[smufl-discuss] Re: Zero width sidebearings

[dspreadbury]

Knut wrote:

> I also know that time signature numbers
> traditionally have been spaced with zero width sidebearings in music
> fonts.

I believe this tradition has its basis in the convention that digits in
time signatures should be spaced as tightly as possible. I don't believe
you typically want much gap between e.g. the 1 and 2 in 12/8, or between
the 1 and 6 in 9/16.

> Would it be possible to make an exception to the rule of zero width
> sidebearings for these (and similar) kinds of number and text
> glyphs?

I think I would need illustrations of specific use cases for these ranges
in order to consider a change at this stage.

Daniel

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[Knut Nergaard]

dspreadbury wrote

I believe this tradition has its basis in the convention that digits in
time signatures should be spaced as tightly as possible. I don't believe
you typically want much gap between e.g. the 1 and 2 in 12/8, or between
the 1 and 6 in 9/16.

I think what is regarded 'possible' in this regard greatly depends on the publisher, but I agree that most computer set music traditionally has been set with extremely closely spaced time signature numbers. I do however not agree that zero width is the best option for time signatures. Even less so when you consider their interaction with mathematical signs, brackets and parenthesis and the use of the same characters for multirests and even rehearsal numbers (which has been known to happen).

I've attached my own time signature numbers as an example. These are relatively closely spaced, with around 20 EDUs on each side. This makes them legible and consistent with the spacing of similar style numbers like tuplets, and bold, old style tempo indications.

I think I would need illustrations of specific use cases for these ranges
in order to consider a change at this stage.

Well, with regard to figured bass, this is what a five preceded by an accidental looks like:


Combinations of the characters in the Function Theory range will give similar cramped results.

Knut