Deprecate setting text kerning factor to any non-0 value

QuLogic · QuLogic · commit c4fcd7bba00a · 2025-07-16T21:09:41.000-04:00
This factor existed only to preserve test images, but as of matplotlib#29816, it is set to 0 (i.e., disabled and providing default behaviour). In the future, with libraqm, it will have no effect no matter its setting (because we won't be applying kerning ourselves at all.)
diff --git a/doc/api/next_api_changes/deprecations/30322-ES.rst b/doc/api/next_api_changes/deprecations/30322-ES.rst
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+Font kerning factor is deprecated
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Due to internal changes to support complex text rendering, the kerning factor on fonts is
+no longer used. Setting the ``text.kerning_factor`` rcParam (which existed only for
+backwards-compatibility) to any value other than 0 is deprecated, and the rcParam will be
+removed in the future.
diff --git a/doc/users/prev_whats_new/whats_new_3.2.0.rst b/doc/users/prev_whats_new/whats_new_3.2.0.rst
@@ -52,11 +52,11 @@ triangle meshes.
 
 Kerning adjustments now use correct values
 ------------------------------------------
-Due to an error in how kerning adjustments were applied, previous versions of
-Matplotlib would under-correct kerning. This version will now correctly apply
-kerning (for fonts supported by FreeType). To restore the old behavior (e.g.,
-for test images), you may set :rc:`text.kerning_factor` to 6 (instead of 0).
-Other values have undefined behavior.
+Due to an error in how kerning adjustments were applied, previous versions of Matplotlib
+would under-correct kerning. This version will now correctly apply kerning (for fonts
+supported by FreeType). To restore the old behavior (e.g., for test images), you may set
+the ``text.kerning_factor`` rcParam to 6 (instead of 0). Other values have undefined
+behavior.
 
 .. plot::
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/matplotlibrc b/lib/matplotlib/mpl-data/matplotlibrc
@@ -306,10 +306,9 @@
 #text.hinting_factor: 1  # Specifies the amount of softness for hinting in the
                          # horizontal direction.  A value of 1 will hint to full
                          # pixels.  A value of 2 will hint to half pixels etc.
-#text.kerning_factor: 0  # Specifies the scaling factor for kerning values.  This
-                         # is provided solely to allow old test images to remain
-                         # unchanged.  Set to 6 to obtain previous behavior.
-                         # Values  other than 0 or 6 have no defined meaning.
+#text.kerning_factor: None  # Specifies the scaling factor for kerning values. Values
+                            # other than 0, 6, or None have no defined meaning.
+                            # This setting is deprecated.
 #text.antialiased: True  # If True (default), the text will be antialiased.
                          # This only affects raster outputs.
 #text.parse_math: True  # Use mathtext if there is an even number of unescaped
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py b/lib/matplotlib/rcsetup.py
@@ -1042,7 +1042,7 @@ def _convert_validator_spec(key, conv):
     "text.hinting":        ["default", "no_autohint", "force_autohint",
                             "no_hinting", "auto", "native", "either", "none"],
     "text.hinting_factor": validate_int,
-    "text.kerning_factor": validate_int,
+    "text.kerning_factor": validate_int_or_None,
     "text.antialiased":    validate_bool,
     "text.parse_math":     validate_bool,
 
diff --git a/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_ft2font.py b/lib/matplotlib/tests/test_ft2font.py
@@ -168,6 +168,9 @@ def test_ft2font_invalid_args(tmp_path):
     # kerning_factor argument.
     with pytest.raises(TypeError, match='incompatible constructor arguments'):
         ft2font.FT2Font(file, _kerning_factor=1.3)
+    with pytest.warns(mpl.MatplotlibDeprecationWarning,
+                      match='text.kerning_factor rcParam was deprecated .+ 3.11'):
+        ft2font.FT2Font(file, _kerning_factor=123)
 
 
 def test_ft2font_clear():
@@ -188,7 +191,7 @@ def test_ft2font_clear():
 
 def test_ft2font_set_size():
     file = fm.findfont('DejaVu Sans')
-    font = ft2font.FT2Font(file, hinting_factor=1, _kerning_factor=1)
+    font = ft2font.FT2Font(file, hinting_factor=1)
     font.set_size(12, 72)
     font.set_text('ABabCDcd')
     orig = font.get_width_height()
@@ -717,7 +720,7 @@ def test_ft2font_get_sfnt_table(font_name, header):
 def test_ft2font_get_kerning(left, right, unscaled, unfitted, default):
     file = fm.findfont('DejaVu Sans')
     # With unscaled, these settings should produce exact values found in FontForge.
-    font = ft2font.FT2Font(file, hinting_factor=1, _kerning_factor=0)
+    font = ft2font.FT2Font(file, hinting_factor=1)
     font.set_size(100, 100)
     assert font.get_kerning(font.get_char_index(ord(left)),
                             font.get_char_index(ord(right)),
@@ -756,7 +759,7 @@ def test_ft2font_get_kerning(left, right, unscaled, unfitted, default):
 
