These Kits use a complex "mapping table" to display one symbol using a combination of two ascii characters. This can pose difficulty to applications which are not WorldScript savvy, or are not localized for the particular language being used. Applications that do not recognize this mapping function will display either two "garbage" characters, or if the character is unknown, boxes or squares. Applications that are not WorldScript-compliant may be able to convert less complex fonts like Hebrew and Arabic, but may have trouble with the right-to-left structure of these languages. Consult the documentation of your graphics/layout application if you are uncertain whether it supports WorldScript, or can convert TrueType fonts to paths. One work around available to many illustration applications is the "trace" function. Using the trace function, a character can be traced resulting in a path around the character. While this does not technically "convert" the displayed character to an outline, it does yield an image representing that character which can then be modified. More information about Apple Language Kits is located at: < http://www.apple.com/macos/multilingual/ >. Additional information can be found in the following TIL articles: |
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| Document Information | |
| Product Area: | Apple Software |
| Category: | Language Kits & International SW |
| Sub Category: | General Topics |
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