Port Angeles, WA, USA — Fontlab Ltd. announced today the release of
BitFonter 3 for Mac OS X and Windows, a major new version of the company’s
professional bitmap font editor.
BitFonter is a tool for creative professionals who wish to create and
customize bitmap fonts or to turn artwork into full-fledged fonts. Since it
seamlessly integrates with Fontlab’s outline font editors (FontLab Studio 5
and TypeTool 3), BitFonter can also be used to convert bitmaps into outline
fonts or vice versa.
In the words of Fontlab Ltd.’s president Ted Harrison: “Most desktop
operating systems (Windows, Mac OS X, Linux) use outline fonts in Type 1,
TrueType and OpenType formats. Outline fonts can be scaled to any size but
in very small sizes and low resolutions, they may not be very legible. In
bitmap fonts, the designer can control the precise positioning of each
pixel, which is why bitmap fonts are popular on low-resolution devices such
as portable communication devices, PDAs, mobile phones, LED displays,
printers, ticketing machines etc. Also, while outline fonts are limited to
monochrome letterforms, bitmap fonts can use the full color palette and
transparency. That is why bitmap fonts are widely used in computer games as
well as in TV, film and motion graphics applications.”
BitFonter supports the XML-based Photofont technology developed by Fontlab
Ltd. that brings the beauty of full-color bitmap fonts to both print and
web pages. On the other hand, BitFonter also allows designers to create
razor-sharp fonts that improve screen text legibility in small font sizes.
BitFonter supports a wide range of universal as well as vendor-specific
bitmap font formats from Adobe, Apple, IBM, Microsoft, Palm and Unix.
With the help of BitFonter’s innovative algorithms for automatic shape
detection and background removal, users can quickly convert scanned
lettering or digital photos (as EPS, JPG, PNG or GIF) into bitmap fonts.
When used together with FontLab Studio, AsiaFont Studio or TypeTool,
BitFonter can turn any bitmap font into PostScript, TrueType or OpenType
outline fonts.
“With BitFonter, font users can remix, ‘scratch’ and customize their
existing PostScript or OpenType fonts using bitmap operations such as
blurring, softening, sharpening, embossing, adding noise or texture. Those
new fonts can be used in any applications on the same workstations that the
original font was licensed to–provided that the original font’s license
agreement permits modifications. This allows users to explore their
creativity and extend their personal font libraries,” said Adam Twardoch,
Fontlab Ltd.’s product and marketing manager.
BitFonter 3 is the first version that is available for both Mac OS X and
Microsoft Windows. BitFonter 3 boasts a completely redesigned user
interface: with the all-new brushes panel, the tools options panel and the
new selection modes, users familiar with Adobe Photoshop and similar
image-editing applications will feel at home instantly, while the font
window, the metrics window and the font info dialog were redesigned with
FontLab Studio and TypeTool users in mind. BitFonter can create and edit
multilingual and Asian fonts with thousands of glyphs.
Bitfonter 3 retails at US$499.00, upgrades for existing Bitfonter users are
US$99. For more information, a free demo version for Mac and Windows, as
well as purchase and upgrade options, visit the Bitfonter 3 page at
(/font-editor/bitfonter/)http://www.fontlab.com/font-editor/bitfonter/
About Fontlab Ltd.
Fontlab Ltd. has stayed at the forefront of digital font management by
remaining devoted to developing font editors and typography products. Their
full line of products is dedicated to solving the most complex typography
issues. These products include: AsiaFont Studio, BitFonter, FogLamp,
FontLab Studio , Fontographer, ScanFont, TypeTool, TransType, FontFlasher,
FONmaker, SigMaker and CompoCompiler. More information on all Fontlab
products can be seen at http://www.fontlab.com/