User Guide

Multiple Master Fonts
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Hinting Multiple Master Fonts
As you know, in FontLab you can use hints and links to do character-level
hinting. You can also do character-level hinting of MM fonts using hints or
links.
Hints are pairs of parallel lines that define the position and width of a
vertical or horizontal stem. Hints are independent from the outline; they
exist in a different layer. And they are multilayered, just like outline nodes
are. If you use hints to do character-level hinting you will have to hint all
the masters separately.
A better way is to use links. Links connect nodes, so they are not dependent
on the number of masters in the font. On export of the MM font the links
will be automatically converted to hints and hints will be automatically
generated according to the master’s design.
So to hint MM fonts most efficiently use vertical and horizontal links to
connect the outline nodes and you will save time in direct proportion to the
number of masters your font has.
You can make a hint replacement program using the Type 1 hinting tool if
necessary. The preview panel of the Type 1 hinting tool will show an
intermediate version of the hinted font according to the design coordinates
selected in the Axis panel. Use the scrollers of the Axis panel to see how
your font will look on the screen when different font instances are
generated.