How to Use OpenType Features in Any Software

How to Use OpenType Features in Any Software

OpenType is an advanced font format developed by Microsoft and Adobe, built upon the TrueType font format. It supports a wide variety of typographic features such as alternate characters, ligatures, fractions, and many more, allowing designers to create more intricate and professional-looking typography. OpenType fonts are not only more flexible than their predecessors but also include enhanced capabilities for controlling font behavior in design software.

In this blog, we’ll explore how to access and use OpenType features across various software, including Adobe Illustrator (AI), Adobe Photoshop (PS), and others, and how you can access special characters or alternates for a more personalized design.


Using OpenType Features in Adobe Illustrator (AI) and Photoshop (PS)

To unlock the full potential of OpenType fonts, you’ll need to know how to access and manipulate the OpenType features. Both Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop offer specific panels to access these features.

In Adobe Illustrator (AI):

  1. Open the OpenType Panel:
    • Navigate to Window > Type > OpenType to open the OpenType panel in Illustrator.
  2. Using OpenType Features:
    • The OpenType panel allows you to apply various advanced typographic features, depending on the font you’re using. Some of the key options you’ll find are:
      • Standard Ligatures (A): This feature combines two characters into one, such as “fi” or “fl” to avoid awkward spacing.
      • Contextual Alternates (B): Automatically replaces certain characters with alternate glyphs based on context, improving readability.
      • Discretionary Ligatures (C): These are optional ligatures that you can choose to apply for stylistic reasons.
      • Swash (D): A feature that adds flourishes to characters, making your typography more decorative.
      • Stylistic Alternates (E): Allows you to replace letters with stylistically different versions, often used to create unique designs.
      • Titling Alternates (F): These are specialized versions of certain characters optimized for use in titles or headings.
      • Ordinals (G): Proper formatting for numbers like 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.
      • Fractions (H): Turns numeric fractions like 1/2 into properly formatted fractions.
      • Stylistic Sets (I): A collection of alternate glyphs that can be applied to a selected text block.
      • Panel Menu (J): Access additional font settings and features.
      • Figure Type (K): Adjusts the numbers to either old-style figures or lining figures for better integration with text.
      • Character Position (L): Changes the position of characters, such as superscript, subscript, or stacked figures.
  3. How to Use OpenType Features in Your Design:
    • Select the text where you want to apply OpenType features.
    • Open the OpenType panel.
    • Check or uncheck the features based on your design needs (e.g., ligatures, fractions, stylistic sets).
  4. Access Glyphs Panel:
    • To insert specific glyphs, go to Window > Type > Glyphs. This panel lets you view all the available glyphs in the current font and insert any alternate glyphs or special characters.

In Adobe Photoshop (PS):

  1. Open the Character Panel:
    • In Photoshop, open the Character Panel by going to Type > Panel > Character Panel.
  2. Using OpenType Features in Photoshop:
    • Just like in Illustrator, Photoshop also supports OpenType features, although with fewer options available. You can access these features through the Character Panel.
    • The available options in Photoshop include:
      • Standard and Discretionary Ligatures.
      • Swashes and Stylistic Alternates.
      • Fractions and Ordinals.
  3. How to Access and Insert Special Characters:
    • You can also use the Glyphs Panel in Photoshop (same as in Illustrator) to insert alternate glyphs and special characters that are available in OpenType fonts.

How to Access Alternate Characters or Special Characters in AI/PS

Many OpenType fonts come with alternate characters that are not immediately visible on your keyboard, including ligatures, swashes, ornaments, fractions, and stylistic alternates. To access these alternate characters, there are several methods you can use:

1. Using the In-Context Menu:

  • This is the quickest way to access alternate glyphs while working on a text object. Simply select the character you want to change, and right-click to view the available alternatives. Click on the one you want to replace the original character with.

2. Using the Glyphs Panel:

  • The Glyphs Panel in Illustrator and Photoshop provides an overview of all available glyphs within a specific font. Here’s how to use it:
    • Window > Type > Glyphs.
    • You’ll see a list of all glyphs in the font, including alternates, ligatures, fractions, and more.
    • Click on any glyph to insert it into your document.

Glyphs Panel Features:

  • Show Menu (A): Allows you to filter the glyphs shown by various categories.
  • Font Family (B): Select a different font from your system to see its available glyphs.
  • Font Style (C): Select a specific font style (e.g., Regular, Bold) to see its unique glyphs.
  • Zoom Buttons (D): Zoom in or out to get a better view of the glyphs.

3. Using the OpenType Panel:

  • The OpenType Panel is great for automating the application of features like ligatures, fractions, and stylistic sets. It allows you to select a range of text and apply specific OpenType features across that text block.

How to Access Special Characters Using PUA Encoded Fonts

PUA (Private Use Area) is a feature of OpenType fonts that allows font designers to store custom glyphs outside of the standard Unicode range. These glyphs can include special characters, decorative elements, swashes, and more, and are accessible through standard font management tools like Windows Character Map and Mac Font Book.

Steps to Access PUA Encoded Fonts:

  1. On Windows:
    • Open Character Map (search for it in the Start menu).
    • Choose the font you are using from the dropdown list.
    • Scroll through the available characters to find special glyphs encoded in the PUA.
    • Select and copy the character to use it in your design.
  2. On macOS:
    • Open Font Book and select the font with PUA-encoded characters.
    • Browse through the glyphs, and simply copy any special characters to paste into your design software.
  3. Using Glyphs Panel in AI/PS:
    • In both Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, PUA-encoded characters can be accessed from the Glyphs Panel. Simply find the desired glyph and insert it into your document.

Conclusion

OpenType features offer tremendous flexibility and creative control, allowing you to create rich and dynamic typography. By utilizing the OpenType and Glyphs panels in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, you can easily access and apply advanced typographic features like ligatures, fractions, stylistic sets, and more. Additionally, PUA-encoded fonts offer an expanded range of special characters, ensuring that your designs can be as unique and personalized as you wish.

Whether you are creating professional branding, elegant invitations, or intricate graphic designs, OpenType features provide the tools you need to make your typography stand out. Take advantage of these capabilities to enhance your design projects and bring your creative vision to life.


Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need additional help exploring OpenType features in your projects!

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