Small number 9 instead of Apostrophe?

[Michel_Bujardet]

I just looked at it with FontLab.

The Ubuntu font is using OpenType Glyph substitution. In other words, it switches the apostrophe to the upper nine internally. It is a bug in the font itself.

Unfortunately, there is no workaround.

The only way would be to remove the OpenType instructions and generate a new font that you would then use instead, but that would require permission from the copyright owner.

[Peter_Truskier]

I agree with Michel. Before I looked at his reply, I also opened the font with FontLab Studio. I didn’t find the Opentype substitution behavior that he did, but noticed another issue with a bunch of glyphs in this font, including the superscript 9, when I opened it:

Notice that the glyph has a caption with a red background and yellow text. This is what the FontLab docs have to say about that indicator:

A strong red caption with yellow text of a cell means that the character has some naming conflict: one name is used for different glyphs or the glyph’s Unicode codepoint does not correspond to its name. You should usually correct either the glyph name or the Unicode codepoint for glyphs with red captions.

[Kimball_Larsen]

Holy nice research, batman! Thanks to both @Peter Truskier and @Michel Bujardet for the FontLab info. Off I go to find another font.

[Michel_Bujardet]

@76457:@Peter Truskier

I didn’t find the Opentype substitution behavior that he did

Your get the OpenType panel which shows the substitution tables by clicking the OpenType icon. I use the Windows version :

Glyph substitution is a wonderful technology which took over 5 years to be used transparently for Roman text by Windows and Mac OS X. It is the result of common work between Apple, Adobe and Microsoft within the OpenType project. The first version was present in Windows Vista but the only program making use of it was Adobe InDesign. For instance, ae can be replaced automatically by æ without having to code anything in a text field. The internal coding of the font takes care of it. I have devised handwriting fonts where all ligatures between upper ending characters such as b, o, v, w and following characters are automatically managed by the font itself.

Until that dreadful superscript 9 bug, I thought glyph substitution was kind of a graal. Now it appears that as any technology, it is a double edged sword that can be used for goofs

[Peter_Truskier]

@76489:@Michel Bujardet

Until that dreadful superscript 9 bug, I thought glyph substitution was kind of a graal. Now it appears that as any technology, it is a double edged sword that can be used for goofs

As OpenType and other font technologies have implemented more and more logical functionality, they have become, in effect, programs. As such, they are subject to developers’ errors.

As far as I can tell, the problem here is entirely down to the creator(s) of this font introducing some bugs in the program that is the Ubuntu font.

[Michel_Bujardet]

@76497:@Peter Truskier

As OpenType and other font technologies have implemented more and more logical functionality, they have become, in effect, programs. As such, they are subject to developers’ errors.

Yes indeed, internal programming means bug. The Ubuntu font one is the most obnoxious I have ever seen. How could have they released it with such a blunder is beyond belief. Seems they did not even take time to beta test it. And what font designer can be as stupid as to mixup quoteright &u2019 with ninesuperior &u2079 ? The guy needs help…

[Peter_Truskier]

…stupid as to mixup quoteright &u2019 with ninesuperior &u2079

I guess with the UI font they were using in their font creation tool, the one and the seven look alike