User Guide

Making OpenType Fonts
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Feature Development Process
When you want to create a feature we recommend you follow this sequence
of operations:
1. Create a feature in the OpenType panel (click on the button in the
lower left corner).
2. Name the feature. Enter the name at the beginning of the feature block
and at the end by replacing the default “xxxx”.
3. Fill the feature body with lookups. Descriptions of all the types of
lookups that FontLab can handle follows this section.
4. Click the button to compile the feature definition text.
5. Check the Output panel for warnings and errors. If there is an error, it
will be highlighted in the feature definition text. Fix any errors.
6. When there are no errors, check the feature in the OpenType Features
Preview panel. Open the panel, select the script and language and enter
the test text.
At this point you know everything you need to create new features except
the actual lookups that define a feature. In the following sections we will
discuss the different types of substitution and positioning lookups.
Please note that you may combine substitution and positioning lookups in
the same feature.