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Q74467: INFO: Using GDI-Synthesized Italic Fonts

Article: Q74467
Product(s): Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit
Version(s): WINDOWS:3.1,95; winnt:3.5,3.51,4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbOSWinNT350 kbOSWinNT351 kbOSWin95 kbSDKWin16
Last Modified: 16-DEC-2000

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) 3.1 
- Microsoft Win32 Application Programming Interface (API), used with:
   - Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5, 3.51, 4.0 
   - Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5, 3.51, 4.0 
   - Microsoft Windows 95 
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SUMMARY
=======

In the Microsoft Windows graphical environment, when an application uses an
italic font synthesized by the Graphics Device Interface (GDI), each character
and its whole character cell are "sheared," or slanted, to the right, which can
cause some unexpected results.

MORE INFORMATION
================

The capital H in the example below illustrates how GDI synthesizes an italic
font:

  ..........                   ..........
  .        .                  .        .
  . |    | .                 . |    | .
  . |    | .                 . |    | .
  . |----| . italicizes to  . |----| .
  . |    | .               . |    | .
  . |    | .               . |    | .
  .        .              .        .
  ..........              ..........

Note two items in this case:

- If the text background color is changed so that it does not match the window
  background color, the text background color occupies the sheared character
  cell (in other words, it is also slanted). Gaps occur in the background where
  normal text is adjacent to italic text. The ExtTextOut() function can be used
  to compensate for this effect if the ETO_OPAQUE flag is used.

- The italic character is farther to the right in relation to the lower-left
  corner of the character cell than is the normal character. Therefore, if
  normal and italic text start at the same x coordinate on different lines, the
  italic text appears farther to the right.

To determine the number of units by which the character cell is sheared, call the
GetTextMetrics function to fill a TEXTMETRIC data structure with information
about the font. The tmOverhang member describes the amount of shear.

Additional query words: 3.00 3.10 3.50 4.00 win16sdk

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Keywords          : kbOSWinNT350 kbOSWinNT351 kbOSWin95 kbSDKWin16 
Technology        : kbAudDeveloper kbSDKSearch kbWin32sSearch kbWin32API kbWinSDKSearch
Version           : WINDOWS:3.1,95; winnt:3.5,3.51,4.0
Issue type        : kbinfo

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