Difference between revisions of "Text-Handling in GIMP"
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== Analysis == | == Analysis == | ||
| + | === define shape/flow/placement === | ||
| + | the dynamic text box and the basic rectangular box are created with the text tool itself. The new GIMP handles for resizing/transforming should be present. | ||
| + | Adanvced shapes are defined with the new vector tool and transformation or resizing is done accordingly. Existing text-elements can then be put in this shape or a new one may be started inside. | ||
| + | The same applies to text along path (correct name: ''baseline along vector''). Also a new mode, namely ''start margin along vector'' is needed. EXAMPLE This does also provide for a way of rotating text. (e.g. a straight diagonal vector). EXAMPLE | ||
| + | This is also combineable with an advanced shape. EXAMPLE | ||
Revision as of 12:12, 20 February 2012
Vision
Text handling in GIMP
- Text in GIMP is always part of the composition - (unless it is an annotation)
- There is no such thing as paging in gimp
- Text in gimp has form and symbolic meaning, but meta levels of information in text are not supported
Users get:
- Complete control over typography and the layout of text on the canvas
- unicode supported localisation of text tools
- editable text until they decide otherwise
- super-fast workflow, when they are experienced
Functionality
Internationalization
- full support of all Unicode content
- support for all OpenType features
- multiple writing systems in the same text-box
- right to left and top-down textflow
Corrections
- the text content is always accessible and editable
- all applied effects are kept
Quick plain text
- the full-functionality text-tool is not obligatory
- simple annotations are supported
- can be inserted in an easy way
Effects
- stroke text
- fill text
- all effects and filter can be applied on the text itself (see "Corrections")
Layout
- full control to the user on every level
- all this is done in the context of the overall work:
- the canvas
- the applied effects
Positioning
- freely positionable on the canvas
- text boxes of any shape
- (rectangular) box fixed or dynamic
- text overflow from box to box
- text along path
- transformation tools
- combinations of above functions
- ?grid (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grid_%28page_layout%29 )
Typography
- fine grained-control
- presets can be saved
- manual access (M) to open type (OT) features: Glyph palette
Character level
- Font family
- Font variant
- size
- Color
- Hinting
- Kerning (M+OT)
- faux bold+italics
- underline
- through-line
- baseline shift
- language
- ?glyph scaling (vertical and horizontal)
line and paragraph level
- leading (Line Spacing)
- tracking
- Indent
- justification
- inter-paragraph spacing
- text-flow
User scenarios
Photographer (Annotations)
(see Scenario 1a)
- open file
- apply changes
- add text information to image
- no effects, basic font+style+size
- on/off for annotations when wanting to work undisturbed
Creating Original Art
"text as graphics"
- [no-text work]
- freely define text-box-shape
- enter text
- experiment with font-family/variant/size/color
- apply effects on all text elements
- apply overall effect (let text "interact" with other parts of the composition)
- transformation of text(-box) for perspective, 3D, paths.
- fine-tune text, making use of advanced typography and optional manual replacements
- apply more effects/brushwork/…
- change wording
text as information
- create several text-boxes (e.g. info)
- define overflow direction
- enter text / paste text (formatted or plain)
- work on typography
- basic settings font family + variant + size + color
- set paragraph or text-box layouting (e.g. alignment, justification, hyphenation)
- fine-tune text, making use of advanced typography/OpenType and optional manual replacements
- move, resize, reshape, reorder boxes
- save/export/print
- return later - load file
- change wording/correct text
- maybe change font (other computer)
- adjust typography
- save/export/print
Icon Design
- Open/hot link to vector image
- Polish & refine the icon
- add very small amount of text
- manually pick a glyph
- deform text (vector-based)
- apply pixel-based effects
- Review icon & make changes to vector image (& edit text in GIMP). Go back to the 2nd bullet, and repeat.
- Save Icon
Web Images - Production
text use mostly in buttons etc.
- insert text, where it needs to be graphically altered or integrated with the pixel level
- replacement of text for production of multiple instances of the same design element
- Make sets of image elements, see how they work together
- see how use of text in different parts works together - adjust typography accordingly
- Export parts in optimised web format
Evaluation
evaluated tools: GIMP (2.7.4), Inkscape, Scribus, InDesign, Photoshop
text placement
one-click or define frame first (Gimp, Photoshop, Inkscape)
- + gives most flexibility
- + is easy to handle with one button
- + feels real. You can grab a pen, place it and start writing right away
- - the mouse pointer is important. A Cursor I is not useful for creating a box and a + is not handy to start typing right away.
forced frame-drawing (Indesign, Scribus)
may disturb the work-flow in a graphic tool but is appropriate for desktop publishing. In a graphic-context user should decide whether he wants to break lines manually with the Enter-Button or by pre-defining a vertical border (e.g. the right-side end of the box).
family and style/variant selection
all-in-one (Inkscape, Gimp)
- + only one selector needs less menu space
- + immediate overview of all available font options
- + 1 click selection
- - list grows in length by a considerable amount
- - hard to tell sub-fonts of the same family and different fonts apart
two separate selectors (Photoshop, InDesign, Scribus)
- + Good overview of families
- - users don't see what variants exist, but have to actually select a font to get this information. This takes time when browsing through (Open Type) fonts.
