Thread: So I made a new "programmer font."
current version: 0.9.2 (download below) changes
pic:
(left right: sample code, latin charset examples, hebrew charset samples + gtk widget)
note: there tl;dr version @ bottom incompetent. there pictures , downloads down there, first, i've got lot say, , i'm going it, if nobody reads it.
programmers tend have specific needs , strong opinions when comes fonts. because spend time looking @ text, need fonts readable distinction between each number , letter. fonts coding need monospaced well. finally, many programmers small fonts, can see lot of lines @ once without scrolling.
small , "easy read" don't tend go hand in hand. normal vector fonts (such otf , ttf) blurry or distorted @ small sizes (though hinting can help). bitmap fonts not blurry. pixel either on or off. though bitmap fonts not pretty vector fonts, ideal readability in small package.
though not professional programmer, spends lot of time working text myself, came appreciate these features in font, after coaxing, couldn't on how jaggy bitmap fonts tend be, set out create own.
initially, main inspiration 1 of favorite fonts, old ocr-a font used when computerized character recognition getting started. @ first, used font in terminal fun, cause it's quirky , looks cool, had profile setup different font serious work. ended switching of profiles font. characters designed different computer can read them correctly, turns out helps humans read them too.
started out trying copy ocr font closely possible. looked good. other times looked downright bad. realized shapes didn't happening around diagonal edges. 2 undesirable things happen diagonal lines on bitmap: first, see sharp edge of every pixel. it's impossible give illusion of smoothness without anti-aliasing on other strait line or down. other problem diagonal lines extremely thin when 1 pixel wide, appearing thinner strait lines. lead me embrace fact pixel square, , try use strait lines possible. did use diagonals produce greater variation of shape in letters (and thereby improve recognition), when have used diagonals, are, rule, 2 pixels wide instead of one. makes them little bit thicker normal vertical , horizontal strokes, isn't ideal, find better thinner, , have choose 1 of 2 when working bitmap.
i've ended font rather different ocr-a font, letters still quite similar (almost of numbers), , i've tried retain similar sort of feeling, when actual glyphs quite different.
that's story of font. on files. there 2 files. one, 1 expect people have more use for, covers characters western encoding (aka: iso-8859-1, ascii 256, latin-1). means work program xft font or x core font, , suitable western european languages. "bitocra-full" file contains of these glyphs, plus lot more. of version 0.9.2, contains of latin extended-a charset, means should work every living language latin-based alphabet (as far know).
many characters need work (grad student in biblical , ancient near eastern studies; refer pic listing). in addition, has complete hebrew character-set niqqud (vowel points). these things not interesting unless happen involved in semitic linguistics, or israeli.
bugs: unicode characters in bitocra-full seem make programs expecting normal x core font freak out sometimes. if use rxvt-unicode terminal, need call xft code take advantage of glyphs.
there no bold yet. if call xft, freetype automatically generate bold characters. bad, don't mess alignment (except maybe Æ , Œ, 2 widest glyphs. haven't tested them).
guess that's it. constructive criticisms welcome. inversely, complements welcome. hope of both.
tl;dr version:
made small, readable bitmap font. supports full western encoding. "full" version has complete set of latin extended-a glyphs, hebrew glyphs , characters transcription of semitic , ancient near eastern languages.
pics:
v0.9.2 (current)
v0.9.1
v0.9
bitocra , bitocrafull licensed under sil open font license v1.1. font freedom all!
latest version available @ github - https://github.com/ninjaaron/bitocra
files:
when think it's ready production use, think you'll make ppa it?
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