Bugzilla – Bug 146126
font kerning doesn't work with true type fonts
Last modified: 2006-04-11 10:54:26 UTC
It seems that font kerning doesn't work with TrueType-fonts. I've tested this with Andy, Andale and Albany shipping with SuSE 10.0 (all TrueType, all supporting font kerning, verified on windows 2000 with OOo 2.0.1), and also with Times New Roman from my windows 2000 installation (installed with the KDE control center). In OpenOffice (in the version 1.9.125/suse, but also in the 2.0.1), the font kerning has no effect with these fonts (reported at openoffice, see http://qa.openoffice.org/issues/show_bug.cgi?id=61023). However, with URW Palladio (which isn't truetype), it works. In Scribus 1.3.2 there is also support for font kerning, and this also works with palladio, but not with times new roman (see attached screenshots). So this leads me to the conclusion that font kerning doesn't work with truetype, but only with type 1 fonts.
Created attachment 65399 [details] Scribus displaying Times New Roman
Created attachment 65400 [details] Scribus displaying URW Palladio
Well, the people from OOo have worked on this. I'll quote the most importend from the comments to the bug reported in OOo bugtracker. >> Since it is not a problem of OOo, but a bug in the >> version of freetype used on your system I'll close this bug. >> >> I queried a bit and found: >> http://lists.nongnu.org/archive/html/freetype-devel/2005-09/msg00027.html >> from Novell's bugzilla https://bugzilla.novell.com/show_bug.cgi?id=133086 >> >> If that is in the code, then it cannot work. >> >> Workaraound(s): >> >> Use the libfreetype that ships with OOo (one can add the statement to the >> OOo-startscript) >> >> Downgrade to freetype 2.1.9 or install a fixed version of 2.1.10 Font kerning is at least for me a feature I don't want to miss. Howerver I don't know which disadvantaces has freetype 2.1.9 compared to 2.1.10 or if it is possible to use a fixed version of 2.1.10. But one of these options would be IMHO the best solution. (For SUSE 10.1: don't have the beta, but when 2.1.10 of freetype is used, the problem stays...) I've modified the .desktop files the way that "LD_PRELOAD=/opt/openoffice.org2.0/program/filter/libfreetype.so.6 soffice" is executed instead of "soffice". Whan another solution isn't possible, at least the start script of OOo should be changed the way that the libfreetype coming with OOo is used.
In 10.1 beta9, kerning works in OOo/NovellEdition and also in Scribus. So I asume the problem is resolved for 10.1. Following the comments to this bug, it seems that there will be no fix for 10.0. So I close as fixed.
I think there will be no "official" fix for 10.0. But you can use the RPMS from my ftp directory: ftp://ftp.suse.com/pub/projects/m17n/10.0/RPMS If you want to use these, please update the freetype2*, the fontconfig*, and the fonts-config rpms from this directory.