Superscripts in variables

[jeffbronks]

I'd like to be able to put a superscript (R) symbol after the product name on the front page of my PDF template. The product name is in a variable and I can paste an (R) symbol into the variable text, but there is no way of making it a superscript. This sounds like quite a big change to H&M, but if you don't ask, you don't get.

[Tim Green]

Hi Jeff,

Variables are plain text only, so there is no chance there and that can't really change. However, there is a solution: What you can do is insert the text block on the template page as a snippet from a project topic file with the Snippet option in the Insert menu in Manual Designer. This topic file can include multiple versions of the product name tagged with build options so that you can use different versions for your different builds (which I assume is why you have it in a variable).

You won't see the contents of the snippet box in the template until you publish, so you may need to experiment a bit to get the dimensions and position right. Create the topic file for this directly in the Topic Files section so that it doesn't have a TOC entry, and set its build options to PDF only so that it doesn't get exported to HTML formats as an invisible topic.

[Simon Dismore]

Would it be practicable to change the font? In typefaces like Microsoft Calibri and Adobe Source Sans (a free family) the ® is already superscripted.

On the other hand if the look is very important, you could generate outlines in Illustrator and export them as an EMF.

Simon

[jeffbronks]

Hi Jeff,

Variables are plain text only, so there is no chance there and that can't really change. However, there is a solution: What you can do is insert the text block on the template page as a snippet from a project topic file with the Snippet option in the Insert menu in Manual Designer. This topic file can include multiple versions of the product name tagged with build options so that you can use different versions for your different builds (which I assume is why you have it in a variable).

You won't see the contents of the snippet box in the template until you publish, so you may need to experiment a bit to get the dimensions and position right. Create the topic file for this directly in the Topic Files section so that it doesn't have a TOC entry, and set its build options to PDF only so that it doesn't get exported to HTML formats as an invisible topic.

By Jove, it works! We use one .mnl template for about a dozen different products - that's why the product name is a variable. I gave one project an invisible topic called front-page-product-name, containing the product name with the (R) symbol formatted as I want it. The PDF template picks up the snippet from the current project, so I can have a different product name in every manual with no need for build options. Thanks, Tim.

Simon: interesting workaround, thanks, but I have to use the corporate font, which has a large (R) symbol sitting on the baseline.

[Simon Dismore]

I have to use the corporate font, which has a large (R) symbol sitting on the baseline.

It looks as though Tim's solution has completely solved the immediate problem, so this is just FYI...

If your font license permits you to edit the opentype/ttf files, it's not hard to re-scale the (R) symbol. I've just tried it in OTMaster and it was a piece of cake:

Chantilly with resized Registered Sign glyph.PNG

Modifying the font removes the need to superscript the (R) symbol manually, which in turn removes the potential issue of extra line spacing being added in the middle of paragraphs: see Why can't you superscript a registered mark? for details.

[jeffbronks]

I have to use the corporate font, which has a large (R) symbol sitting on the baseline.

It looks as though Tim's solution has completely solved the immediate problem, so this is just FYI...

If your font license permits you to edit the opentype/ttf files, it's not hard to re-scale the (R) symbol. I've just tried it in OTMaster and it was a piece of cake:

Chantilly with resized Registered Sign glyph.PNG

Modifying the font removes the need to superscript the (R) symbol manually, which in turn removes the potential issue of extra line spacing being added in the middle of paragraphs: see Why can't you superscript a registered mark? for details.

Interesting idea, thanks Simon. That would solve a lot of problems, not just with H&M. I can't find a licence agreement for my font, so would have to ask the publishers (SoftMaker GmbH).

[Simon Dismore]

Good idea, they might even make the changes for you for less than the cost of buying an editing tool if you don't have any other use for one. FYI in my test I scaled the symbol to 0.7, aligned it to the top and left edges of the original glyph and changed the right side bearing to 77.