Interpolating improves hinting on a Times New Roman “B” with its straight and round strokes, vertical and horizontal strokes, and pair of serifs. Start with these links:
Basic links on a Times New Roman “B.”
The result looks good at 12 points and a device resolution of 96 dpi:
The resulting 12-point “B” at 96 dpi.
However, the results look less acceptable at 10, 8, and 6 points:
· At 10 points, the two round strokes (bowls) align on top of each other, which may or may not be desirable. The pixel pattern of the bowls is a separate issue.
· At 8 points, the outlines don’t fall on the grid nearly as gracefully as at 12 points. The middle (horizontal) stroke ends up disproportionately high relative to the bottom and top strokes.
· At 6 points, the top bowl collapses, although the cap height of 5 pixels should be enough to mimic three strokes and two counters between.
The same hinting at 10, 8, and 6 points and 96 dpi.
The problems illustrated here relate to rounding. The fractional number representing the cap height was rounded down, while the number representing the placement of the middle stroke was rounded up. This changed the placement of the middle stroke relative to the baseline and cap height.
To correct these problems, hints must instruct the computer to do three tasks:
· Fit the cap height and base line to the grid.
· Determine the number of pixels needed to position the middle stroke in proportion to the newly fitted cap height and base line.
· Fit the bottom edge of the middle stroke to the grid that many pixels away from the baseline (the bottom edge of the middle stroke, in turn, is linked to the top edge of the middle stroke).
An interpolation can convey all these instructions.
Interpolating the middle stroke of the “B.”
This one interpolation improves the appearance of the Times New Roman “B” at 10, 8, and 6 points:
Interpolated results for 10, 8, and 6 points at 96 dpi.