Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: NWCjazz font vs. NWC (regular) font (Read 4242 times) previous topic - next topic

NWCjazz font vs. NWC (regular) font

I created a file using the regular font, and set up the page so it looks all nicey-nice, number-of-measures-per-system-wise.
I had the jazz font installed for some swing band printouts, and opened the file to check something, and more measures fit on a system in some cases.  Why does the jazz font take up less horizontal space?  -  no scratch that.  Why does the non-jazz font take up more horizontal space?  And can I make it take up less space somehow?  I mean the font itself - not the files that use them - none of that "uncheck the box that says 'Increase note spacing for larger note durations'" stuff.  Anyone have a clue on this one?

Re: NWCjazz font vs. NWC (regular) font

Reply #1 –
I haven't looked at the jazz font, but I noticed in the ordinary font, space required differs with flagged notes when switching from stems up to stems down.  Could the horizontal space req'd for the jazz font flags be greater than the other font?

Re: NWCjazz font vs. NWC (regular) font

Reply #2 –
David may be right. Other possibilities: Are you using the same printer driver, in each case? The layout is calculated based on certain printer parameters, and they can be different even when basic page settings are the same.

If you are using lyrics, that makes a big difference.

It may also be the case that the elements of the jazzy font have different cursor widths than in the original. Fonts are created or edited by special programs. The cursor numbers generated by one program may be slightly different than those from another. Even if a font is merely opened by a font editor, then re-saved without visible editing, there may be minor changes if the editing program (for example) uses a 1000-grid instead of 2048-grid to quantize points.

It is my understanding that if a measure overflows its system even by a smidgen, NWC doesn't attempt to squeeze it in, but flows it to the next system.

Re: NWCjazz font vs. NWC (regular) font

Reply #3 –
Same printer/driver, everything is the same with the exception of the font itself.  And no lyrics, either.  It's a wrist flexibility exercise for trombone.  Very repetitive.  One measure of eight eighth-notes followed by a measure of four eighth-notes, a quarter note, and a quarter rest.  Rhythm repeats every two bars.  Non-jazz font has four bars on most lines, with a few lines that have five.  Jazz font makes many five-measure lines, ending the second page far above the bottom of the page.  Yeah, I could change the staff height, but that's not the point.
Could the horizontal space req'd for the jazz font flags be greater than the other font?
The jazz font takes up less space.
And there are no flags, just beams.

Re: NWCjazz font vs. NWC (regular) font

Reply #4 –
I opened NWCV15 and NWjazz fonts with my font editor, and had a look-see. Sure enough, many of the symbols in NWjazz are drawn with smaller cursor width than in NWCV15.

NWC can squeeze more of the jazzy font, simply because the jazzy font is narrower. It's that simple.

I don't know whether the program calculates beam length in proportion to the font symbols, but I would bet that it does. My guess is that it is proportional to the cursor width for the basic solid note-head.

I suppose that the NWjazz font creator could have used dimensions identical to NWCV15, varying only the shape. But that's not the way it is. Since NWjazz is a "user-created" font, it's not the program's fault if it does not produce the same layout as with NWCV15.

Are you trying to make two prints, one with the regular font and one jazzy? You could first print the regular, then place forced system breaks for the jazzy version, so that it matches (at least in terms of number of measures per system).

Re: NWCjazz font vs. NWC (regular) font

Reply #5 –
"jazz font flags be greater "  was not a typo with the fingers, just a mental typo.  Sorry, Damon.

I dont' imagine you need workarounds, since you're obviously very familiar with the program, but for those who aren't quite so used to it, another option that some might like to use is to have separate staffs for each 4 bar example (use Ctrl-A to add a staff).

The advantages are that each staff could be labelled with the particular point you're trying to make, such as key name, and the label could be printed, and if the exercise is the same sequence of notes repeated in different keys, it's easier to just copy, paste and transpose than to copy these notes on the original staff, mark a system break, add a key signature and transpose each four bars manually.

Re: NWCjazz font vs. NWC (regular) font

Reply #6 –
Robert, that's about what I expected.  I suppose if I get myself a font editor and adjust the NWC font, that would be illegal.  I think I heard about some guy in the next county who did that to try to make the whole notes take up less space.  I wonder what happened to him...

David, I hope I didn't come off as angry at your "mistake" or anything.  I just wanted to make sure I was clear enough on the problem.

Re: NWCjazz font vs. NWC (regular) font

Reply #7 –
>if I get myself a font editor and adjust the NWC font, that would be illegal

Not really. If you modify the NWC font for personal use, this is OK (and who would know anyway). However, you should not necessarily expect your alteration to work in the next version of NWC, and you should not distribute your adjustment.

Re: NWCjazz font vs. NWC (regular) font

Reply #8 –
...the next version of NWC...
I just noticed that 1.75a is available.  Is this "the next version of NWC" after 1.75, or does this count as web update 10?
 

Re: NWCjazz font vs. NWC (regular) font

Reply #9 –
Version 1.75a looks like 1.75 with some sort of change in the installer? Don't know. Since the font is NWCV15 I guess that it was new with version 1.5, maybe replacing something earlier? Could be anything.

Could try this: Make music with official font, send out WMFs of pages, hexedit the WMFs to replace NWCV15 with other font name, put WMFs into MS Word. Does that keep the layout and only change to jazz, or does it ruin layout?