Monotype Imaging Debuts Edge360 3D Text Rendering Technology for Embedded Systems

WOBURN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: TYPE), a leading global provider of text imaging solutions, has unveiled its new Edge360^™ Technology, an embedded solution for delivering crisp, dynamic text in 2D and 3D environments. Supported by Monotype Imaging’s iType^® font engine version 5.0, also newly released, Edge360 works on devices such as smartphones and tablets that support OpenGL^® ES 2.0 hardware acceleration technology.

“With Edge360, OEMs now have a powerful, flexible means to integrate advanced textual effects in a way that hasn’t been available before. Products such as Web apps and high-performance UIs are able to bring text to a whole new level of interactivity and engagement”

A video demonstration of Edge360 is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MAoMFJyZ50.

“We’re opening unprecedented opportunities for enhancing user interfaces, applications and games,” said John Seguin, executive vice president of Monotype Imaging. “With Edge360, text can be zoomed in and out very quickly or rotated in three dimensions – all while retaining clarity throughout the process. Edge360 allows device manufacturers to integrate high-quality, movable text to achieve visually striking user experiences.”

Edge360 is an optionally licensed technology of iType 5.0, the newest release of Monotype Imaging's scalable font engine that enables OEMs and developers to build products that display sharp, highly readable text. OpenGL ES-compliant graphics processor units are required for devices using Edge360, which is able to take advantage of built-in GPU (graphics processor unit) acceleration to process 3D transformations and 3D text rendering in real time. OpenGL ES is a royalty-free, cross-platform API that supports full-function 2D and 3D graphics on embedded systems. It is managed by the Khronos Group, an industry consortium in which Monotype Imaging plays an active role to help shape open standards for fonts and multilingual text composition.

Edge360 leverages patented text rendering techniques of Monotype Imaging’s Edge^™ Technology, which is supported by iType. Functions such as zoom and rotate, in addition to 3D text rendering and outline effects including “glow” may be handled in the GPU, freeing the main processor to complete other tasks. Text is able to appear smooth over a wide range of scale factors, without having to be re-rendered, for example, at the end of a zoom process. OEMs can also fine-tune rendered text output to meet unique device characteristics.

“With Edge360, OEMs now have a powerful, flexible means to integrate advanced textual effects in a way that hasn’t been available before. Products such as Web apps and high-performance UIs are able to bring text to a whole new level of interactivity and engagement,” Seguin said.

iType font engine

Monotype Imaging's iType font engine enables the development of products that display text based on outline or stroke font data. iType supports proprietary innovations, such as the company’s Edge Technology, which combines hinting and patented rendering techniques to achieve uniform, legible text, including East Asian text that often contains intricate letterforms. iType also features font downloading and font management capabilities and includes APIs that support VGPath^™ and VGImage^™ objects used within OpenVG^™ implementations.

iType works with TrueType^®fonts and OpenType^®fonts that contain TrueTypeoutlines. Monotype Imaging provides different variations of TrueType fonts, including CATT^™ (Compact Asian for TrueType Technology) fonts, Edge Technology fonts, stroke fonts, bitmaps, embedded bitmaps, font subsets, custom fonts and linked fonts.

About Monotype Imaging

Monotype Imaging combines technology with design to help the world communicate. Based in Woburn, Mass. with offices in the U.S., Europe and Asia, Monotype Imaging brings text imaging and graphical user interface capabilities to consumer electronics devices such as laser printers, copiers, mobile phones, navigation devices, digital cameras, e-book readers, digital televisions, set-top boxes and consumer appliances. The company also provides printer drivers and color imaging solutions to printer manufacturers and OEMs (original equipment manufacturers). Monotype Imaging technologies are combined with access to more than 14,000 typefaces from the Monotype^®, Linotype^® and ITC^® typeface libraries – home to some of the world's most widely used designs, including the Times New Roman^®, Helvetica^® and ITC Franklin Gothic^™ typefaces. Fonts are licensed to creative, business and Web professionals through e-commerce portals, direct and indirect sales and custom design services. Monotype Imaging offers industry-standard font solutions that support all of the world's major languages. Information about Monotype Imaging can be found at www.monotypeimaging.com.

Monotype and iType are trademarks of Monotype Imaging Inc. registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. Edge360, Edge and CATT are trademarks of Monotype Imaging Inc. and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. Times New Roman is a trademark of The Monotype Corp. registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. Linotype is a trademark of Linotype GmbH registered in the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. Helvetica is a trademark of Linotype Corp. registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be registered in certain jurisdictions in the name of Linotype Corp. or its licensee Linotype GmbH. ITC is a trademark of International Typeface Corp. registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. ITC Franklin Gothic is a trademark of International Typeface Corp. and may be registered in certain jurisdictions. OpenGL is a trademark of Silicon Graphics International Corp. or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or other countries. OpenVG, VGPath and VGImage are trademarks of the Khronos Group Inc. TrueType is a trademark of Apple Inc. registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and other countries. OpenType is either a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corp. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. © 2011 Monotype Imaging Holdings Inc. All rights reserved.

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