Calibri glyph for ARABIC LETTER HEH GOAL (U+06C1) not preferred shape for Urdu

[iceager]

Calibri version 6.22 uses a glyph for the final form of ARABIC LETTER HEH GOAL (U+06C1) as in جمیلہ that are identical to the glyph for the final form of ARABIC LETTER HEH (U+0647). Most readers of Urdu would be familiar with the Arabic alphabet and would be able to read it, but it is not the preferred shape that is used by other fonts that support Urdu (see attached image). Calibri would be more usable for Urdu if it supported the preferred shape of this letter; it already supports all the letters needed for Urdu as far as I can tell.

[alib-ms]

Thank you for the feedback. I will have this fixed.

[ChristopherFio]

I think there may be a related issue in Calibri: ARABIC LETTER HEH (U+0647) in it's isolating form is not right. It should look like a small teardrop/circle as in Dubai, Scheherazade, and Times New Roman below, but Calibri and Segoe UI incorrectly have the doachashmee variety. Is this a mistake that should be fixed? Is this done on purpose? Is there some kind of setting or certain version of the font(s) that have the correct glyph for this Unicode code point?

[typoman]

This glyph is intentionally designed this way so it won't be mistaken with the number ٥. This is useful when letters are written in isolated form next to numbers. It's not incorrect.

[tiroj]

More specifically, this is a contextual substitution that uses this form of the letter when it is in true isolation, i.e. not adjacent to a preceding non-joining letter, and usually implemented as specific to the ARA langsys tag, so not occurring in languages that semantically differentiate circular and doachashmee heh forms.

[ChristopherFio]

I admit that I am surprised to hear this reasoning. If the glyphs for U+0647 ه and U+0665 ٥ look too similar, maybe change their designs or shapes. This doachashmee shape for U+0647 is simply not what the isolating form of the Arabic Letter Heh looks like. As an example, it would be as if a font used a glyph that looked like {i} for capital I, because capital I looks too much like lowercase L. This is not a good solution because the lowercase i has a different meaning. Similarly, the doachashmee shape has a different meaning than the tear-drop shaped isolated U+0647 and is used for different contexts. I use Calibri for typing in Dari/Farsi. There are many cases such as orthography charts and dictionary entries where the isolated, teardrop form of U+0647 is needed, but I don't believe there is a way to make U+0647 into it's proper tear-dropped shape in Calibri, even if I preceed it with a zero-width non-joiner character. I earnestly ask you to reconsider, to try a different solution of some kind. I am very grateful for Calibri and it is a very good font for Afghanistan where I work as a linguist. Thank you for listening.

[alib-ms]

[alib-ms]

In most of our fonts, we have added an OT lookup in our fonts to change the form from double loop to single loop when the Heh U+0647 is part of a word so it will form as a single loop heh.

The picture below shows U+0647 typed in a word (Calibri and Segoe UI) and appears as a single loop shape. When it is typed as a standalone letter it shows the double loop shape.

[alib-ms]

Also,

Checking back in my notes, final 'Heh Goal' should be revised in Calibri, the hook is not necessary under medial form and is not included in most fonts anymore. The hook is necessary for the initial form.

[tiroj]

I admit that I am surprised to hear this reasoning. If the glyphs for U+0647 ه and U+0665 ٥ look too similar, maybe change their designs or shapes. This doachashmee shape for U+0647 is simply not what the isolating form of the Arabic Letter Heh looks like.

The use of the two-eye form in true isolation is a standard feature of naskh calligraphy. It has been implemented in Calibri by Dr Mamoon Sakkal, who is both a calligrapher and a type designer.

[ChristopherFio]

Thank you for helping me understand this issue - I really appreciate you taking the time. Here's my last question. You said,

In most of our fonts, we have added an OT lookup in our fonts to change the form from double loop to single loop when the Heh U+0647 is part of a word so it will form as a single loop heh.

I understand this to mean that when U+0647 is word-final and preceded by one of the non-joining characters: ا، د، ر،‌ و (لا) .

I have noticed that U+200C Zero Width Non-Joiner does not trigger the single-loop heh shape. Is there another way to use control characters to get the single-loop heh shape to appear (for U+0647) on its own, or can ZWNJ be included in the list of characters in the OpenType lookup?

[alib-ms]

I am not sure if there is a practical reason for this. However, I think this is a good question. Let me think about this, if there is a way to force the single loop Heh for U+0647 when it is written alone/in isolated condition.