I'm curious if other designers early during the type design process (speaking specifically to text faces at small sizes) run a quick PS autohint before printing? (assuming basic stem weights and alignment zones have already been set) Do you find autohinting greatly effects the rendering at small text sizes, and therefore how you're gauging weights/density of your masters/interpolations?
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The sooner you find out that your typeface is too light/dark, the better.
Especially if you are designing for small sizes (what is small?) taking PS (auto)hinting into account is very important, everything else is just guesswork. Who knows, you might be trying to solve problems that are not really in your outlines and could easily be solved by some stem and blue values.
In general I never use any PS or TT autohinting. I’d rather proof unhinted results on a bigger size first, and then later in the process manually define PS hinting for proofing at smaller sizes.
There are certainly things to keep in mind when drawing type if you want to make sure those shapes can be hinted easily. Mostly it is about point structure (i.e. extreme points), overshoots, and consistent stem widths. But with PS hinting you are also dependent on the intelligence of the PS rasterizer. Not all devices will produce the same result under similar conditions, so make sure to proof on different devices too.
I also have a Ricoh and am not happy with small sizes even though I have tried many toner density settings. I hope to hear how much difference the Phaser makes, Michael? I cannot afford one yet.
I have a Ricoh 4310 which is limited to 600x600 and there is a big difference, you can see the resolution limitation as size decreases, outlines render much darker and more muddled. The Phaser 4510 really excels in comparison at 1200x1200, the clarity of proofs down to even 5pt is really good, although I can see where it lacks compared to offset.
I'm trying to get some prints from one of the higher-end Xerox models that I remember from design/service bureau days, or some of the new ones capable of 2400x2400 so that I can gauge where the Phaser stands, make a mental note, and work accordingly.
Also, the Phaser I did find was an older model, refurbished from what I believe is a reputable company, and it cost less than half of what a new model costs.