Coloured text

[Green_Knight]

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

-MM

I haven't found a font yet that does it properly – that is, as a true descending long-s – but some fonts that aim to produce the effect of antique printing, such as some Caslon varieties, simply replace the 's' with the 'ſ' character (with no descender). However, the 's' is needed in some circumstances, so these fonts create as many problems as they solve. This character is available in some other fonts as Unicode decimal 383 (ALT-0383). In many fonts, including this, it looks horrible, although the italicised form is slightly better.

Furthermore, even if there was an available font, I've yet to come across a word processor that handles the rules for using the long-s and if you use the long-s with a descender you'll probably have to manage the kerning manually. Such a word processor would also need to replace quite a few character pairs by ligatures if the long-s is used (si, ss, etc).

You could use the integral symbol as used in calculus but it looks pretty naff as does the normal 'f' character.

I do a lot of research using old newspapers and the big problem there is that OCR cannot deal with the long-s so doing a search on any word with an 's' in it is sucking uſeleſs.

 

[rjordan]

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.

The OP says it's just in a few places so maybe some interesting entries from the Symbols/Character Map would be appropriate.

But your last suggestion is the best. Readers get real tired of cutesy gimmicks very fast. Read some 19th Century fiction where they use lots of Southern Black dialog. About the third sentence, your eyes will hurt. By the fifth, it will spread to your brain. Read more than that and you'll look for something less "authentic". A little dialect or red text to establish a character trait goes a very very long way.

rj

 

[rjordan]

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.

Hint: It belongs in the graveyard.

rj

 

[MindsMirror]

Did you find out if the <font color="red"> worked?
-MM

 

[Handley_Page]

Hint: It belongs in the graveyard.

rj

Well, not quite, I think.
There are times when . . . . .

 

[rjordan]

Well, not quite, I think.
There are times when . . . . .

Like when?

Even if you were quoting an old gravestone, it would make more sense to readers if you substitute an 's'.

Scholars need to be accurate. Fiction writers need to keep the reader in the story.


rj

 

[Handley_Page]

Like when?

Even if you were quoting an old gravestone, it would make more sense to readers if you substitute an 's'.

Scholars need to be accurate. Fiction writers need to keep the reader in the story.

rj

I once did a night-school course in Graphics design & Typography. The different shapes of the letter-forms continues to fascinate me.
Besides, if you do something slightly different, it's good to know that such extravagances are possible.

There's also the aspect of 'humour'.