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The story of how Japanese free fonts stopped working after upgrading GIMP ── A record of investigating the cause with Gemini

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When I upgraded GIMP, I encountered a problem where only free Japanese fonts would not appear in the list. This article is a record of how I investigated the cause with Gemini and what kind of workflow I ultimately settled on.


★ In conclusion,

  • Gemini is fast for searching for problems and technical guidance

  • The fact that 'Japanese free fonts do not appear' in GIMP 2.x is basically a specification, so I gave up on it

These are the two points.


1. Target Audience


This article is for the following people:

  • People who are having trouble because they cannot use Japanese free fonts in GIMP

  • People who want to know an example of how to use the free version of Gemini and the free version of ChatGPT


2. A true record of trying different versions (all were no good)


The following are the GIMP versions I actually tried and their results.

(1) GIMP 2.01 (the one I was using before)

  • It worked initially, but after reinstalling, it wouldn't even launch

(2) GIMP 3.06 (the latest version)

  • The font list is empty

  • Some fonts are only displayed when I type 'a' or 'b' in half-width alphanumeric characters

  • No Japanese free fonts appear in the list at all

③ GIMP 2.8.22 (known as the stable version)

  • Exactly the same symptoms as 3.06

  • Japanese free fonts remain at zero

④ Reinstall GIMP 2.01 (second attempt)

  • For some reason, it won't launch

  • Gave up without success

⑤ Conclusion: Decided to use GIMP 2.8.22

  • However, Japanese free fonts still cannot be used


3. PC specs are sufficient (the PC is not the cause)


  • CPU: Intel Core i7-9700

  • RAM: 16GB

  • OS: Windows 64bit

When I checked with Gemini, it said, "The current issue is not due to insufficient specs, but rather
a GIMP specification issue."


4. Reasons why Japanese free fonts do not appear (Summary of Gemini information)


This section is a summary of Gemini's analysis as is. I do not understand it.

1. Many Japanese free fonts have "Japanese internal names"

  • Even if the file name is in English, there are many cases where the internal font name is in Japanese

  • GIMP 2.x series cannot process these internal names correctly

  • Therefore, at the list generation stage, it is treated as non-existent
    → In reality, it is not crashing, but rather not being loaded from the start

2. GIMP's font processing is outdated (GTK-based specifications)

  • GIMP 2.8 / 2.10 / 3.0 use GTK-based libraries

  • The Japanese language support in these libraries remains outdated

  • Windows standard fonts are treated specially, so they are displayed
    → Japanese free fonts distributed on websites are rejected there

3. Reasons why reinstalling does not fix it

The following are all ineffective.

  • Deleting cache

  • Reinstalling

  • Changing versions

  • Changing IME

→ limitations of the specifications so it cannot be fixed by settings


5. How to deal with the "limitations" of free software


According to Gemini,

  • Free software has limited development resources

  • Font, IME, and language-related areas require major overhauls and are often put on the back burner

  • Bug fixes are an 'expectation,' not a 'guarantee'

  • It is not uncommon for old specifications to remain in place

That said, GIMP is wonderful because it provides so many features for free.
I felt that 'knowing where to compromise' is important.


6. The operational policy I finally arrived at (a realistic solution)


1. Create Japanese free fonts outside of GIMP

  • Paint 3D: Can use free fonts

  • Logo creation sites: Can output something decent in one go

→ Creating text with external tools is the least stressful approach


2. Use GIMP exclusively for editing

  • Color adjustment

  • Layer editing

  • Compositing

  • Position adjustment

→ Heavy tasks like 'cage transformation' are prone to crashing, so save frequently


7. AI Utilization: Division of Roles between Gemini and ChatGPT


◎ Gemini (Free) = A guide to walk with you

  • Capable of external searches

  • Reduces resistance to English websites

  • Good at providing PC folder locations and operation guidance

  • Immediately guides you to the correct download page

  • Can quickly pull up pages for older versions

  • Provides detailed installation/uninstallation instructions

→ Gemini is overwhelmingly stronger at acquiring technical information


◎ ChatGPT (Free) = A partner for writing and structuring

  • Article creation

  • Drafting text

  • Organizing confusing situations

  • Breaking down content you want to convey

→ ChatGPT is best for summarizing thoughts and creating articles

If you want to enjoy conversation, ChatGPT is recommended!!


◎ Final Conclusion (Division of Roles)

  • Gemini: Best for technical research and operational guidance

  • ChatGPT: Best for drafting, organizing, and structuring text

Even with the free versions, this division of labor is very comfortable.
It is even more comfortable when you can use the latest version of ChatGPT.


8. Summary


  • The GIMP Japanese free font issue cannot be solved by settings or reinstallation

  • It is caused by structural limitations

  • The practical solution is
    "Create text with external tools and use GIMP specifically for editing"

  • By combining Gemini and ChatGPT,
    you can efficiently proceed with both research and documentation

Research with Gemini, documentation with ChatGPT.
This two-stage structure allowed me to proceed with the least amount of stress.


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