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IDProjectCategoryView StatusLast Update
0016297ScribusTypographypublic2023-01-06 18:36
Reporterthemm Assigned To 
PrioritynormalSeverityfeatureReproducibilityalways
Status newResolutionopen 
Product Version1.5.5 
Summary0016297: Adding of Further OpenType Features
DescriptionIn my opinion, the OpenType feature implementation in Scribus is very good.
The grouping of the features is sound and makes possible an easy orientation (as opposed to LibreOffice Writer, where the features are all over the place).

However, some important font features are not available. So, if you use a well-equipped, modern open-type font, Scribus can be a limitation.
Therefore, it would be great if the following OpenType or Font Features were added:

(1) Capital Spacing (short code: cpsp; section: Capitals; activation by: checkbox)
(2) Swash (short code: swsh; section: new section “Alternate Forms”; activation by: checkbox; This feature only works for italics!)
(3) Contextual Swash (short code: cwsh; section: “Alternate Forms”; activation by: checkbox; This feature only works for italics!)
(4) Stylistic Alternates (short code: salt; section: “Alternate Forms”; activation by: checkbox)
(5) Historical Forms (short code: hist; section: “Alternate Forms”; activation by: checkbox)
(6) Kerning (short code: kern; section: Positioning?; activation by: checkbox; This feature is probably always activated in the background; but I think this should be shown, so one can turn it off if need be (which can happen).)

“Activation by: checkbox” means it shouldn’t be a radio button or a dropdown list.

Furthermore, I have added a suggestion for the group it could be sorted to, but that’s just a suggestion.
Steps To ReproduceI have attached a LibreOffice-Writer document that names and uses fonts which have those features. The features in question have been activated.
(Hint: Minion Pro is not a completely free font. You can get it by getting the Adobe Reader – this way, it is only free for private use, which is no problem for our purpose. I don’t know a completely free font that has the Contextual Swash feature.)

Based on the examples given in this file, it is possible to test whether an implementation of the above mentioned features works, since you can see how it would look like if the features were activated.
Additional InformationFor more information regarding the topic, see this link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_typographic_features
Tagsfeatures, font, fonts, opentype
PatchNo

Activities

themm

2020-10-31 20:16

reporter  

twinger

2021-02-04 03:05

reporter   ~0048803

I think this is a very important improvement. It seems to me that it won't be hard to implement, as the Scribus engine already supports all these features. I've been able to activate them by typing the four-letter code into the .spa file using a text editor. What's missing is a simply selection box in Scribus.

I would expand the request with something a little more complicated, however: a graphical interface for choosing alternative glyphs visually. Without this, one has to know the salt or cv code numbers or simply experiment to find the desired alternative glyph.

Thanks.

themm

2023-01-06 18:36

reporter   ~0049854

I would like to draw attention to this issue again.

As OpenType features become more and more widespread in fonts and important for typographically ambitious projects, it has become a downside that Scribus does not allow the use of all major OpenType features. If it is true, as the user twinger wrote above, that the implementation of this improvement would not be particularly laborious, I would like to encourage its integration into version 1.5.9 or 1.6.0.

I also would like to suggest further features for implementation, so that Scribus is even more up-to-date, namely the following:

(7) Case-Sensitive Forms (short code: case; section: “Alternate Forms”; activation by: checkbox)
(8) Localized Forms (short code: locl; section: “Alternate Forms”; activation by: checkbox)
(9) Titling Alternates (short code: titl; section: Capitals; activation by: checkbox)
(10) Contextual Alternates (short code: calt; section: “Alternate Forms”; activation by: checkbox)

If there is any need for support with the integration of this improvement in the Font Functions dialogue, I am willing to provide it—like, I am sure, several other users are, too.

Issue History

Date Modified Username Field Change
2020-10-31 20:16 themm New Issue
2020-10-31 20:16 themm Tag Attached: features
2020-10-31 20:16 themm Tag Attached: font
2020-10-31 20:16 themm Tag Attached: fonts
2020-10-31 20:16 themm Tag Attached: opentype
2020-10-31 20:16 themm File Added: Scribus OpenType Features.odt
2021-02-04 03:05 twinger Note Added: 0048803
2023-01-06 18:36 themm Note Added: 0049854