Coloured text

[uksnowy]

New story bubbling and I was thinking of using a red font for one word that crops up a few times in the text. I can't find it on search or FAQ and guessing Lit can't use it. Any clues

 

[MindsMirror]

Lit accepts some HTML markups for <i>italics</i> <b>bold</b> and even formating like <center>centered</center> etc.

It may accept <font color="red">your red text</font> but we haven't tried it.

-MM

 

[geronimo_appleby]

upload the piece in rtf format with the text coloured in the document itself.

however,i' curious as to why you'd want to include coloured text. esp. in red. wouldn't that put a reader off by making them pause? not suggesting you don't do it, just wondering why.

 

[uksnowy]

Thanks all. The 'character' is not a person, it's a high tech (non existent) fantasy device with special powers. It is currently depicted in red font italics because it's fantasy device, hence the question.

The device is used by a main character in a typical "for me" situation.

 

[geronimo_appleby]

Thanks all. The 'character' is not a person, it's a high tech (non existent) fantasy device with special powers. It is currently depicted in red font italics because it's fantasy device, hence the question.

The device is used by a main character in a typical "for me" situation.

why not just stick to italics?

 

[TxRad]

why not just stick to italics?

Then he wouldn't get to bitch about the system here at Lit.

 

[Hypoxia]

Apparently about half of LIT's readership uses the Android app, not browsers. The app filters out all HTML tags and also isn't kind about preserving spacing. To be kind to half or more of your potential readers, and to forestall your own frustrations, stick to plain text, same as Homer and Catullus and Chaucer had at hand. Cheers!

 

[uksnowy]

Thanks, decided to back some hours back and as for TXRAD, up yours.

 

[Handley_Page]

Then he wouldn't get to bitch about the system here at Lit.

Thanks, decided to back some hours back and as for TXRAD, up yours.

Eh, lads, easy now.
There's no need for chaos.

Snowy, I think you have been trying to reach too far, too early.
The mighty computer that runs Lit communicates with many devices, not all of them 'intelligent' PCs on desks. So just what gets out is kinda limited.
I get your point about the "fantasy device"; a different font colour might work, but Lit does not have much use for such things; it is a place where stories are written (some might say 'crafted') and read by ordinary folk.
But keep trying with the story.

 

[Weird Harold]

New story bubbling and I was thinking of using a red font for one word that crops up a few times in the text. I can't find it on search or FAQ and guessing Lit can't use it. Any clues

Nope, no can do.

Lit has a definite "Look and Feel" that does NOT include colored text or anything more complex than italics, bold, underline, and blockquote HTML tags.

If you feel that the colored text is absolutely essential to the story, PM Laurel and ask if an exception can be made; I wouldn't recommend holding your breath waiting for an exception, though.

 

[Hypoxia]

The mighty computer that runs Lit communicates with many devices, not all of them 'intelligent' PCs on desks. So just what gets out is kinda limited.

Ways to achieve attention-getting effects without HTML tags (which won't work on many devices):

= USE ALL CAPS (sparingly) -- your "fantasy device" can shout its messages.
= Enclose the magickal text <in brackets> to denote its different origin.
= If you are a WinDoze user, the Character Map app is your friend. Ýøüŕ đēʋȉƈƏ ċąŋ şǷȩȧķ ơƋďļŷ without invoking external fonts.
= *T*a*k*e* *t*h*e* *H*y*m*a*n* *K*a*p*l*a*n* *a*p*p*r*o*a*c*h*.
= Forget the fancy stuff. Classical writers had gods speak in plain text.

 

[oggbashan]

Even some simple characters such as an apostrophe - ' can appear oddly on some devices.

Anything complex can show as gibberish. Bare text is the safe option.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Lit accepts some HTML markups for <i>italics</i> <b>bold</b> and even formating like <center>centered</center> etc.

It may accept <font color="red">your red text</font> but we haven't tried it.

-MM

No it won't accept any HTML other than <i></i> <b></b> <u></u> <center></center> <blockquote></blockquote> and a few others.

It will not accept <font></font> at all. I tried it once and my story was rejected with a little note from the lovely Laurel about wanting the stories to be consistent across the board.

Besides, in the ebook world, the user controls the font, size and color of the text on their reading device, so whats the point in doing something fancy when they can just change it to what they want.

