OpenType fonts may contain many levels of intelligence. Most are simply a conversion of their TrueType or PostScript equivalents, with no additional character sets or capabilities.

Adobe calls their brand of OpenType fonts that have no additional features “Standard” OpenType fonts. When additional features are added, Adobe brands them OpenType “Pro” fonts.

Adobe’s OpenType “Pro” fonts have extended character sets, often with true fractions, small caps, additional ligatures, swash characters, dingbats, and more. OpenType Pro fonts also incorporate advanced layout intelligence such as stylistic sets and automatic fraction replacement.

To see how to access alternate characters in QuarkXPress 7 and 8, see Jay Nelson’s post “Apply Alternate OpenType Glyphs“.

To explore any stylistic sets that may be in an OpenType font, first apply the font to some text, then in the Measurements palette click on the “O” button.

Any stylistic sets that are NOT available in the current font appear in brackets. You can pick and choose among the others, combining them as you like.

If a stylistic set has a checkmark next to it, that means that optional characters in that set will be applied to the currently selected text. If a stylistic set has a checkmark next to it, but also has brackets around it, that means that although the current font doesn’t include that stylistic set, if you change the font to an OpenType font that does include that stylistic set, then that set will apply to the text. In other words, these choices of sets are remembered with the text itself.

Jeff Gamet

Jeff Gamet is a contributing editor for Design Tools Monthly, the executive summary of graphic design news. He is also the morning editor and reviews editor for The Mac Observer and iPodObserver.com, and contributing writer for Layers Magazine and Photoshop User. He writes the InBrief column for InDesign Magazine, and is the author of “The Designer’s Guide to Mac OS X,” from Peachpit Press

When Jeff isn’t writing about the graphic design world, he’s talking about it on the Design Tools Weekly podcast with co-host Jay Nelson. He also talks about Apple and the Mac world every week on The Mac Observer’s Apple Weekly Report.

Jeff studies, tests and reviews new software and technologies for the Macintosh community as well as the design and print industries. He is a former Pre-press specialist, and has nearly 25 years experience with computer technology. Jeff trains, lectures and consults on techniques for more efficiently using Mac OS X in creative environments throughout the country.

In the rare moments when he can get away from his MacBook Pro, Jeff spends his time climbing and biking in the Colorado mountains.