Generating automatically tuned bitmaps from outlines

Abstract

Consider the problem of generating bitmaps from character shapes given as outlines. The obvious scan-conversion process does not produce acceptable results unless important features such as stem widths are carefully controlled during the scan-conversion process. This paper describes a method for automatically extracting the necessary feature information and generating high-quality bitmaps without resorting to hand editing. Almost all of the work is done in a preprocessing step, the result of which is an intermediate form that can be quickly converted into bitmaps once the font size and device resolution are known. A heuristically defined system of linear equations describes how the ideal outlines should be distorted in order to produce the best possible results when scan converted in a straightforward manner. The Lova´sz basis reduction algorithm then reduces the system of equations to a form that makes it easy to find an approximate solution subject to the constraint that some variables must be integers. The heuristic information is of such a general nature that it applies equally well to Roman fonts and Japanese Kanji.