Start with Newsreader 9pt and a dream

script.py

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+import fontforge
+
+f = fontforge.activeFont()
+
+CAPS = list("ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ")
+DESCENT_GLYPHS = list("gjpqy")
+
+# ── Tweak these ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+LINE_GAP_FACTOR = 0.0   # 0.15 = 15% gap, 0.0 = no gap
+OVERLAP_FACTOR  = 0.0    # 0.0 = no overlap, 0.05 = 5% overlap (overrides gap)
+# ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+def measure(glyphs, use_max=True):
+    values = []
+    for ch in glyphs:
+        name = fontforge.nameFromUnicode(ord(ch))
+        if name in f and f[name].isWorthOutputting():
+            bb = f[name].boundingBox()
+            values.append(bb[3] if use_max else bb[1])
+    if not values:
+        return None
+    return max(values) if use_max else min(values)
+
+ascent  = measure(CAPS, use_max=True)
+descent = measure(DESCENT_GLYPHS, use_max=False)
+
+print(f"Measured ascent:  {ascent}")
+print(f"Measured descent: {descent}")
+
+if ascent is None or descent is None:
+    print("Could not measure glyphs — check glyph names in your font.")
+else:
+    ascent_val  = int(ascent)
+    descent_val = int(descent)
+
+    # Rescale to preserve original UPM
+    upm   = f.em
+    total = ascent_val + abs(descent_val)
+    ascent_val  =  int(ascent_val        * (upm / total))
+    descent_val = -int(abs(descent_val)  * (upm / total))
+
+    print(f"Rescaled to UPM {upm} — Ascent: {ascent_val}, Descent: {descent_val}")
+
+    overlap      = int(ascent_val * OVERLAP_FACTOR)
+    half_overlap = overlap // 2
+    line_gap     = int(ascent_val * LINE_GAP_FACTOR) if OVERLAP_FACTOR == 0.0 else 0
+
+    f.ascent         = ascent_val
+    f.os2_typoascent = ascent_val - half_overlap
+    f.hhea_ascent    = ascent_val - half_overlap
+    f.os2_winascent  = ascent_val - half_overlap
+
+    f.descent         = abs(descent_val)
+    f.os2_typodescent = descent_val + half_overlap
+    f.hhea_descent    = descent_val + half_overlap
+    f.os2_windescent  = abs(descent_val) - half_overlap
+
+    f.os2_typolinegap = line_gap
+    f.hhea_linegap    = line_gap
+
+    try:
+        f.os2_stylemap = f.os2_stylemap | (1 << 7)
+    except AttributeError:
+        print("Note: set USE_TYPO_METRICS manually in Font Info > OS/2")
+
+    line_height = (ascent_val - half_overlap) + (abs(descent_val) - half_overlap) + line_gap
+    print(f"Line gap: {line_gap}, Overlap: {overlap}, Effective line height: {line_height}")