｢‍｣ Lingenic Compose: Lapidary In Development

Inscriptional font format

GitHub: lingenic-compose-lapidary · lingenic-compose-chisel-path

The .lapidary format defines inscriptional fonts — letterforms carved into stone. Unlike additive mark-making (pen on paper), lapidary uses subtractive techniques: a chisel removes material to create letterforms.

This changes everything about type design. Serifs aren't decorative — they're functional techniques for cleanly terminating a cut. V-cuts create shadows that make letters readable from distance.

Format Overview

.font-begin Trajan
  units-per-em 1000
  ascender 800

  .v-chisel-begin roman
    angle 60
    width 40
  .v-chisel-end

  .serif-begin triangular
    style Triangular
    width 60
    depth 25
  .serif-end

  .glyph-begin I U+0049
    advance-width 400
    cut roman 200,0⌵30 ⏤ 200,700⌵30 serif-entry triangular serif-exit triangular
  .glyph-end

.font-end

Chisel Profiles

Profile	Description	Use
`V { angle }`	V-shaped cut	Classic Roman inscriptions, sharp shadows
`U { radius }`	Rounded cut	Softer shadows, more forgiving
`Flat`	Flat-bottomed	Relief backgrounds, cleaning

V-Chisel Definition

.v-chisel-begin roman
  angle 60       .* included angle in degrees
  width 40       .* cutting edge width
.v-chisel-end

U-Chisel Definition

.u-chisel-begin soft
  radius 20      .* radius of rounded bottom
  width 50
.u-chisel-end

Substrates (Stone Types)

Material	Hardness	Grain	Notes
`Marble`	60	Fine	Classic for inscriptions
`Limestone`	40	Medium	Softer, easier to carve
`Sandstone`	30	Coarse	Weathers distinctively
`Granite`	90	Coarse	Very hard, requires patience
`Slate`	50	Fine	Splits in layers

.stone-begin carrara
  material Marble
  hardness 60
  grain Fine
.stone-end

Serif Cuts

Serifs are functional — they cleanly terminate a chisel cut in stone:

Style	Description
`None`	Clean stop, no serif (modern)
`Triangular { width, depth }`	Classic Roman — three cuts meeting at a point
`Bracketed { width, bracket_radius }`	Smooth curved transition to stem
`Slab { width, thickness }`	Flat rectangular termination
`Wedge { width, angle }`	Angled, tapering termination
`Hairline { width }`	Very thin, delicate

.serif-begin roman-entry
  style Triangular
  width 60
  depth 25
.serif-end

Glyph Definition

.glyph-begin A U+0041
  advance-width 700

  .* Left diagonal
  cut roman 50,0⌵30 ⏤ 350,700⌵30 serif-entry triangular

  .* Right diagonal
  cut roman 350,700⌵30 ⏤ 650,0⌵30 serif-exit triangular

  .* Crossbar
  cut roman 175,250⌵20 ⏤ 525,250⌵20
.glyph-end

Path Symbols

Symbol	Unicode	Meaning
`⏤`	U+23E4	Straight line cut
`⌒`	U+2312	Smooth curve cut
`∠`	U+2220	Corner / angle
`↻`	U+21BB	Close path
`⌵`	U+2335	Depth at point

Carving Style

Style	Description
`Incised`	Letters cut INTO the stone (most inscriptions)
`Relief { background_depth }`	Background cut away, letters RAISED

Light and Shadow

V-cut inscriptions depend on light for legibility. The format can specify light source for rendering:

.light
  angle 315       .* from top-left (classic)
  elevation 45    .* 45 degrees above horizon
  intensity 100

Classic inscriptions like Trajan's Column are designed for top-left lighting, creating consistent shadows that make letters readable from ground level.

Example: Roman Capital I

.glyph-begin I U+0049
  advance-width 400

  .* Main stem
  cut roman 200,0⌵30 ⏤ 200,700⌵30 serif-entry triangular serif-exit triangular

  .* Top crossbar (if using)
  cut roman 100,700⌵20 ⏤ 300,700⌵20

  .* Bottom crossbar
  cut roman 100,0⌵20 ⏤ 300,0⌵20
.glyph-end