Minion Optical Descriptions

[_Regal_Richard_]

I am having trouble making sense of the descriptions. The actual otf family package seems to come with the following

Optical flavours
Caption
Regular/undesignated
Subhead
Display

Weights
Undesignated
Medium
Semi-bold
Bold

Slant
Undesginated (Roman)
Italic

I assume that MinionPro-Semibold.otf is the regular optical flavour, but how does MinionPro-Regular.otf differ from MinionPro-Medium.otf and MinionPro-Capt.otf differ from MinionPro-MediumCapt.otf?

[_Herb_V_B_]

A fine description of the unique Optical fonts can be found here:

http://www.adobe.com/type/topics/opticalsize.html

- Herb

[_Regal_Richard_]

I had read that bfore posting. Yes I know that the caption cuts are for small sizes, etc. and that presumably what in minion is sometimes not decribed and somtimes called regular is what that page describes as "text". What that page does not mention is the various weights (hardly surprising since they are not unique to optical fonts) and where the undesignated weight and the medium weight fit in.

THat page does nothing to answer the question how does MinionPro-Regular.otf differ from MinionPro-Medium.otf and MinionPro-Capt.otf differ from MinionPro-MediumCapt.otf?

[_Herb_V_B_]

I thought you were asking a more difficult question.

Medium weights are heavier than Regular weights.

For example, the vertical stroke of the I in Minion Pro Regular is 85
units wide, in Minion Pro Medium it's 96 units. Semi-bold is 116
units, and Bold is 134 units.

The Optical fonts have a similar distribution. Minion Pro Caption's I
is 87 units wide, Minion Pro Medium Caption is 96.

- Herb

[_Regal_Richard_]

Thanks very much. That is very helpful.

[_Regal_Richard_]

Thanks very much, that is very helpful.