- -
two-step selection with variant as a sub-menu (found in memory)
- + only one selector needs less menu space
- + Good overview of families
- + browsing feels quick
- + one click selection
- - user don't see what variants exist (Mouseover helps)
Additional remarks
- A preview in the font selection tool comes handy and saves time as users can omit unnecessary tryout clicks.
- An icon showing the font's type (TTF, OT, etc) helps (also visually) when browsing the font list.
native font variant versus variant toggling (?faux)
no faux bold/italics, only font-integrated options available (Scribus)
faux bold/italics toggles if implemented an automatic switch to pre-designed (Inkscape) applies a change not in the place where user sets it. At least an indicator should be present. An explicit faux b./i. switch (Photoshop) seems more intuitive and gives more control to the user (double bold).
GIMP At current state GIMP does not behave in any of the ways mentioned above. Buttons for faux (presumably) b./i. exist. The display does not indicate a switch to an existent pre-defined sub-font. Also, the toggle buttons do not have any effect when a respective sub-font hast been chosen. (no double bold). A decision should be taken about the way this works and feedback needs to be give to the user.
Advanced Typography
Open Type
OpenType is only available in Photoshop (basic functionality) and InDesign (extensive functionality). All Options are accessed via a menu offering them as on/off switches.
- + too much for direct access via toolbox
- - when wanting to select more than one, users have to open the menu again and again.
placement of tool options
toolbox/toolbar
- + more (all) options on screen
- + no extra dialog
- + users can do many changes with one-click
- - uses space
- - the options need to be divided, some features (e.g. OpenType features, advanced functions) are put in a menu
extra window (text editor, options)
- + all of the functionality in one place (at least that's possible)
- + good overview
- + focus on textwork makes it especially fast to work with
- + comes handy in cases where effects/layouting disturb editing.
- - Having some of the formatting options only available in external dialog (Inkscape) is bad for the workflow.
- - Changes are not in the context of the work
GIMP Gimp currently uses a combination of toolbox, extra window and heads-up-display
- + separable radius of effect: toolbox for whole text-box, hud for selected text.
- - above also presents difficulties:
- - in none of the three, ALL options be found
- - a checkbox does not seem the right way to start the text-editor
tool presets/styles
Inkscape does not save any user settings in the text tool besides setting a default.
tool presets (GIMP, Photoshop)
- + give users the option to customize and build a library of often used settings
- + integrate well with the rest of the program. Universal solution
- - They are not where the text settings are made
- - users cannot apply them to already existing text, eliminating a big number of possible use cases. In GIMP one can apply them to a selected text, but only to the whole box. (Also, the behavior is not always predictable: Switching between tool presets changes the text orientation. Bug?)
text styles (Scribus, InDesign)
- + give users the option to customize and build a library of often used settings
- + always applicable, making it possible to write first and format later with some predefined styles. This gives more freedom.
- + can be put next to the text settings, giving quick access and making it easy to see they take effect
- - need toolbox space (toolbox, because they only make sense when quickly accessible)
text along path and custom text-box shape
first path, then text (Photoshop)
- + It feels intuitive to move text tool on or inside a path and thereby "attaching" the text to it
- + one tool that does both
- + stays editable
- + warping presets can be applied anytime
- + nice to define either text line or box shape in the same way using the path tool
- - no direct way to later make an already written (and formatted) text go along a path
first path then text with special text along path tool (InDesign)
- + stays editable
- + text boxes can be directly transformed by grabbing a corner, etc.
- - no direct way to later make an already written (and formatted) text go along a path
- - special tool can only be used on path anyway. PS gives a better solution
path and text, then "merge". Text-box form is part of text properties (Scribus)
- + can be done anytime
- + text box shape as part of text properties is really effective
- + separation of path and text-box form makes sense. However, when making text go along a path the path becomes the form of the text box.
- - text along path is not really convenient to use. selecting both, then chosing the menu item...
path/shape and text, then "merge" (Inkscape)
- + can be done anytime
- + nice universal solution, only the last step ("along path" or "flow into form") differs
- + text and path always editable
- - not really convenient to use. selecting both, then chosing the menu item...
path and text, then "merge. No text-box shape transforms (GIMP)
- + can be done anytime
- - DOES NOT stay editable
- - not really convenient to use. selecting both, then chosing the menu item...
- - also the path has to be selected in the path dialog, though the text is selected on the canvas, to attach one to the other.
Analysis
define shape/flow/placement
the dynamic text box and the basic rectangular box are created with the text tool itself. The new GIMP handles for resizing/transforming should be present. Adanvced shapes are defined with the new vector tool and transformation or resizing is done accordingly. Existing text-elements can then be put in this shape or a new one may be started inside. The same applies to text along path (correct name: baseline along vector). Also a new mode, namely start margin along vector is needed. EXAMPLE This does also provide for a way of rotating text. (e.g. a straight diagonal vector). EXAMPLE This is also combineable with an advanced shape. EXAMPLE
