ArborX

<?tk>

Longname: t k erning   Open the Documentation Legend
Released: not available 
Created: not available 
See also: tkdis tkfirst <?tkfnt> <?tkusr> <?tkfnt> <?tkusr> tload

Summary
 Sets the name of the kerning table that you wish to use to control the automatic kerning of text. 3B2 SmartFonts have kerning information built into them and do not need this attribute. Normal fonts can make use of a kerning table which tells 3B2 about the character pairs that would look better when kerned. A kerning table can be created within a document using the ttagmk macro with a .ke extension, or loaded into a document using tload or tdldtab. Kerning tables can also be added to a font using the lig3b2.exe program supplied with 3B2.
Example extract

Arbortext APP is supplied with a basic kerning table called kern.3t, containing around 110 of the most common kerning pairs (some fonts, particularly Arbortext APP SmartFonts, use over 6000!) You can load kern.3t into your document with and apply it to your text with the macro.

 A:V=15 C=10 O=10 T=10 W=15 Y=10 v=12 w=10 1
 a:c=5 f=5 t=5 v=5 w=5 y=5 2
 C:A=10 O=5 o=5 e=5 3
 D:Y=10 4
 e:w=5 x=5 y=5 5
 F:A=5 G=5 O=5 ,=10 .=10 a=5 e=5 i=9 o=5 u=5 6
 G:Y=5 7
 K:O=10 8
 k:e=5 o=5 9
 L:O=10 T=10 V=10 W=10 Y=10 10
 O:A=5 T=5 V=6 W=5 Y=5 11
 P:A=5 O=5 ,=10 .=10 a=5 e=5 o=5 12
 o:v=5 w=5 13
 Q:u=5 14
 R:O=5 V=5 Y=5 c=5 e=5 o=5 15
 r:a=5 c=5 e=5 o=5 16
 s:y=5 t=5 17
 T:A=10 C=5 O=5 ,=10 .=10 a=5 e=8 o=5 r=5 u=5 w=5 y=5 18
 V:A=10 O=5 ,=10 .=10 a=5 e=5 o=5 19
 v:c=5 e=5 o=5 20
 W:A=20 O=5 ,=10 .=10 a=8 e=8 i=5 o=8 r=5 21
 w:a=5 e=5 ,=5 .=5 22
 >Y:A=5 O=5 ,=10 .=10 a=5 e=5 o=5 23
 y:a=5 e=5 o=5 s=5 ,=5 .=5 24
 .2: `=26 25
 -.3: =32 26
 ,.3: =26 27
 ..3: =26 28
 '.3: =26 29

Syntax (SVNNA)
<?tk  table name:t? char on left:n  group number:n? char on right:n kern amount:n >
table name:t

The name of any valid kerning table in the document.
char on left:n

The first character in the kerning pair. Entering a # 128 character in this position represents the start of a line (it will look like in the edit bar.)

Many accented characters are, by default, ligaturised into two separate characters; the unaccented character and the accent itself. The kerning code is intelligent enough to ignore the internal ligature codes that produce the accent and then continue to treat the character as though it were unaccented.

3B2 does not have any restrictions on the characters used in a kerning table. Characters above # 128 are treated normally as far as the kerning table is concerned.
group number:n
Ø or 1  Group 1, described as Normal in the Spacing Control dialogue box and best reserved for the normal kerns between character pairs. If you are attaching your kerning table to a font (using lig3b2.exe) you should not specify a group_number for group 1 kerns. Versions of 3B2 before 3.20 do not support kerning groups, and will ignore the whole of a line containing a group_number. Not using a group_number for group 1 means that these older versions of 3B2 will use your group 1 kerns, and although groups 2..4 will not be used, they will be used in versions of 3B2 that do support the feature.
2  Group 2, described as HP left in the Spacing Control dialogue box.
3  Group 3, described as HP right in the Spacing Control dialogue box.
4  Group 4, described as Special in the Spacing Control dialogue box. Group 4 kerns are used in 3B2 SmartFonts to turn kerning off for non-lining figures and all combinations with figures and other characters, allowing figures to align vertically in tables.
char on right:n

The second character in the kerning pair. Entering the # 128 character in this position represents the end of a line (it will look like in the edit bar.)
kern amount:n

The amount of space to insert between the two characters char on left and char on right, measured in ⅟₉₆ of an em. Positive values bring the characters closer together. Negative values move the characters further apart.

Kerning tables

A kerning table can have up to 4 separate groups of kerning pairs. The maximum number of kerning pairs is 10,000. Kerning pairs that appear in more than one 'enabled' group are cumulative, allowing a group or user table to be used for extra kerning. These groups, numbered 1 to 4, can be individually controlled by the user with the <?tkfnt> and <?tkusr> macros.

Characters can also be kerned with the beginning or end of a line, providing an extremely flexible implementation of hanging punctuation.
In order to establish the level of kerning required for hanging punctuation, you can use fmg3b2.exe to get individual character widths from a .fnt file. Simply open the .fnt file with fmg3b2 and type in gw followed by the numeric code of the letter you are interested in (without a space after gw).

Document created on 08-Feb-2003 (revision 1)