The "Tin" open source SFNT C++ library

blogs.adobe.com

8 pointspan697 comments

Tin is intended for use by programmers who have legitimate need for manipulating font binaries.

Legitimate need? What does that even mean?

All joking aside, this is absolutely fantastic - I tried to write a font manipulation library once and the amount of detail you have to keep track of (or, conversely, it is possible to do wrong) is colossal. An open-source project with Adobe behind it - while the cognitive dissonance is hurting my brain a little - is just tremendous.

I feel like I should send Steve Jobs a little thank-you present for this. Do you think he'd prefer flowers or something more like a Barnes and Noble gift card?

Why Steve Jobs?

Steve Jobs invented digital typography thanks to a calligraphy class he briefly visited in the '70s. Without him, the only fonts in the world would be Terminal Monospace and Tasteless Serif.

cough http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Knuth cough

For prodding Adobe into taking the stance that they're open.

FWIW, daan started working on open-sourcing TIN more than a year ago.

The library was not created to abet copyright infringement or worms. While we cannot (necessarily) stop someone for using the library in illegitimate ways, we do not welcome those uses.

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