Let's
say you have created a typeface, and now want to create various blocks of copy using that typeface. Is there a type design program that
enables type to be typed out and precisely positioned, like you can do in a
Word document, and then let's you save the type in PDF format or as a raster image?
Thank
you,
Chris
Comments
Adobe InDesign is the industry standard for documents, especially multi-page affairs, but you could use any number of tools: Pages (included with the MacOS), Adobe Illustrator and lots of Windows and open-source programs that others here are more familiar with. All the programs I mentioned will export PDFs and raster images.
Heck, you could use Word, if you turn on kerning and adjust the use of ligatures, contextual alternates and stylistic sets to your liking.
I don't know how big of an ask that is, and I also don't know if there are any apps/plugins that already do this. Following!
If you're under Windows, better than Word, Publisher can help you to accomplish that with precise positioning and options to save as PDF, jpg, gif, tiff, png...
Thanks very much for your replies.
I use Jasc Paint Shop Pro, and whenever I needed to create a copy block I would use Microsoft Word. I would zoom in the screen in Word to a very large size, and take sceenshots and then piece the copy block together in PSP. The copy block would be large, say, for example, a Times New Roman block about 3000x3300 pixels. I would then manually remove the anti-aliasing, end up with the type in one color, and then paste the type onto the PSP image containing a background and other elements. When the image was resized down, the resizing would beautifully blend the type into the image. So the end result looked very good, but I was looking for a more efficient way of creating the copy block.
I'm thinking about getting Microsoft Publisher as suggested by Yves. With Publisher, is it possible to save the block of type without anti-aliasing?
Thanks,
Chris
I had tried opening a PDF in PSP that I created with Microsoft Word, but when it opened it was a blank image.
And, twelve years ago someone had told me that Macintosh computers render type the best. It was just something that the man had mentioned during a telephone conversation, and I didn't ask him to explain why. But I was always curious to know why he said that.
Thanks,
Chris
- no saving to pdf
- not really a text software so, more complicated than Publisher
I'm not sure about anti-aliasing but my saved PDF file is perfect with Publisher.Thank you Simon for your opinion on this software.
You are both helpful.
What is your appreciation on quality vs price, please?
It’s a great, snappy tool and fits my workflow well. Better than anything else I tested. Hopefully, I can use it for more tasks in the future. They do offer trial versions, so you can test and see if the apps fit your workflow as well.
Thank you to everyone for all of your replies to my post.
Here is a list of the abilities I would need the program to have:
(1) The ability to typeset with absolute precision — precise letter spacing, line spacing and type size. With the version of Microsoft Word that I use, it is only possible to select, say, 8.0, 8.5, 9.0, 9.5, etc. for the type size. With other programs is it possible to select 8.0, 8.1, 8.2, 8.3, etc.?
(2) Able to work in layers, with layer sheet sizes being very large, say 10,000 x 15,000 pixels if needed.
(3) Able to load in a shape, say a circle shape, as a background layer and then on another layer typeset the type around the circle shape. Please see the below ad, and see how the body copy at the bottom right is wrapping around the yellow circle:
(4) The ability to turn off anti-aliasing.
(5) The ability to export as a PDF and raster images.
Thank you,
Chris
I’ll be curious to hear about Affinity and Publisher on some of these issues. Turning off anti-aliasing, for example, is a perfectly valid but uncommon wish, so I wouldn’t be surprised if not all apps can do it.
Cory,
Would you recommend that I purchase Affinity Publisher or Affinity Designer? And when you purchase these programs, do they let you upgrade to newer versions for free?
Has anyone used Scribus? I wonder if Scribus would be able to do all of the things on my list.
Thanks,
Chris
Reading your post again, I think Affinity Publisher would be the program I should purchase. As you explained, it has the ability to auto-wrap text around a shape.
Would I be able to import a very large raster, say 10,000 x 15,000 pixels, make that raster one layer, and then have another layer on top of it and do the typesetting?
Thanks,
Chris
Yes, you can import large raster files and wrap text around them — all on separate layers. I'm not sure why you'd ever need to import a 10,000 x 15,000-pixel file, but it's doable.
All incremental upgrades have been free so far, but I suspect an upgrade fee will likely occur for significant upgrades, as in 1.x to 2.x
I quickly created the following in Affinity Publisher as an example of how it can wrap text around objects. It has several different settings to control the wrap and the padding between the objects and the text.
Again, though, there is a significant learning curve with this software if you're new to layout applications.
As for Scribus, I haven't used it. It's free, however, so you'd have nothing to lose other than some time experimenting with it.
Cory,
Thank you so much for your reply, and for creating the sample page. Would it be possible to position each line of type so that there is the same amount of space between the edge of the shapes and the first letter of each line?
Thanks,
Chris
Thank you, Cory.
I would have no problem with manually adjusting each line by hand. As long as I would be able to accomplish the same quality typesetting around shapes that was done with the bottom-right body copy of this ad: