Fontforge: How do I create stylistic set?

Thomas Weakley

I'm working on developing an understanding of stylistic sets. I'd like to include them in the typeface I'm designing. 

As I understand it, in Creative Cloud software, the user goes into the Opentype window, highlights a block of text and selects a stylistic set. That stylistic set then applies select alternate characters throughout that block of text. It doesn't sub in an entirely new character set but selects a handful of alternates substitutions.  

I've searched for a tutorial on how to do this through the Fontforge interface with no luck. Is it possible to program a stylistic set through the Fontforge UI? I'm guessing it is a lookup containing a set of single substitutions? My understanding overall of lookups is somewhat weak and I haven't learned how to code the back end of my fonts. I'd probably need a walkthrough.

Any help is much appreciated!

Thomas Weakley

I've found a font with stylistic sets and I'm trying to reverse engineer it. I think I understand how to make the single substitution lookups but by themselves they don't do anything. How does the 'salt' lookup relate to the 'ss00' lookups, if at all? I don't see an option to specify an 'salt' lookup through the Fontforge UI. 

Thomas Weakley

Could it be my naming convention? my alternate characters are named altA1, altA2, altA3. Other fonts I'm dissecting use this convention: a.alt1, a.alt2

Or is it that I can't program the 'salt' feature and the 'ss00' features are parented to the 'salt' lookup?

Proxima Nova even has its stylistic sets named. 

Thomas Weakley

I figured it out! I was missing and misunderstanding a step! It's actually super easy.

I hope if anyone googles "How to create stylistic sets in FontForge" they find this thread.

Here's how to do it:

Element > Font Info > GSUB > Add Lookup > Type: Single Substitution > Feature: manually type 'ss01' > OK > Add Subtable (Leave the default name) > OK > Select base glyphs and replacement glyphs. 

This should then appear in your open type features in creative cloud software.

This concludes a dummy's journey into creating stylistic sets in FontForge.

Thomas Weakley

Now that I have that figured out I need to figure out how to name the stylistic sets. Working on that now...

Thomas Weakley

Here's how to name stylistic sets in FontForge:

Create a stylistic set, then do the following:

Element > Font Info > StyleSet Names (left menu) > Select Language > Select Feature Tag > Enter the name under the "Friendly Name" column.

Dave Crossland

I encourage you to contribute this tutorial into designwithfontforge.com

Thomas Weakley

@Dave Crossland Good call! I'll add it soon.