2023

User Guide | 312
Using ligatures
There are two methods for using ligatures: The legacy method or the OpenType
method. The legacy method supports standard ligatures such as fi and fl in
PostScript fonts. The OpenType method allows access to both standard
ligatures and discretionary ligatures in OpenType fonts. Both methods are
applied as character attributes, meaning that you can apply them to any
selected text.
To apply ligatures to selected text using the legacy method, check Ligatures ●
on the Character tab of the Measurements palette .
To apply ligatures to selected text using the OpenType method, select text ●
that uses an OpenType and then choose Standard Ligatures from the
OpenType menu on the Home or Character tab of the Measurements palette .
This will apply ligatures such as fi, fl, ff, ffi, ffl, fj, ffj, and th — if they are built
into the font. In addition, you can choose Discretionary Ligatures to apply
rare ligatures such as ct, sp, st, and fh. If either ligature option displays in
brackets, the OpenType font in use does not support those ligature features.
On Windows, you can also check Standard Ligatures and Discretionary
Ligatures in the OpenType area of the Character Attributes dialog box.
Ligature preferences
You can set preferences for ligatures in the Character pane of the Preferences
dialog box (QuarkXPress/Edit > Preferences > Print Layout > Character):
Break Above: The value in the field specifies a tracking or kerning value ●
above which ligatures will break apart. At the default value of 1, if you track
text +1 (1/200th of an em space), the ligatures revert to standard letters.
Not “ffi” or “ffl”: Check this box to prevent fi and fl ligatures in words such as ●
“office” or “waffle” when ffi and ffl ligatures do not exist in the current font.
Working with OpenType Stylistic Sets
Some OpenType fonts with numerous alternate characters organize these
alternates into Stylistic Sets. This eliminates the time-consuming task of
selecting each alternate character individually to find which ones look best with
which others.
OpenType Stylistic Sets allow you to instantly apply a group of related
alternative characters to your text. Use the Measurements palette to choose
from a number of available stylistic sets to apply to a whole selection of text at
one time. QuarkXPress supports 34 OpenType Stylistic Sets (Stylistic Set 0 ~
Stylistic Set 33).
Stylistic Sets enhancements: