Playwrite: A Typeface Engine for Chilean Primary School Cursive

Playwrite is a typeface engine designed for creating primary school cursive fonts, specifically focusing on the Chilean style known as letra ligada. Letra ligada, meaning "joined letters," is the prevalent cursive handwriting taught in Chile, introduced to children as young as six. While it shares similarities with English roundhand, Chilean type designers emphasize key distinctions. Letra ligada typically features shorter ascenders and descenders, with less ornate uppercase letters. This upright cursive exhibits a blend of uppercase styles, with letters like 'A' and 'N' appearing plain and cursive, while others like 'Q' and 'T' showcase a more decorative and intricate design. Lowercase letters are characterized by medium-length extenders with loops, rounded forms, and a slow stroke speed. Distinctive features include a mirrored loop on the descender of the letter 'q,' a knot in the 'o,' and curved entry strokes for 'm,' 'n,' 'v,' 'w,' 'y,' and 'z.'

Copyright 2023 The Playwrite Project Authors (https://github.com/TypeTogether/Playwrite)

This Font Software is licensed under the SIL Open Font License, Version 1.1.
This license is copied below, and is also available with a FAQ at:
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SIL OPEN FONT LICENSE Version 1.1 - 26 February 2007
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Playwrite CL
Playwrite Chile
https://primarium.info/countries/chile/
The most prevalent style of handwriting taught in Chile is known as letra ligada, or joined letters. This form of cursive handwriting is introduced to children as early as 6 years old, either alongside print letters or as a standalone style. It can be seen as a slantless variant of English roundhand, a calligraphic style that emerged in England, gaining widespread popularity in the 18th century, but Chilean type designers note that, while there are structural similarities between the two styles, there are also notable differences. For instance, letra ligada typically features shorter ascenders and descenders, and its uppercase letters are less ornate. This divergence is present in both contemporary typographic and calligraphic examples.

Playwrite Chile Characteristics
This upright continuous cursive features a mix of uppercase styles. Letters like 'A' and 'N' are plain and cursive, whereas others such as 'Q' and 'T' are more decorative and intricate. The lowercase letters have medium-length extenders with loops and are characterized by their rounded forms and slow stroke speed. The letter 'q' is distinguished by a mirrored loop on its descender. The 'o' includes a knot, and the letters 'm', 'n', 'v', 'w', 'y', and 'z' begin with curved entry strokes.