 

[Voboy]

Ways to achieve attention-getting effects without HTML tags (which won't work on many devices):

= USE ALL CAPS (sparingly) -- your "fantasy device" can shout its messages.
= Enclose the magickal text <in brackets> to denote its different origin.
= If you are a WinDoze user, the Character Map app is your friend. Ýøüŕ đēʋȉƈƏ ċąŋ şǷȩȧķ ơƋďļŷ without invoking external fonts.
= *T*a*k*e* *t*h*e* *H*y*m*a*n* *K*a*p*l*a*n* *a*p*p*r*o*a*c*h*.
= Forget the fancy stuff. Classical writers had gods speak in plain text.

Any of these except the last one would annoy the fuck out of me if I were to read it.

Colored text, though, would be perhaps 2,000 times more irritating.

JMO. YMMV.

 

[SamScribble]

*T*a*k*e* *t*h*e* *H*y*m*a*n* *K*a*p*l*a*n* *a*p*p*r*o*a*c*h*.

I must try and find my copy of 'The Return of Hyman Kaplan' - if only to find out what Judge Washington is up to these days.

 

[Handley_Page]

Can anyone tell me if there is a character still to be found:
It's called the "Long Ess". it looks like a mis-written letter F.

I can find it all round my local graveyard "Facred to the memory of. . . "
but I'm unable to find it in a fount.

 

[ElectricBlue]

Can anyone tell me if there is a character still to be found:
It's called the "Long Ess". it looks like a mis-written letter F.

I can find it all round my local graveyard "Facred to the memory of. . . "
but I'm unable to find it in a fount.

In general, the long s fell out of use in Roman and italic typefaces in professional printing well before the middle of the 19th century. It "rarely appears in good quality London printing after 1800, though it lingers provincially until 1824, and is found in handwriting into the second half of the nineteenth century"

Wikipedia

 

[oggbashan]

In general, the long s fell out of use in Roman and italic typefaces in professional printing well before the middle of the 19th century. It "rarely appears in good quality London printing after 1800, though it lingers provincially until 1824, and is found in handwriting into the second half of the nineteenth century"

Wikipedia

Copied from that Wikipedia article -

ſ

You could copy from that, or use the codes in the article:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_s

 

[MindsMirror]

upload the piece in rtf format with the text coloured in the document itself.

however,i' curious as to why you'd want to include coloured text. esp. in red. wouldn't that put a reader off by making them pause? not suggesting you don't do it, just wondering why.

For those that may not be familiar with it, there are real world examples of why someone might want this.
Red Letter Edition

-MM

 

[MindsMirror]

It will not accept <font></font> at all. I tried it once and my story was rejected with a little note from the lovely Laurel about wanting the stories to be consistent across the board.

It appeared to accept this in the new submission form. Whether it would make it through to being posted is a different question.

<font color="red">© 2017 MindsMirror, All rights reserved.</font>
-MM

 

[Areala-chan]

For those that may not be familiar with it, there are real world examples of why someone might want this.
Red Letter Edition

-MM

I have to admit, my first thought too was an edition of the bible with the "words of Christ in red". Then I thought of "House of Leaves" by Danielewski where every instance of the word 'house' appears in blue, and 'minotaur' appears in red.

 

[Handley_Page]

In general, the long s fell out of use in Roman and italic typefaces in professional printing well before the middle of the 19th century. It "rarely appears in good quality London printing after 1800, though it lingers provincially until 1824, and is found in handwriting into the second half of the nineteenth century"

Wikipedia

Whilst I would agree that with the 'normal' printed word the letter got increasingly rare, it is curious that even in the late 70s, there were enough examples of it to be seen to make one smile. My Father had me doing it in an essay in the 1950s and I got a very strict telling off.
But you can still see good examples in your local graveyard.
"Facred to the Memory of . . ." and similar.

Is there a code for it (Unicode something or other)?

 

[oggbashan]

...

Is there a code for it (Unicode something or other)?

Follow the link in my post #18 above for the Unicode.

 

[MindsMirror]

Can anyone tell me if there is a character still to be found:
It's called the "Long Ess". it looks like a mis-written letter F.

I can find it all round my local graveyard "Facred to the memory of. . . "
but I'm unable to find it in a fount.

Both ſ and ∫ still around for some things. Long s
∫acred.

-MM

 

[Hypoxia]

One could PM Manu asking if/when 1) the browser version will ever support colors and more HTML, 2) the Android app will ever support any HTML, and 3) an iOS app is forthcoming.