[sw-l] IMWA size and transparency

[Bill Reese]

Val,
The white space around symbols almost sounds like a font variation.
Even though it enhances reading and seems to, therefore, be an integral
part to the basic symbols, it relates well to different fonts being more
readable than others.  Creation of IMWA's with and without the border
could be the first true alternative fonts.

Now let's see... how to get italic, bold ...  ;-)

Bill


Valerie Sutton wrote:

> SignWriting List
> October 26, 2004
>
> Stephen Slevinski wrote:
>
>> THIN BORDER
>> The thin border around the symbols may be a nice addition.  Would the
>> thin
>> border only be used for hand shapes?  But once this is added, the
>> z-order of
>> the symbols becomes even more important.  It would require an additional
>> compenent when typing, or it would change the order in which symbols
>> were
>> typed.
>>
>
> The thin border around symbols that are on top, is something that has
> worked in the past for us. I have noticed through experience that it
> gives better reading...without making a big deal out of it ...no
> changes of color, and it is so subtle that people don't realize why it
> is, they could read the sign better...but they do.
>
> It is not just handshapes, but every symbol, except for
> Punctuation...In other words, any symbol that might be placed on top
> of another could use that On-Top Command Key. But it couldn't hurt to
> have it for all symbols...including Punctuation anyway...so that there
> is a consistency.
>
> I believe what we need is an On-Top Special Command Key, like these
> Command Keys:
>
> 1. Rotate
> 2. Mirror
> 3. Variations
> 4. Fill
> 5. On-Top
>
> etc...
>
> If the subtle white space around a symbol can be programmed, that
> would be the best, but if not, then we could create two IMWA symbol
> sets...one with the white space and one without...
>
> And some of the other ideas mentioned by our List members are also
> interesting...the opaque has never been tried with readers to see if
> they can read it...partly because it would be pretty hard to write by
> hand...but no matter what the choice, the new On-Top Command Key would
> be programmed to create the look that we all feel works best...
>
> I personally vote for the subtle white space around the top symbol,
> since it doesn't look like the handwriting has to change at all...It
> is just when publishing...and if it is too subtle, we could widen the
> white space around the symbols a tiny bit to make it a little more
> obvious...
>
> Thanks for your attention!
>
> I am hoping to start adding symbols to the IMWA in the first week of
> November, so if you can think this all through, this will be helpful
> for me too...
>
> Val ;-)
>
>
>