Editing OpenType (section)

=== Color ===
Emergence of Unicode emoji created a need for TrueType and OpenType formats to support color glyphs. Apple added a color extension in [[Mac OS X Lion]] (and also to [[iOS]] 4+). Fonts were extended with colored {{Abbrlink|PNG|Portable Network Graphics}} images within the sbix table.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://typographica.org/typeface-reviews/apple-color-emoji/ |title=Apple Color Emoji – Typographica |website=Typographica.org |date=2014-06-20 |access-date=2017-01-19}}</ref><ref name="colorinfo">{{cite web|url=http://opentype.info/blog/2013/07/03/color-emoji-in-windows-8-1-the-future-of-color-fonts/ |title=Color Emoji in Windows 8.1—The Future of Color Fonts? |website=Opentype.info |date=3 July 2013|access-date=2017-01-19 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140710201619/http://opentype.info/blog/2013/07/03/color-emoji-in-windows-8-1-the-future-of-color-fonts/ |archive-date=2014-07-10 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Apple Inc. |url=https://developer.apple.com/fonts/TrueType-Reference-Manual/RM06/Chap6sbix.html |title=Extended Bitmaps |website=Developer.apple.com |access-date=2017-01-19}}</ref> Google used a similar extension with embedded color bitmap images contained within a pair of tables, the CBDT and CBLC tables.<ref name="nl14">{{cite web|author=Roel Nieskens |url=http://pixelambacht.nl/2014/multicolor-fonts/ |title=Colorful typography on the web: get ready for multicolor fonts – Pixelambacht |website=Pixelambacht.nl |access-date=2017-01-19}}</ref> The Google version is implemented in [[FreeType]] 2.5.<ref name="fontlab-col">{{cite web|url=http://blog.fontlab.com/font-tech/color-fonts/color-font-format-proposals/ |title=FontLab Blog Color fonts. Overview of the proposals for color extensions of the OpenType font format. - FontLab Blog |website=Blog.fontlab.com |date=2013-09-19 |access-date=2017-01-19}}</ref>

In [[Windows 8.1]] Microsoft also added color support to fonts, first implemented in the [[Segoe UI]] [[Emoji]] font.<ref name="colorinfo"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/globalization/fonts-layout/font-support#windows-81 |title=Script and font support in Windows § Windows 8.1 |department=Globalization |website=[[Microsoft Learn]] |date=20 November 2023 |access-date=2024-04-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.charlespetzold.com/blog/2013/06/Multicolor-Font-Characters-in-Windows-8-1.html |title=Petzold Book Blog - Multicolor Font Characters in Windows 8.1 |website=Charlespetzold.com |access-date=2017-01-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/Build/2013/3-191 |title=Innovations in High Performance 2D Graphics with DirectX {{pipe}} Build 2013 {{pipe}} Channel 9 |website=Channel9.msdn.com |date=2013-06-25 |access-date=2017-01-19}}</ref> Microsoft's implementation, however, relies entirely on [[vector graphics]]:<ref name="colorinfo"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hanselman.com/blog/HowToEnterAndUseEmojiOnWindows81.aspx |title=How to enter and use Emoji on Windows 8.1 - Scott Hanselman |website=Hanselman.com |access-date=2017-01-19}}</ref> two new OpenType tables were added in Microsoft's implementation: the COLR table allows layered glyphs and the CPAL ("Color Palette") actually defines the colors for the layers. The multi-layer approach allows a backwards compatible implementation as well as varying the rendering depending on the color context surrounding the glyphs.<ref name="colorinfo"/> According to [[Adam Twardoch]]: "At [[TypeCon]] [2013], [[Greg Hitchcock]] clarified the envisioned roles of the palettes: first palette is used by default for "dark on light" color situations while second palette is intended for use in "light on dark" situations. Additional palettes should be selectable by the user."<ref name="fontlab-col"/>

[[Mozilla]] and Adobe developed a different vector-based extension by adding embedded [[Scalable Vector Graphics|SVG]] documents (supporting color but also animations) into the SVG table. The SVG table also allowed for using color palettes defined in the CPAL table.<ref name=ots-svg-color>{{cite web |url=https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/typography/opentype/spec/svg#colors-and-color-palettes |title=SVG — The SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) Table § Colors and Color Palettes |department=Microsoft Typography |website=[[Microsoft Learn]] |access-date=2024-04-13}}</ref> Support was first implemented in [[Firefox]] 26.<ref name="nl14"/>

Adobe, Mozilla, Google and Microsoft each submitted their color extensions for standardization thorough ISO/IEC 14496-22.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lwn.net/Articles/564944/ |title=Chromatic fonts are coming |website=Lwn.net |access-date=2017-01-19}}</ref> The new tables for each of these were then added into OpenType version 1.7.<ref name=ots170>{{cite web |url=https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/typography/opentype/otspec170/ |title=OpenType specification (OpenType 1.7) |department=Microsoft Typography |website=[[Microsoft Learn]] |date=22 September 2020 |access-date=2024-04-13}}</ref> Apple's sbix table was originally supported only in AAT fonts, but it was later added into OpenType version 1.8.<ref name=ots180>{{cite web |url=https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/typography/opentype/otspec180/ |title=OpenType specification (OpenType 1.8) |department=Microsoft Typography |website=[[Microsoft Learn]] |date=9 June 2022 |access-date=2024-04-13}}</ref> Microsoft Windows 10 Anniversary Update was the first OS to support all four color font extensions, and Microsoft Edge was the first browser to do so.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/directwrite/what-s-new-in-directwrite-for-windows-8-consumer-preview#windows-10-anniversary-update |title=What's new in DirectWrite § Windows 10 Anniversary Update |department=Microsoft Typography |website=[[Microsoft Learn]] |date=4 October 2021 |access-date=2024-04-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://blogs.windows.com/buildingapps/2017/06/06/using-color-fonts-beautiful-text-icons/#4AQPMh72mUwdrRpF.97 |title=Using color fonts for beautiful text and icons |website=blogs.microsoft.com |date=2017-06-06 |access-date=2018-09-14}}</ref>

In OpenType Version 1.8.3, the specification for the SVG table was revised to be more constrained, providing more clarity for implementations and better interoperability. Apple is supporting the revised specification in Safari 12, iOS 12 and macOS 10.14.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://developer.apple.com/safari/whats-new/ |title=What's New in Safari |website=developer.apple.com |access-date=2018-09-14}}</ref> The implementation in Microsoft Windows also conforms to this revision.