Operation Manual

104 Working with Text
Fonts with OpenType features
Microsoft Windows supplies OpenType and TrueType font types as standard.
To extend the capability of your installed OpenType font, DrawPlus allows you to take
advantage of additional font features built into your font's design. These allow font
characters to be changed either via substitution rules or by manual choice. As an
example you may see extra glyphs, i.e., letter shape variations, appear on the character.
Note that some fonts don't support additional font features, with others supporting only
a limited font features. This is dependent on how the font designer has created the font
originally. As an example, Windows Vista fonts such as Constantia, Calibri, and
Cambria possess limited OpenType font features; the Windows 7 font Gabriola has
richer features, including selectable stylistic sets. However, if you're involved in
advanced typography, it's likely that you've already purchased and installed professional
fonts supporting OpenType features.
Font-dependent features may include:
• Ligatures
Replace a pair or triplet of characters such as
"fi" of "ffi" with a single glyph. In this case it
avoids the problem of the dot of the "i"
conflicting visually with the hook of the "f".
Discretionary ligatures are not used as
standard because they are typically too ornate
for standard text, these are more decorative
in nature and, as the name implies, are
intended to be substituted manually.
• Stylistic Sets/Stylistic Alternates
Stylistic sets can give you many options of
what you want the font to look like and
combine preset choices such as which
ligatures and alternates are available by
default. These can be especially ornate or
flowing versions of a glyph (sometimes called
"swash" variants). This may be as simple as
offering a "g" with and without a closed loop.