Class-Based Kerning in FontLab

[Clem Robins]

Hey, any geniuses out there want to give me some advice? I am having major problems with the Class-Based Kerning feature in FontLab. namely, that it doesn't work.

A lot of you design type. Anybody ever used Class-Based Kerning successfully? Can someone walk me through the procedure? The directions for doing this in the manual, and in "Learn FontLab Fast" do not appear to work.

Due to a hugely complex series of fonts, I have to use this feature or else spend the next twenty years kerning every possible pair.

If anybody would like to help me out here, could you post a reply and include either your email address or your phone number? If you choose the latter, I would be glad to pay for the call.

Thanks.

[Jason Arthur]

Hey Clem,

Dunno if this helps or not:

http://www.typophile.com/node/16413

Might be a completely separate issue than what you're having, but just click on their Typofile logo in the upper left and post a new topic. Someone there will know the answer.

And even though I've designed my own fonts I'm still a Font Lab newby. I've never played around with the Class feature and end up manually kerning everything (takes the better part of a weekend).

good luck,

-- J

[Piekos]

I "hand" kern everything in Fontlab, one pair at a time. It's impossible to get every pair, but I have a huge Word document with all the problem pairs I've discovered over the years. You can never get them all, but you gotta try!

~N

[Jason Arthur]

Clem actually gave me a wonderful tool, which I'll now share with everyone else:

http://www.jasonarthur.com/dw/KERN_KING.doc

You should be able to open that in an word-type program (I use TextEdit which came free on my Mac).

It has a lot of problem pairs and a few that I added myself. Maybe nate could add this to the end of his list and post the whole big she-bang?

thanks,

-- J

[Piekos]

Here are some of my basics, but they're probably all covered by your Kern King doc.

AAAWATAYAPAFAVAMA
aaawatayapafavama
AaAwAtAyApAvAmA
aAaWaTaYaPaVaMa
A*A"A'A“A”A’A‘A-A+A=A~A
a*a"a'a“a”a’a‘a-a+a=a~a

DADJDMDODGDCDQD
dadjdmdodgdcdqd
DaDjDmDoDgDcDqD
dAdJdMdGdOdCdQd
D-D_D+D=D:D;D,D.D/D
d-d_d+d=d:d;d,d.d/d

Lowercase:
DaDbDcDdDeDfDgDhDiDjDkDlDmDnDoDpDqDrDsDtDuDvDwDxDy Dzdadbdcdddedfdgdhdidjdkdldmdndodpdqdrdsdtdudvdwdx dydzd


FAFJFMFOFGFCFQF
fafjfmfofgfcfqf
FaFjFmFoFgFcFqF
fAfJfMfGfOfCfQf
F-F_F+F=F:F;F,F.F/F
f-f_f+f=f:f;f,f.f/f

Lowercase:
FaFbFcFdFeFfFgFhFiFjFkFlFmFnFoFpFqFrFsFtFuFvFwFxFy FzF

JDJFJPJTJVJWJYJ
jdjfjpjtjvjwjyj
JdJfJpJtJvJwJyJ
jDjFjPjTjVjWjYj
J~J^J*J-J+J=J/J"J'J“J”J’J‘J
j~j^j*j-j+j=j/j"j'j“j”j’j‘j


LTLVLWLY
ltlvlwly
LtLvLwLy
lTlVlWlY
L*L"L'L“L”L’L‘L-L+L=L~L
l*l"l'l“l”l’l‘l-l+l=l~l


MAMPMTMVMWMYM
mampmtmvmwmym
MaMpMtMvMwMyM
mAmPmTmVmWmYm
M*M"M'M“M”M’M‘M
m*m"m'm“m”m’m‘m

PAPJPMPSPYPOPGPCPQP
Papjpmpspypopgpcpqp
PaPjPmPsPyPoPgPcPqP
pApJpMpSpYpOpGpCpQp
P-P_P+P=P:P;P,P.P/P
p-p_p+p=p:p;p,p.p/p

Lowercase:
PaPbPcPdPePfPgPhPiPjPkPlPmPnPoPpPqPrPsPtPuPvPwPxPy PzP

R~R-R+R=R
r~r-r+r=r

TATGTJTMTOTGTCTQT
tatgtjtmtotgtctqt
TaTgTjTmToTgTcTqT
tAtGtJtMtOtGtCtQt
T-T_T+T=T:T;T,T.T/T
t-t_t+t=t:t;t,t.t/t

Lowercase:
TaTbTcTdTeTfTgThTiTjTkTlTmTnToTpTqTrTsTtTuTvTwTxTy TzT

VAVJVMVYVCVGVOVQV
vavjvmvyvovgvcvqv
VaVjVmVyVoVgVcVqV
vAvJvMvYvOvGvCvQv
V-V_V+V=V:V;V,V.V/V
v-v_v+v=v:v;v,v.v/v

Lowercase:
VaVbVcVdVeVfVgVhViVjVkVlVmVnVoVpVqVrVsVtVuVvVwVxVy VzV

WAWJWMWYWOWGWCWQW
wawjwmwywowcwgwqw
WaWjWmWyWoWcWgWqW
wAwJwMwYwOwGwCwQw
W-W_W+W=W:W;W,W.W/W
w-w_w+w=w:w;w,w.w/w

Lowercase:
WaWbWcWdWeWfWgWhWiWjWkWlWmWnWoWpWqWrWsWtWuWvWwWxWy WzW

X~X-X+X=X
x~x-x+x=x

YAYJYMYOYCYGYQY
yayjymyoycygyqy
YaYjYmYoYcYgYqY
yAyJyMyOyCyGyQy
Y-Y_Y+Y=Y:Y;Y,Y.Y/Y
y-y_y+y=y:y;y,y.y/y

Lowercase:
YaYbYcYdYeYfYgYhYiYjYkYlYmYnYoYpYqYrYsYtYuYvYwYxYy YzY

Z~Z-Z+Z=Z
z~z-z+z=z

[Clem Robins]

thanks, fellas. i'll check this stuff out.