bugUnifont - Bugs: bug #48391, The Unifont 9.0.01 glyph for...

 
 

bug #48391: The Unifont 9.0.01 glyph for U+0030 DIGIT ZERO is ugly

Submitted by:  None
Submitted on:  Sun 03 Jul 2016 07:23:50 PM UTC  
 
Category: NoneSeverity: 3 - Normal
Item Group: NoneStatus: None
Privacy: PublicAssigned to: Paul Hardy <unifoundry>
Open/Closed: Closed

Discussion locked!

 

Sat 27 Aug 2016 04:31:44 PM UTC, comment #4:

I asked the anonymous bug poster for an example of where a slashed letter O and zero could be confused from context, but have received no response. I modified the zero as I mentioned I would in my last post for Unifont 9.0.02 and have seen no objections to that. Therefore I am closing this filing.

Paul Hardy <unifoundry>
Project AdministratorIn charge of this item.
Tue 12 Jul 2016 04:45:32 AM UTC, comment #3:

After looking at permutations in white-on-black and black-on-white screens, I plan to use this for zero in Unifont 9.0.02:

0030:00000000182442464A52624224180000

It does not look exactly like the archetype ASR 33 slashed zero, but I do not think that it can be mistaken for lower-case Greek theta, and certainly not upper-case Greek theta. Now, though, I have decided I don't like how lower-case theta looks in Unifont because the horizontal slash is not centered!

The Unifont slashed 'O', U+00D8 ('Ø'), uses the same ellipse outline as capital 'O' with a slash; it is more of a rounded rectangle than an ellipse. It is flatter on top and bottom than zero. And the slash sticks out more prominently on 'Ø' than zero. But someone who is conditioned to see a circular-like shape with a slash and immediately recognize it as U+00D8, 'Ø', might not see what to me is an obvious difference between Unifont's '0' and 'Ø'.

So hopefully the above will satisfy the slashed-zero camp and not look as similar to 'Ø'.

Paul Hardy <unifoundry>
Project AdministratorIn charge of this item.
Wed 06 Jul 2016 01:54:31 AM UTC, comment #2:

I have asked for an example in a language that uses slashed 'O' (U+00D8, 'Ø') where it would be difficult to distinguish between that and a slashed zero from the context. I will definitely not introduce a zero drawn to resemble upper- or lower-case theta. There are too many combinations of equations in the universe that use theta and zero together in engineering and physics. If I do not get a real example in a language that natively uses slashed-O, I will close this item. The zero was slashed at the request of multiple people who had trouble distinguishing zero from the letter capital 'O'.

Paul Hardy <unifoundry>
Project AdministratorIn charge of this item.
Sun 03 Jul 2016 09:56:37 PM UTC, comment #1:

I have never had a problem distinguishing Unifont zero from Unifont capital letter O, and I prefer having no slash in a zero. However, I have received multiple requests for a slashed zero from people who have had trouble differentiating the two glyphs (who are not anonymous, at least not to me).

I made the slash less prominent than in U+00D8, and have no difficulty differentiating between that and the digit zero. But if you have a hard time figuring out one from the other then it is a problem at least for you.

If there is a lot of objection to the slashed zero I can un-slash it again (which is my personal preference). Or I can nip the single pixel of the slash that sticks out on top and bottom on the zero. That will further distinguish it from the slash in U+00D8, which extends outside the oval of the letter. This will be the hex code for zero in that case:

0030:000000001824464A4A52526224180000

You can see what I consider the prototypical slashed zero example from the granddaddy of zero slashers, the ASR 33 teletype, on this web page:

http://www.pdp8.net/asr33/fortran_ex.shtml

I would not just have a dot in the center, as that would look too much like Theta (Θ), and a lowered slope might be mistaken for theta (θ).

I don't know where the context would not make it clear whether something was the digit zero or an upper-case slashed letter O. Maybe: "To 0 Ørsted or not to 0 Ørsted? That is the question." Can you provide an example where it would be impossible to tell which was intended from context, in any language that uses 'Ø'?

I will be preparing another Unifont 9.0 release. I am going to redraw at least one Plane 1 script, and it will be after I finish with that. I didn't have time to do that for this release. I will leave this open for discussion in the meantime.

Paul Hardy <unifoundry>
Project AdministratorIn charge of this item.
Sun 03 Jul 2016 07:23:50 PM UTC, original submission:

The slash over the glyph for U+0030 DIGIT ZERO in Unifont 9.0.01 makes the zero glyph (0) easily mistaken for U+00D8 LATIN CAPITAL LETTER O WITH STROKE, given its slope and that it extends outside the ellipse, (1) too "sophisticated" and "squished" compared to other digit glyphs and (2) just plain ugly.

Please revert to the old glyph. If distinguishing U+0030 DIGIT ZERO from U+004F LATIN CAPITAL LETTER O is such a big issue, having the zero dotted (0030:00000000182442425A5A424224180000) or lowering the slope of the slash (0030:0000000018244242465A624224180000) would be a more tolerable alternative. I'd still prefer the old zero glyph, since Unifont's zero and O glyphs' shapes are quite distinct already.

Anonymous

 

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    Follow 3 latest changes.

    Date Changed By Updated Field Previous Value => Replaced By
    Sat 27 Aug 2016 04:31:44 PM UTCunifoundryOpen/ClosedOpen=>Closed
      Discussion LockUnlocked=>Locked
    Sun 03 Jul 2016 09:56:37 PM UTCunifoundryAssigned toNone=>unifoundry

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