Update Harmattan

[LornaSIL]

We would like to see an update to the Google fonts version of Harmattan (https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Harmattan) with the just released version 2.000.

The download is available here: https://software.sil.org/harmattan/download/

The most significant change to this version is the addition of a bold typeface.

The first 3 paragraphs under "About Harmattan" could be updated to say:

Harmattan, named after the trade winds that blow during the winter in West Africa, is designed in a Warsh style to suit the needs of languages using the Arabic script in West Africa. 

This font provides a simplified rendering of Arabic script, using basic connecting glyphs but not including a wide variety of additional ligatures or contextual alternates (only the required lam-alef ligatures.) 

Harmattan contains near complete coverage of all the characters defined in Unicode 13.0 for Arabic script (excluding the Arabic Presentation Forms blocks, which are not recommended for normal use). We include full support for the Arabic and Arabic Supplement blocks. Harmattan also includes support for the Arabic Extended-A block with the exception of U+08D3..U+08E2.

[davelab6]

Thanks @LornaSIL :) I think @RosaWagner will have some time in July to do this, we just had a quick video call and she says she ran the new family through Font Bakery and found the vertical metrics changed. I see the release notes page says,

Note: We reserve the right to alter metrics in future releases. Future versions of the font may result in different lines, line spacing, or paragraph lengths. Do not expect that a document laid out in one version will always have the same page breaks, etc., in future fonts.

I know arabic fonts often treat v metrics in a special way, so I would be curious to learn more about the rationale for how they are set.

Is there an upstream git repo and issue tracker for Harmattan that we can post issues to?

Rosalie is in Berlin and would be happy to schedule a call with you to go over things too, if that would help :)

[davelab6]

Is there an upstream git repo and issue tracker for Harmattan that we can post issues to?

Ah! https://github.com/silnrsi/font-harmattan

[LornaSIL]

@davelab6 @RosaWagner

Thank you! We changed the line metrics because we added all the characters in the 3 Arabic, Arabic Supplement and Arabic Extended-A blocks which made some of the characters be clipped (they were taller or extended further below the baseline than the characters in v 1.001 did) which is why we increased it. Our goal is always support at least one vowel and shadda above a character and I think one vowel below a character.

The FONTLOG.txt also mentions the line metrics - Improved line spacing to support added characters

The repo is available here for any issues or bugs: https://github.com/silnrsi/font-harmattan

[davelab6]

@LornaSIL I propose this very slight modification to the updated text, and retaining the last 2 paragraphs, what do you think?

Harmattan, named after the trade winds that blow during the winter in West Africa, is designed in a Warsh style to suit the needs of languages using the Arabic script in West Africa.

This font provides a simplified rendering of Arabic script, using basic connecting glyphs but not including a wide variety of additional ligatures or contextual alternates (only the required lam-alef ligatures.)

Harmattan Version 2.000 (released in June 2020) now includes a Bold style and contains near complete coverage of all the characters defined in Unicode 13.0 for Arabic script (excluding the Arabic Presentation Forms blocks, which are not recommended for normal use). It has full support for the Arabic and Arabic Supplement Unicode blocks, and the Arabic Extended-A block with the exception of U+08D3..U+08E2.

Bob Hallissy does Graphite, OpenType, and TypeTuner code, and build support. Becca Hirsbrunner is the Lead Designer. George W. Nuss is the Original Designer. Iska Routamaa is a Contributing Designer. The Harmattan project is maintained by SIL International. Harmattan is released under the SIL Open Font License. Harmattan is a trademark of SIL International.

For further information about this font, including Unicode ranges supported, Graphite and OpenType font features and how to use them, and licensing, please see the documentation on the website software.sil.org/Harmattan. To contribute, see github.com/silnrsi/font-harmattan

[davelab6]

We changed the line metrics because we added all the characters in the 3 Arabic, Arabic Supplement and Arabic Extended-A blocks

Yes, I understand that - I'm curious to learn the exact (step by step) thinking behind which values were used :) And also I'd like to confirm the same values are used in both styles.

[LornaSIL]

I propose this very slight modification to the updated text, and retaining the last 2 paragraphs, what do you think?

Yes, that would be fine.

[LornaSIL]

Yes, I understand that - I'm curious to learn the exact (step by step) thinking behind which values were used :) And also I'd like to confirm the same values are used in both styles.

I don't know if tagging @bobh0303 will work. I'll check with him when he comes online to see if he wants to explain his complicated spreadsheet!

[LornaSIL]

Sorry, I didn't realize the last paragraph in the description needs the font website to change (scripts.sil.org/Harmattan > software.sil.org/Harmattan):

For further information about this font, including Unicode ranges supported, Graphite and OpenType font features and how to use them, and licensing, please see the documentation on the website software.sil.org/Harmattan. To contribute, see github.com/silnrsi/font-harmattan

[davelab6]

Yes, he will get an email now with comments on this issue :) I would love to see the sheet and possibly add a new 'arabic v metrics' check to Font Bakery (similar to the CJK one introduced with
fonttools/fontbakery#2797 and documented at https://github.com/googlefonts/gf-docs/tree/master/Spec#font-vertical-metrics)

URL update is good!

[bobh0303]

You can find my thinking behind v metrics in this google doc.

The process I used to come up with these numbers is somewhat convoluted, and involves a program that analyzes combinations of base + marks to calculate how far they spread ink above/below the baseline and identifying the greatest values.

The judgement call is in deciding what subset of glyphs to include in that process.

[davelab6]

Excellent, thank you @bobh0303 :)

@m4rc1e do you have any suggestions about how to proceed?

[bobh0303]

It seems this issue has split into two things:

1. Updating Harmattan on Google Fonts
2. Calculating / testing vertical metrics in Arabic fonts

When you ask

do you have any suggestions about how to proceed?

to which of these two are you referring?

(It might be useful to create a separate issue for 2)

[davelab6]

I want @m4rc1e to review your approach to (2) in order for (1) to proceed

[RosaWagner]

(It might be useful to create a separate issue for 2)

Concerning (1) I will post issues on the upstream repo ;)

[RosaWagner]

The update is sent to google/fonts repo : #2533