 def test_ft2font_set_text():
     file = fm.findfont('DejaVu Sans')
-    font = ft2font.FT2Font(file, hinting_factor=1, _kerning_factor=0)
+    font = ft2font.FT2Font(file, hinting_factor=1)
     font.set_size(12, 72)
     xys = font.set_text('')
     np.testing.assert_array_equal(xys, np.empty((0, 2)))
@@ -778,7 +781,7 @@ def test_ft2font_set_text():
 
 def test_ft2font_loading():
     file = fm.findfont('DejaVu Sans')
-    font = ft2font.FT2Font(file, hinting_factor=1, _kerning_factor=0)
+    font = ft2font.FT2Font(file, hinting_factor=1)
     font.set_size(12, 72)
     for glyph in [font.load_char(ord('M')),
                   font.load_glyph(font.get_char_index(ord('M')))]:
@@ -819,13 +822,13 @@ def test_ft2font_drawing():
     ])
     expected *= 255
     file = fm.findfont('DejaVu Sans')
-    font = ft2font.FT2Font(file, hinting_factor=1, _kerning_factor=0)
+    font = ft2font.FT2Font(file, hinting_factor=1)
     font.set_size(12, 72)
     font.set_text('M')
     font.draw_glyphs_to_bitmap(antialiased=False)
     image = font.get_image()
     np.testing.assert_array_equal(image, expected)
-    font = ft2font.FT2Font(file, hinting_factor=1, _kerning_factor=0)
+    font = ft2font.FT2Font(file, hinting_factor=1)
     font.set_size(12, 72)
     glyph = font.load_char(ord('M'))
     image = np.zeros(expected.shape, np.uint8)
@@ -835,7 +838,7 @@ def test_ft2font_drawing():
 
 def test_ft2font_get_path():
     file = fm.findfont('DejaVu Sans')
-    font = ft2font.FT2Font(file, hinting_factor=1, _kerning_factor=0)
+    font = ft2font.FT2Font(file, hinting_factor=1)
     font.set_size(12, 72)
     vertices, codes = font.get_path()
     assert vertices.shape == (0, 2)
diff --git a/src/ft2font_wrapper.cpp b/src/ft2font_wrapper.cpp
@@ -432,12 +432,6 @@ const char *PyFT2Font_init__doc__ = R"""(
         .. warning::
             This API is both private and provisional: do not use it directly.
 
-    _kerning_factor : int, optional
-        Used to adjust the degree of kerning.
-
-        .. warning::
-            This API is private: do not use it directly.
-
     _warn_if_used : bool, optional
         Used to trigger missing glyph warnings.
 
@@ -448,11 +442,19 @@ const char *PyFT2Font_init__doc__ = R"""(
 static PyFT2Font *
 PyFT2Font_init(py::object filename, long hinting_factor = 8,
                std::optional<std::vector<PyFT2Font *>> fallback_list = std::nullopt,
-               int kerning_factor = 0, bool warn_if_used = false)
+               std::optional<int> kerning_factor = std::nullopt,
+               bool warn_if_used = false)
 {
     if (hinting_factor <= 0) {
         throw py::value_error("hinting_factor must be greater than 0");
     }
+    if (kerning_factor) {
+        auto api = py::module_::import("matplotlib._api");
+        auto warn = api.attr("warn_deprecated");
+        warn("since"_a="3.11", "name"_a="text.kerning_factor", "obj_type"_a="rcParam");
+    } else {
+        kerning_factor = 0;
+    }
 
     PyFT2Font *self = new PyFT2Font();
     self->x = nullptr;
@@ -500,7 +502,7 @@ PyFT2Font_init(py::object filename, long hinting_factor = 8,
     self->x = new FT2Font(open_args, hinting_factor, fallback_fonts, ft_glyph_warn,
                           warn_if_used);
 
-    self->x->set_kerning_factor(kerning_factor);
+    self->x->set_kerning_factor(*kerning_factor);
 
     return self;
 }
@@ -1605,7 +1607,7 @@ PYBIND11_MODULE(ft2font, m, py::mod_gil_not_used())
                                          PyFT2Font__doc__)
         .def(py::init(&PyFT2Font_init),
              "filename"_a, "hinting_factor"_a=8, py::kw_only(),
-             "_fallback_list"_a=py::none(), "_kerning_factor"_a=0,
+             "_fallback_list"_a=py::none(), "_kerning_factor"_a=py::none(),
              "_warn_if_used"_a=false,
              PyFT2Font_init__doc__)
         .def("clear", &PyFT2Font_clear, PyFT2Font_clear__doc__)
