Method of formatting documents using flexible design models providing controlled copyfit and typeface selection

Abstract

A method for typographic design of a printed document utilizing typographical parameters designed by an expert typographer is provided. A standard body of text is executed in a standard font and a selected format by an expert design typographer to provide maximized readability of the standard body of text and to determine a set of reference parameters associated with that selected format. Utilizing the reference parameters in a computer program, an unskilled user may then execute a desired body of text in a desired font in the selected format to produce a printed document having substantially equal readability. The program allows a reader to switch between typefaces to produce printed documents having substantially equal copyfit in different typefaces. The computer program provides a method of comparing typefaces to establish allowed pairs of typefaces for heading and accent alternatives allowing a user to customize design documents with the parameter influencing text readability and copyfit automatically adjusted.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates generally to digital imagesetting systems and the application of specific design information to the process of document layout and publication. In particular, the present invention relates to a method of defining a document design model and an automatic process utilizing the design model to produce user documents with a user selected typeface in a user selected format in conformance with the design model.In recent years word processing programs, computers, laser printers and other peripherals have become so powerful that it is now possible for users in small companies and large corporations alike to produce the majority of their business documents in-house. These documents include, for example, company newsletters, quarterly reports, new product announcements and customer proposals. Prior to the advent of desktop publishing technology, the majority of this work was sent out to professional graphic designers and typesetters for...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The heart of a typeface design is a repeating set of elements that establish the common design for all of the characters. For this reason, the contrast between typefaces can be quantified by comparing relatively few characters. Various measurements of selected uppercase and lowercase characters in each typeface are compared to each other, and size measurement ratios established. The ratios associated with each typeface are then scaled, and a quantitative measurement or value is established for each ratio. The ratio values thus determined are summed; if the difference between ratio totals for a pair of typefaces is less than a predetermined constant, then those typefaces are not sufficiently distinct to be utilized for a test / heading combination. If the difference between the ratio totals for the pair of typefaces equals or exceeds the predetermined constant, the combination is permitted. Similarly, typefaces that are intended for use as accent faces can be calibrated for extremity. If any of four predefined calculations associated with a typeface are sufficiently extreme, the typeface is suitable for use at an accent typeface. Thus, the present invention allows the unskilled user to mix two or three typeface families in a document confident that permitted combinations will perform effectively without the services of an expert typographer.

The document design system of the present invention implemented in software provides a computer program for use with modern desktop computers which enables the typographically unskilled operator of a small digital publishing system to rapidly and comfortably use a variety of different formats and typefaces across a variety of different work. His or her assurance of obtaining coherent text copyfit at a consistent level of readability and with a consistent design style cannot be equalled by the most skilled of typographers who are limited to conventional means. Such a computer program allows the untrained user to obtain the variety of appearance for the text of his or her documents of whatever kind provided by the many hundred of popular text typeface families commercially available in predefined digital typographic formats. This richness and variety of appearance is obtained with no loss of efficiency or speed and without the lengthy and complex adjustments, which often require expert judgement, required by prior art desktop publishing systems.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention is shaped to enable the unskilled office worker to effectively operate advanced word processing or desktop publishing systems while employing many different typeface families in order to enrich the appearance of his or her documents in a professional manner while maintaining fixed copyfit and level of readability.

Professionally produced documents of graphic arts quality typically fill a fixed number of pages of any size specified by the designer. Other embodiments of the present invention may be implemented to similarly provide the professional graphics designer in the choice of text area and page dimensions and layout in order to prepare a given text in one or more chosen typefaces with exact copyfit while preserving a high level of readability to fill a given text area.

Problems solved by technology

With little or no training or skills in graphic design, individuals can and do use these systems to produce documents, slides, etc., but there is no guarantee that the results are effective.

Typically, such documents do not follow or embody any accepted or desired principles of graphic design.

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