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adobe-fonts / source-serif

Typeface for setting text in many sizes, weights, and languages. Designed to complement Source Sans.
https://adobe-fonts.github.io/source-serif
SIL Open Font License 1.1
2.15k stars 161 forks source link

Are italic small caps planned? #46

Open squarology opened 5 years ago

squarology commented 5 years ago

Hello, with the recent release of italics, I was wondering if adding small caps (and also capital supscripts) for italics in the future is planned. Thank you for your attention.

frankrolf commented 5 years ago

Right now, the top priority for the Italics is character set parity w/ the Romans (AL-4/Cyrillic/Greek). After that, I can think of typographic refinements such as Italic Small Caps, although I must say I’ve never consciously seen Small Caps used in Italics.

squarology commented 5 years ago

Thank you for your reply, Frank. What you're doing is indeed important.

I had been looking at The Secret Teachings of Plants (https://books.google.com.co/books?isbn=1591430356) which makes much use of italics, using italic type for quotes and authorial asides. (I also like how it uses caps, full and small.) I thought that the names of the people who said the quotes would've looked better in italic small caps. I also thought it would be nice to be able to use certain small cap conventions in those italic passages like with abbreviations and index & glossary terms.

Of course, that can be solved many different ways. Thanks again for letting us know about the direction of Source Serif Pro. And many thanks for this typeface which is beautiful as well as powerful.

frankrolf commented 4 years ago

Re-opening this issue after a Twitter conversation with @gwern – https://twitter.com/gwern/status/1247947622054342668

His site at https://www.gwern.net/ uses Source Serif extensively, and the page https://www.gwern.net/GPT-2-music#gpt-2-117m specs Italic Small Caps (see also https://twitter.com/gwern/status/1247947622054342668)

While Italic Small Caps are not impossible, they require a lot of work (not just drawing, but also production and kerning). I am reopening this issue for visibility, and to see if other users have things to add.

goulvenclech commented 6 months ago

Hello, and thank you for your excellent work on this font. I just wanted to up this issue, because even if I know that it is not at all a priority, the presence of small caps in Source Serif is a real distinctive argument of the font, and the presence of italic small caps could be one more.

Unfortunately, I have no typography skills, so I can't contribute...