Which API returns the right font width in Java?

Question

Which Font API of Java returns the right width? We use currently

font.getStringBounds( "the string", frc ).getWidth();

This return the right values on images and display. But it is wrong on printing with Java SE 6. With Java 7 all is correct. The difference is very small. But we lost one "i" at end of a line. We receive on printing exact the same values. But the text need more space on a printing graphics.

We use anti alias and fractional metrics.

I know there are different API. But what is the recommended API?

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered May 27 '11 at 14:25

1

Do you have a Graphics object to the printer? What does in that case happen if you test this code? It's what I'm using to measure width:

/*
Graphics2D g
Font currentFont
String stringToMeasure
*/
FontMetrics currentFontMetrics = g.getFontMetrics(currentFont);
Rectangle2D stringBounds = currentFontMetrics.getStringBounds(stringToMeasure, g);
double width = stringBounds.getWidth();

answered May 27 '11 at 14:25

Kaj

10,862
2
33
27

It returns exactly the same value. – Horcrux7 Jun 06 '11 at 10:25
bummer, and you used the graphics object for the printer? – Kaj Jun 06 '11 at 11:35
Yes, of course I use the graphics of the printer. I have hack the problem now. On printing I increment the calculated width with a factor of 1.005. – Horcrux7 Jun 07 '11 at 14:38

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Dec 18 '12 at 18:15

Java rounds all font metrics by default, because it assumes you are attempting to render to a screen, what you need to extend FontRenderContext and turn on FractionalMetricsHint as shown below. Then, use that to pass in a font render context.

import java.awt.RenderingHints;
import java.awt.font.FontRenderContext;
import java.awt.geom.AffineTransform;

public class MyFontRenderContext extends FontRenderContext {

public MyFontRenderContext()
{

}
@Override
public AffineTransform getTransform()
{
    return new AffineTransform();
}

/* (non-Javadoc)
 * @see java.awt.font.FontRenderContext#usesFractionalMetrics()
 */
@Override
public boolean usesFractionalMetrics()
{
    return true;
}

/* (non-Javadoc)
 * @see java.awt.font.FontRenderContext#getFractionalMetricsHint()
 */
@Override
public Object getFractionalMetricsHint()
{
    // TODO Auto-generated method stub
    return RenderingHints.VALUE_FRACTIONALMETRICS_ON;
}

/* (non-Javadoc)
 * @see java.awt.font.FontRenderContext#getAntiAliasingHint()
 */
@Override
public Object getAntiAliasingHint()
{
    return RenderingHints.VALUE_ANTIALIAS_ON;
}

/* (non-Javadoc)
 * @see java.awt.font.FontRenderContext#isAntiAliased()
 */
@Override
public boolean isAntiAliased()
{
    return true;
}

}

import java.awt.Font;
import java.awt.FontMetrics;
import java.awt.Graphics;
import java.awt.image.BufferedImage;

public class FontMetricsReader
{
public static void main(String[] args)
{
    Font f = new Font("Frutiger55Roman", java.awt.Font.PLAIN, 6);
    BufferedImage img = new BufferedImage(1, 1, BufferedImage.TYPE_INT_RGB);
    Graphics g = img.getGraphics();
    FontMetrics metrics = g.getFontMetrics(f);

    String str = "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog";

    System.out.println("Rounded text width = " + metrics.stringWidth(str));

    System.out.println("Accurate text width = " + f.getStringBounds(str, new MyFontRenderContext()).getWidth());
}

}

score 0 · Answer 3 · edited May 23 '17 at 10:00

0

TextLayout is probably the most versatile approach. Some related examples may be found among the questions and answers here:

Java2D Graphics anti-aliased.

How to calculate the number of rows (and columns in each row) a text takes in a JTextArea?

Ideal method to truncate a string with ellipsis.

edited May 23 '17 at 10:00

Community

1
1

answered May 27 '11 at 15:37

trashgod

203,806
29
246
1,045

new TextLayout(str,font,frc).getAdvance() returns exactly the same value. – Horcrux7 Jun 06 '11 at 10:27

Which API returns the right font width in Java?

3 Answers3