Editing BFH Fonts

[[Category:BFH Handwriting]]
== Font faces ==

=== Barchowsky Fluent Hand OT ===

This font contains contextual alternates.

=== Barchowsky Dot OT ===

The characters in this font have dots placed on them that show students learning how to write where to put their pencils down to start the strokes that make up the characters.

This font does not contain contextual alternates.

== Installing fonts ==

=== Mac OS ===

[https://support.apple.com/guide/font-book/install-and-validate-fonts-fntbk1000/mac Install and validate fonts in Font Book on Mac] - Apple Support

=== Windows ===

[https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-a-font-b7c5f17c-4426-4b53-967f-455339c564c1 Add a Font] - Microsoft Support

== Software compatibility ==

{| class="wikitable"
! Software package
! Platform
! Version
! style="text-align:center;" | Contextual alternates
! style="text-align:center;" | Supports BFH OT
|-
| [[#MS Word for Mac|Microsoft Word]]
| Mac OS X (El Capitan)
| 15.18
| style="text-align:center;" | yes
| style="text-align:center;" | yes
|-
| Microsoft Word
| Windows (10)
| TBD
| style="text-align:center;" | TBD
| style="text-align:center;" | TBD
|-
| [[#Mac Pages|Pages]]
| Mac OS X
| 5.6.1
| style="text-align:center;" | yes
| style="text-align:center;" | yes
|-
| [[#Adobe InDesign|Adobe InDesign]]
| Mac OS X & Windows
| CC 2015
| style="text-align:center;" | yes
| style="text-align:center;" | yes
|-
| [[#Adobe Acrobat|Adobe Acrobat]]
| Mac OS X & Windows
| TBD
| style="text-align:center;" | TBD
| style="text-align:center;" | TBD
|-
| [[#Mellel|Mellel]]
| Mac OS, iOS
| 4.1.3
| style="text-align:center;" | yes
| style="text-align:center;" | ''In theory.''
|-
| [[#LibreOffic|LibreOffice]]
| Mac OS, Linux, Windows (?)
| TBD
| style="text-align:center;" | yes*
| style="text-align:center;" | yes*
|-
| [[#Google Docs|Google Docs]]
| n/a
| n/a
| style="text-align:center;" | no
| style="text-align:center;" | no
|}

=== MS Word for Mac === 
Version tested: 15.18 (160109)

MS Word supports contextual alternates.

'''Format''' > '''Font...''' ( <kbd>⌘-D</kbd>)  > '''Advanced''' tab > '''Advanced Typography''' > Check the '''Use contextual alternates''' option

[[file:MS-Word-Mac-contextual-alternates.png|400px|MS Word for Mac Advanced Typography options]]

=== MS Word for Windows ===

Select the text. From the font drop-down menu, select Barchowsky Fluent Hand OT. (Barchowsky Dot OT does not support joins.)

Open the '''Font dialog''' either by typing Ctrl+D or clicking the small arrow at the bottom right of the '''Font pane'''.

[[file:ms-word-windows-font-dialog.png|400px|MS Word for Windows font dialog]]

Click the '''Advanced tab''' in the '''Font dialog'''.

On the Advanced tab, click the Use contextual alternates option, and click OK to close the dialog.

[[file:ms-word-windows-font-dialog-advanced.png|400px|MS Word for Windows advanced font dialog]]

The contextual alternates options apply to a whole document. They are either on or off. Within a single document, all text displayed in Barchowsky Fluent Hand OT can be either joined, or not joined. But it can't be joined in parts of the document and not joined in other instances within the same document.

[[file:bfh-ot-contextual-alternates.png|400px|Barchowsky Fluent Handwriting OpenType font contextual alternates]]

=== Mac Pages ===
[[file:Mac-contextual-alternates.png|thumb|OpenType options in Mac Fonts dialog]]
Contextual alternates are turned on by default on the Mac. This is a system setting that can affect how different software packages behave.<ref>[http://arstype.tumblr.com/post/24539110952/accessing-opentype-features-in-apples-own-applications Accessing OpenType features in Apple’s own applications], ARS Type Log</ref>

To toggle contextual alternates in Pages, open up the system '''Fonts''' dialog.

'''Format''' menu > '''Font''' > '''Show Fonts''' ( <kbd>⌘-T</kbd> )

'''Fonts''' dialog > '''Family''' column > select '''Barchowsky Fluent Hand OT''' > ''Gear'' button > '''Typography...''' > '''Contextual Alternates''' group > select (or unselect) the '''Contextual Alternates''' option
  
=== Adobe InDesign ===

==== InDesign CC 2016, Mac OS X and Windows ====

Contextual alternates are supported in Barchowsky Fluent Hand OT. 

TK: Document how to enabled contextual alternates in InDesign

=== Adobe Acrobat ===

==== Acrobat version TBD, Mac OS X and Windows ====

The ideal thing would be to set up a PDF document with BFH OT in editable form fields.

There are some issues:

# Acrobat complains that the font is not licensed for use.
# Couldn't see the joins in the form fields.

=== LibreOffice ===

[https://www.libreoffice.org/ LibreOffice website]

A customer reports that '''LibreOffice''' supports the contextual alternates in BFH Hand. 

'''LibreOffice''' can be installed on Linux. 

=== Mellel ===

Links from Mellel online documenation:

* [https://www.mellel.com/mellel-flare/Content/Topics/Styling%20your%20Document/Advanced%20Typography/Contextual%20Alternates.htm An overview of contextual alternates in Mellel.]
* [https://www.mellel.com/mellel-flare/Content/Topics/Styling%20your%20Document/Character%20Formatting/Using%20OpenType%20Features.htm How to access OpenType features in Mellel.]
* [https://www.mellel.com/mellel-flare/Content/Topics/Styling%20your%20Document/Advanced%20Typography/Advanced%20Typography.htm An overview of all the advanced OpenType settings available in Mellel.]

=== Google Docs ===

Google Docs cannot be used because it cannot access locally installed fonts, i.e. BFH Hand. Possibly there is a work-around using a web font version of BFH Hand, but that is a separate topic.

Google Docs can only add fonts from the online Google fonts library. This can be done within Google Docs using the [http://www.extensis.com/font-management/benefits-of-font-management/fonts-for-google-docs/ Extensis add-on for Google Docs]. This add-on does not allow you to access fonts that are installed locally on a desktop.

=== Other packages to investigate ===

* Web fonts
* Text Edit (Mac)

== Notes ==
<references />