FontEco

FontEco is a Python tool for creating eco-friendly fonts

This process reduces the amount of ink needed to print text while maintaining readability.

Features

• Making your fonts more "eco-friendly"
• Different dithering modes:
  • Blue Noize
  • Shape
  • Line
• Customizable applications

How It Works

FontEco uses a sophisticated pipeline to create eco-friendly fonts by intelligently removing dots from glyphs while maintaining readability. Here's how the process works:

1. Glyph Rendering:

   • Each glyph from the input font is rendered to a high-resolution image (512x512)
   • Special handling for composite glyphs and Cyrillic characters
   • Automatic scaling to maintain proper proportions
   • Uses PIL (Python Imaging Library) for high-quality glyph rendering

2. Dithering:

   • Several different algorithms implemented
   • Uses Sobol' sequence algorithm to generate a uniform distribution of points
   • Applies Floyd-Steinberg dithering with blue noise pattern
   • Configurable reduction percentage (default: 20%)
   • Ensures visually pleasing distribution of removed dots

3. Vectorization:

   • Converts the dithered image back to vector outlines using Potrace algorithm
   • Multiple rendering modes available for different use cases:
     • Original: Uses Potrace's default path tracing
     • Simplified: Reduces the number of transparency levels (optimal: 4 levels)
     • Optimized: Uses point clustering and path optimization (optimal: 100 grid size)
     • Optimized Masked: Like optimized but ensures paths stay within glyph boundaries
   • Applies Douglas-Peucker algorithm for path simplification
   • Uses Bézier curve fitting for smooth outlines
   • Optimizes control points using distance-based filtering

4. Font Generation:

   • Scales the glyphs to match the original font metrics
   • Updates font metadata and naming
   • Preserves font features and compatibility
   • Uses fontTools for font manipulation and optimization

graph TD
    A[Input Font] --> B[Load Font]
    B --> C[Process Each Glyph]
    C --> D[Render Glyph to Image]
    D --> E[Apply Dithering]
    E --> F[Vectorize with Potrace]
    F --> I[Output Eco Font]

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Dithering Modes

The library supports three main dithering modes:

1. Blue Noise Dithering

Uses Sobol' sequences to create a blue noise pattern for removing dots from glyphs. This creates a visually pleasing, random-looking pattern that maintains readability.

2. Shape-Based Dithering

A mode that removes dots in specific shapes (circles or rectangles) while maintaining readability. This mode offers more control over the visual appearance of the perforation.

3. Line-Based Dithering

A mode that removes dots by drawing lines across the glyphs. This mode offers several options for creating different line patterns.

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/yourusername/FontEco.git
cd FontEco

2. Install system dependencies:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y build-essential python3-dev libagg-dev libpotrace-dev pkg-config

3. Install dependencies:

pip install -r requirements.txt

Usage

1. Create a subset of your font (optional):

from fonteco.font_utils import create_subset_font
create_subset_font('fonts/Times.ttf', 'fonts/Times_subset.ttf')

2. Perforate the font:

from fonteco.fonts import perforate_font
perforate_font(
    input_font_path='fonts/Times.ttf',
    output_font_path='fonts/EcoTimes.ttf',
    reduction_percentage=20  # Default: 20%
)

Parameters

• input_font_path (str): Path to the input font file
• output_font_path (str): Path where the perforated font will be saved
• reduction_percentage (float): Percentage of dots to remove (0-100). Default: 20
• with_bug (bool): Enable special coordinate transformation (bug mode). Default: False
• draw_images (bool): Save debug images of perforated glyphs. Default: False
• scale_factor (float or str): Scaling factor for glyph coordinates. Use "AUTO" for automatic scaling. Default: "AUTO"
• test (bool): Process only first 20 glyphs for testing. Default: False
• debug (bool): Print detailed debug information. Default: False
• render_mode (str): Rendering mode to use for glyph conversion:
  • "original": Uses Potrace's default path tracing
  • "simplified": Reduces the number of transparency levels (optimal: 4 levels)
  • "optimized": Uses point clustering and path optimization (optimal: 100 grid size)
  • "optimized_masked": Like optimized but ensures paths stay within glyph boundaries
• dithering_mode (str):
  • "blue_noise": Uses Sobol' sequence and blue noise dithering for natural-looking dot patterns
  • "shape": Uses shape-based dithering with circles or rectangles
  • "line": Uses line-based dithering with parallel or random lines
• shape_type (str): Type of shape to use for shape dithering ("circle" or "rectangle"). Default: "circle"
• shape_size (int or str): Size of shapes for shape dithering:
  • int: exact size in pixels
  • "random": random size between margin*2 and maximum possible
  • "biggest": biggest possible size that fits
• margin (int): Minimum margin between shapes and edges for shape dithering. Default: 1
• num_levels (int): Number of transparency levels for simplified mode (optimal: 4) or grid size for optimized mode (optimal: 100). Default: 2
• line_type (str): Type of line pattern for line-based dithering
• curve_type (str): Type of curve for line-based dithering
• line_width (int): Width of the lines in pixels for line-based dithering
• curve (int): Curvature amount for curved lines in line-based dithering

Features in Detail

• Automatic Scaling: When scale_factor="AUTO", the tool automatically calculates the optimal scaling factor based on font metrics
• Cyrillic Support: Handles both Latin and Cyrillic characters, including composite glyphs
• Progress Tracking: Shows a progress bar during font processing
• Debug Mode: Optional detailed logging of glyph processing steps
• Multiple Rendering Modes: Choose the best rendering approach for your needs:
  • Original mode for standard perforation
  • Simplified mode for reduced complexity
  • Optimized mode for better path construction
  • Optimized masked mode for boundary-aware perforation

Requirements

• Python 3.6+
• fontTools
• Pillow
• NumPy
• OpenCV
• potrace + pypotrace
• scipy (for dithering)
• tqdm (for progress bar)

MIT License

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.