CHARACTER GENERATING METHOD AND APPARATUS THEREOF

A character generating method and apparatus for producing a character from outline font data, wherein the font data stored in a font memory are converted into coordinate values of a coordinate system of a designated size in a character developing circuit, the converted coordinate values are then rounded to integer coordinate values, and the integer coordinate values are adjusted by a hinting process. The integer coordinate values are developed including the adjusted coordinate values to produce a bit map image in the character developing circuit. In one mode of the hinting process, the sum of intervals between a plurality of strokes extending in the same direction are computed from coordinates after the rounding process, the sum is compared with the number of target strokes minus 1, and the integer coordinate values are changed so as to adjust a line width of a desired stroke of the target strokes when the sum is smaller than a value resulting from a subtraction. In another mode of the hinting process, scaling factors of individual intervals are computed from intervals between individual strokes before the rounding and intervals between individual strokes after the rounding, the difference between the largest scaling factor and the smallest scaling factor is computed, and the integer coordinate values of a desired stroke among the strokes are shifted so as to make the difference smaller.