Charis SIL - Frequently Asked Questions

Many questions can be answered by consulting the following FAQ pages. Here are a few sample questions answered in each FAQ:

• SIL fonts in general
  • How can I type...?
  • How can I use font features?
  • Will you add support for character...?
  • Will you add support for script...?
  • WIll you help me...?
• SIL’s Latin, Cyrillic, and Greek fonts.
  • How can I type IPA symbols?
  • How do I use both a single-story and double-story 'a' in italic?
  • Why don’t my diacritics position properly?
  • Why is the line spacing so much looser that other fonts?
• The SIL Open Font License (OFL-FAQ)
  • Can I use this font for...?
  • Can I modify the font and then include it in...
  • If I use the font on a web page do I have to include an acknowledgement?
  • The full OFL-FAQ.txt is also included in the font package.

Here are a few of the most frequently asked questions specifically regarding Charis SIL:

Why does the font have some Greek characters, but not all?

Although Charis SIL includes some Greek characters, it is not intended to provide general support for the Greek language. The Greek characters that are included are there to support various notational systems (linguistic, logical, mathematical). Other fonts, such as Gentium Plus provide complete Greek script support.

Will you add full Greek script support?

We have no plans to do that, however the OFL licensing allows anyone to add Greek support and freely distribute the font to others. It is even possible to contribute that work back to the project and share it with others.

Isn’t Charis SIL just a copy of Charter?

Charis SIL is very closely based on the design of Bitstream Charter, however the glyphs were completely redrawn based only on visual reference to Charter. There are some significant design differences in the serif structure, proportions, diacritics, and Cyrillic. The design was also adjusted and extended to cover a much wider range of characters and publishing needs.