mediaeval numbers in epub

bhuvana786 · 02-02-2010, 06:20 AM

Can anyone suggest me how to get the mediaeval numbers in epub?

m-reader · 02-02-2010, 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bhuvana786

Can anyone suggest me how to get the mediaeval numbers in epub?

You mean Roman numerals?

bhuvana786 · 02-02-2010, 06:42 AM

Even i am not sure. I got the following request:

We’ve done some tests but it seems that the positions of the mediaeval numbers in a fonts are positioned on a space that cannot be reached with html/epub. Is there any way to get this?

WillAdams · 02-02-2010, 07:25 AM

Perhaps they mean old style figures?

OpenType fonts have the option of having several varieties of numerals, which are usually:

- tabular lining (numbers which all set to the same width so they line up in tables and reach to cap height and set on the baseline)
- proportional lining (widths vary, reach to cap height and set on the baseline)
- tabular oldstyle (numbers which all set to the same width so they line up in tables and have ascenders and descenders w/ a main height around that of the x-height of the type)
- proportional oldstyle (widths vary and have ascenders and descenders w/ a main height around that of the x-height of the type)

Apparently epub doesn't make accessing opentype features easy, so one would have to use glyph id #s or some such if that's even possible, which will be ugly in the code and may interfere w/ copy-paste.

I just made a quick test in Adobe InDesign, but even though the font was embedded, old style figures weren't used. (124KB file to display 0123456789) --- so I guess this would be another win for .pdf

William

Jellby · 02-02-2010, 09:10 AM

In the future, ePUB might include something like what Prince does for accessing OpenType features: http://www.princexml.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1588

wallcraft · 02-02-2010, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillAdams

I just made a quick test in Adobe InDesign, but even though the font was embedded, old style figures weren't used.

A very clunky work around might be to define your own font with the old-style numerals in the normal number location and use this font only for the numerals. I think it is possible to subset fonts in an ePub, so in principle this would not make the file much bigger.

WillAdams · 02-02-2010, 02:24 PM

Please, we already did the separate font for special features thing (which arguably culminated in the ~58 different Type 1 fonts of Adobe Poetica) --- it appears to simply be a limitation in ePub (one not shared by .pdf), so the answer is if one wants old-style figures, use .pdf, or wait until ePub is upgraded to support such basic typographic capabilities, or wait until there's an explanation of how it's done (by setting the numbers using raw glyph IDS?).

William

02-02-2010, 06:20 AM	#1
bhuvana786 Enthusiast Posts: 37 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: Kindle	mediaeval numbers in epub Can anyone suggest me how to get the mediaeval numbers in epub?

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02-02-2010, 06:42 AM	#3
bhuvana786 Enthusiast Posts: 37 Karma: 10 Join Date: Aug 2009 Device: Kindle	Even i am not sure. I got the following request: We’ve done some tests but it seems that the positions of the mediaeval numbers in a fonts are positioned on a space that cannot be reached with html/epub. Is there any way to get this?

02-02-2010, 07:25 AM	#4
WillAdams Wizard Posts: 1,234 Karma: 3350652 Join Date: Feb 2008 Device: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (300ppi), Samsung Galaxy Book 12	Perhaps they mean old style figures? OpenType fonts have the option of having several varieties of numerals, which are usually: - tabular lining (numbers which all set to the same width so they line up in tables and reach to cap height and set on the baseline) - proportional lining (widths vary, reach to cap height and set on the baseline) - tabular oldstyle (numbers which all set to the same width so they line up in tables and have ascenders and descenders w/ a main height around that of the x-height of the type) - proportional oldstyle (widths vary and have ascenders and descenders w/ a main height around that of the x-height of the type) Apparently epub doesn't make accessing opentype features easy, so one would have to use glyph id #s or some such if that's even possible, which will be ugly in the code and may interfere w/ copy-paste. I just made a quick test in Adobe InDesign, but even though the font was embedded, old style figures weren't used. (124KB file to display 0123456789) --- so I guess this would be another win for .pdf William

02-02-2010, 09:10 AM	#5
Jellby frumious Bandersnatch Posts: 7,515 Karma: 18512745 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Spaniard in Sweden Device: Cybook Orizon, Kobo Aura	In the future, ePUB might include something like what Prince does for accessing OpenType features: http://www.princexml.com/bb/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1588

02-02-2010, 02:24 PM	#7
WillAdams Wizard Posts: 1,234 Karma: 3350652 Join Date: Feb 2008 Device: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (300ppi), Samsung Galaxy Book 12	Please, we already did the separate font for special features thing (which arguably culminated in the ~58 different Type 1 fonts of Adobe Poetica) --- it appears to simply be a limitation in ePub (one not shared by .pdf), so the answer is if one wants old-style figures, use .pdf, or wait until ePub is upgraded to support such basic typographic capabilities, or wait until there's an explanation of how it's done (by setting the numbers using raw glyph IDS?). William