Spector Scans Text and Shows You What Font It Is

Spector Scans Text and Shows You What Font It Is...

Hackster Staff
8 years ago

For her graduation project at the Royal College of Art, designer Fiona O’Leary developed a handheld gadget that scans fonts and colors, and then transfers them directly to Adobe’s InDesign desktop publishing software via Bluetooth.

The tool, albeit a prototype, enables printed material to become interacting by bridging the gap between the physical and digital worlds. Simply place the magical device on a certain typeface and watch it change to that exact typeface right on-screen.

Like a “physical eyedropper,” a camera inside Spector captures the sample while an algorithm converts the image into information about the shape of the typeface, or the color’s CMYK/RGB values. Spector wirelessly matches that data to a font or color database, which identifies the particular sample. Users can then import them through a custom plugin for InDesign. What’s more, Spector can store up to 20 fonts and colors so you can collect on the go and upload them onto your PC later.

Spector is currently capable of recognizing seven typefaces, including Apercu, Bureau Grot, Canela, and Founders Grotesk, and O’Leary says she is working to integrate it with a larger font database. According to WIRED, thetool can also translate type size (up to 48 point), kerning, and leading.

Intrigued? See it in action below!

[🙌 WIRED]

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