[XeTeX] new use of alternate glyphs and how to turn them off

Roland Kuhn rk at rkuhn.info
Sat Oct 16 22:58:39 CEST 2010


I can confirm this (version 1.014 of Adobe Garamond Premier Pro), and setting Contextuals=NoAlternate does indeed correct the result. According to the .log, fontspec is doing everything right here, so the change must have happened within XeTeX. What was the rationale? I cannot think of a good reason to break a large amount of documents (that "feature" is unacceptable f.e. in my scientific works). Until recently I used TL2007, so I did not yet notice this bug.

Dr. Roland Kuhn

On Oct 16, 2010, at 22:43 , Nikos Platis wrote:

> If these are contextual alternates (you can try the option
> Contextuals=NoAlternate for fontspec), then it seems that xetex
> included in TL2010 uses them by default. I have noticed the same thing
> using the latest Microsoft fonts (Candara etc.) for Greek texts -- and
> it is not a matter of fontspec.
> 
> If this is indeed the case, I am not sure this behaviour is welcome:
> first, this is not what used to happen before TL2010, so many
> documents will now produce different results; and second, these forms
> are actually "alternates" and should really not be the defaults!
> 
> Nikos Platis
> 
> 
> 
> On Sat, Oct 16, 2010 at 23:17, Fr. Michael Gilmary
> <FrMichaelGilmary at maronitemonks.org> wrote:
>> Hi Everyone:
>> 
>> I've noticed that since installing MacTeX2010, some alternate glyphs are
>> selected without my permission! They're lovely, to be sure, but it's really
>> a control issue for me ....
>> 
>> Is this a new feature of fontspec? or ?
>> 
>> Here's the example from a document compiled some time ago (June of 09 ...
>> which was TL08) and you'll see the difference with the capital Q.
>> 
>> I haven't noticed any other changes. This is loaded with:
>> 
>> \defaultfontfeatures{Mapping=tex-text}
>> \setmainfont[Numbers={Proportional,OldStyle}]{Garamond Premier Pro}
>> 
>> The Q alternate only has a GID and no unicode point.
>> 
>> otfinfo -v GaramondPremrPro.otf
>> Version 2.000;PS 2.000;hotconv 1.0.50;makeotf.lib2.0.16970
>> 
>> TIA.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> --
>> United in adoration of Jesus,
>> 
>> 
>> fr. michael gilmary, mma
>> 
>> Most Holy Trinity Monastery
>> 67 Dugway Road
>> Petersham, MA 01366-9725
>> 
>> www.MaroniteMonks.org
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> 
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