Pretext – pure-arithmetic text measurement for proportional fonts
Pretext is an interactive tool designed for precise text measurement in proportional fonts. It features a multi-column layout with real-time text reflow and various typographic experiments. The tool also compares different justification methods and explores the use of ASCII art in typography.
- ▪Pretext allows for zero layout thrashing and provides instant results.
- ▪It includes a multi-column layout with draggable orbs and real-time text reflow at 60fps.
- ▪The tool compares CSS fit-content with pretext to determine the tightest width for multiline text.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Pretext Interactive experiments built on pretext — pure-arithmetic text measurement for proportional fonts. Zero layout thrashing, instant results. The Editorial Engine Layout Multi-column editorial layout with draggable orbs and real-time text reflow at 60fps. Fluid Smoke ASCII Art Full-screen fluid simulation rendered as proportional typographic ASCII. Justification Compared Layout Side-by-side CSS greedy, hyphenated, and Knuth-Plass optimal justification with river detection. Variable Typographic ASCII ASCII Art Particle system mapped to characters selected by brightness and width across 3 weights. Shrinkwrap Showdown Layout CSS fit-content vs pretext — finding the exact tightest width for multiline text.
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Github.
