Cyrillic capital Z and number three are the same

[jozsefk9]

• Your font version: (Release 1.12.2)
• Your font variant: Type
• Your operating system (name and version): Windows 10 64bit
• Your application using Iosevka: Notepad++

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This font is amazingly beautiful. There is only one problem I see about it right now: Cyrillic capital Z and number three are the same: https://s.mail.ru/KaE8/tpS5QbiNT

[be5invis]

Well... they look the same in SCP either...

the left is 3 and the right is З.

[be5invis]

Consolas:

[jozsefk9]

[be5invis]

Pragmata Pro

[jozsefk9]

[be5invis]

@jozsefk9
Geez, examples for “same” and “different” ends up in a tie...
However are there situations that a number will be mistakenly replaced by a Cyrillic? or vice versa?

[jozsefk9]

There could be situations. You would never know which one is which if typing in Cyrillic.

[firedev]

I guess it's the same as in latin, if you're often using O and 0 or I and l and 1 and | in the same context then it's might be a problem. Like IOI vs l0l (compare to IOI and l0l)

[be5invis]

@jozsefk9 @firedev
Latin is extremely common in programming, however Cyrillics rarely occur in source code.

[firedev]

Exactly, I wouldn't bother.

[jozsefk9]

It's not in the code, definitely, but in the text of web page let's say. I don't know about the way to have the text displayed in different font from the code :)

[chelovechishko]

Yep, it's not about code, it's about everyday usage. I, for example, use this font for reading books (it does not matter in a terminal or in a application).

[robertgzr]

How would you change it @jozsefk9 @chelovechishko ?

@firedev I don't think this is a question of being bothered. To me that's one of the core reasons why I like Iosevka - it's users can help shape the font to be better for everybody.

[jozsefk9]

@robertgzr Well, to me personally, it looks like the simplest way to do it is to leave the capital Z as it is and to change the number three to something similar to Monoid or PT Mono, for example. I could think about more ways if you give me some time, but it would always be some sort of modification of number three character. Capital Z is fine, in my opinion.

[leiserfg]

There are more 3 users than Ze users so if one need to be changed is the cirilic one.

[jozsefk9]

@leiserfg Maybe but the problem is that Cyrillic Z is as it is, there is no much things you can do about it if you want it to look like Cyrillic Z :) and in the same time to have your fonts still being Iosevka style.

[jdw1996]

Perhaps there could be an alternative glyph for 3 that uses a flat top. That way you could have the distinction between the Cyrillic Z and the number three but Iosevka users who don't use Cyrillic could keep using the existing 3 without disruption.

[jozsefk9]

@jdw1996 The only problem with that is that I don't know how to do those changes. All I know is to download one of the 12 versions of Iosevka and use it. But I see you have more options than that. I just can't figure out how to do those changes in text editor or operating system.

[jdw1996]

@jozsefk9 I'm not sure of an easy way to make such a change given only a font file; if I decide I want a different glyph variant, I rebuild the font myself. I realize that may not be an option for everyone, but that's my process.

[jozsefk9]

@jdw1996 How difficult is that process? Any manual for it?

[be5invis]

@jozsefk9 Process about what?
Currently there are also many fonts (especially narrow ones, like Pragmata Pro; also PF Din) that the Ze and 3 shares same or very similar shape.

[jozsefk9]

@be5invis Process of rebuilding the font with different glyphs.

[be5invis]

@jozsefk9 You can follow the instructions in README. Mainly

... prepare dependencies
make custom-config design="styles you want"
make custom

[jozsefk9]

@be5invis OK. Thanks. I will have to study about that. Can it be done on Windows machine?

[be5invis]

@jozsefk9 I am building the official on Windows (I WORK FOR MS currently)

[chelovechishko]

May be make the Cyrillic Ze for Slab like in PT Mono.
And may be add a glyph variant with a flat top 3 as a number.
Also wiki has the Ze with changing thickness.

[be5invis]

@chelovechishko I'd like to choose path II, making an alternative 3 glyph.
three.flattop vs three.twoarcs

[be5invis]

[jozsefk9]

@be5invis if that could be pre-built as an option among the 12 current options that would be fantastic and it would save me lots of time :) Anyway, if not I will have to spend some time and learn how to build fonts by myself. Thanks!

[be5invis]

@jozsefk9
There are already a lot of combinations in the pre-built now :(
Closed as fixed.