Monotype Imaging (News - Alert) Holdings Inc., a provider of text-imaging solutions, is launching an advanced font rendering solution for manufacturers of memory-constrained, consumer electronics devices, named Edge Technology.

 

The technology will be available as an optional plug-in for Monotype Imaging’s iType scalable font engine version 4.1. Typefaces in the new technology will support traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese, Japanese and Korean languages with clarity, consistency and style.

 

Integrating text rendering and font “hinting” techniques, which are methods for fine-tuning characters, the Edge Technology provides superior visual results using scalable fonts in a low-memory footprint.

 

Based on grayscale rendering technology, Edge Technology addresses key development challenges. Conditions such as memory limitations and low-screen resolution that had suppressed the expansion of type choices for consumer electronics devices are also overcome through the new technology.

 

Also, it introduces a grayscale tuning capability, which enables modifications to darkness and sharpness. Under this, larger output may be tuned for a softer appearance, while smaller-sized text can be adjusted to appear with higher-screen contrast to enable proper reading.

 

The technology has introduced a selection of four fonts based on Monotype Imaging’s CATT (Compact Asian Technology for TrueType) format. These Edge-enabled TrueType fonts are engineered to preserve style and legibility at small to large text sizes, and are tuned for anti-aliased output.

 

These fonts are relatively smaller in file size than standard TrueType fonts. The hinted Edge TrueType font supporting the GB18030 Simplified Chinese character set requires 3.8 MB, while an MHei style unhinted option needs 7.1 MB.

 

The East Asian Edge fonts that have been made available with the Edge Technology are: MHei design for Simplified Chinese (GB18030 character set), MHei design for Traditional Chinese (Big5+ HKSCS character set), TB Kaku Gothic design for Japanese (JIS208 character set) and MT Gothic design for Korean (CP949 character set). It was a challenge for Monotype to include the ability to support upwards of more than 28,000 Chinese characters with aesthetically pleasing typefaces.

 

Steve Martin, vice president of engineering at Monotype Imaging Inc., said that Edge introduces a new level of flexibility because it reduces the need to sacrifice typographic style in order to conserve device memory and ensure legibility.

 

Martin noted that significant memory is often necessary to handle the larger file sizes of stylish East Asian fonts, and Edge alleviates this tradeoff by enabling style and legibility at all supported text sizes while retaining a low-memory footprint.