Rotating Fonts

Fonts rotate relative to the inline direction of lines (or fields).

This example focuses on a single letter A from FONTA. With PPFA, a single font that is specified in a page definition can produce letters in any of four rotations. This rotation is accomplished by a FONT command that specifies rotation. In this example, if you want to vary the rotation of a font twice within a page, you use two FONT commands, one for each rotation. You also use two PRINTLINE commands to map the data to the printout by using the two rotations of the font. In a field processing application, FIELD commands can be used in the same way. These PRINTLINE commands name the rotated font in a FONT subcommand.

Figure 1 breaks down the elements that are required for the FONT commands and subcommands. Distinct local names and rotation specifications for each font are placed in a FONT command. These specifications identify a font as rotated within a page definition. The rotation of a character is relative to the inline direction of a printline or field. The characters and rotations that are shown here assume an inline direction of ACROSS. See PPFA Basic Terms.

Figure 1. Character Rotation

You can use up to 16 possible combinations of logical page direction and font rotation for page printers other than the 3800.

The FONT subcommands within PRINTLINE or FIELD commands that name the rotated font in that page definition use only the local name. The following command stream shows the proper specification and nesting of FONT commands and subcommands for rotation.

PAGEDEF ABCD ;
  FONT FONTA M103 ;            /*NO ROTATION, LOCAL AND          */
                               /*USER-ACCESS NAMES.              */
  FONT FONTARTD180 M103        /*ROTATED FONT, LOCAL, USER-ACCESS*/
       ROTATION 180 ;          /*NAMES PLUS ROTATION SUBCOMMAND  */
                               /*AND PARAMETER.                  */
  PRINTLINE  FONT FONTA        /*LOCAL NAME                      */
             REPEAT 3 ;
  PRINTLINE  FONT FONTARTD180  /*LOCAL NAME                      */
             REPEAT 2 ;

Figure 2. Example of Assumed Data File and Rotation Specifications

FONTA, identified in the first FONT command, requires no rotation parameter because it is printed in the default position (or 0° rotation) for font M103. For the rotated font, the second FONT command identifies FONTARTD180 (the local name) as M103 rotated 180°.