Eric Q Liu Pīnyīn, introduced in the 1950s, serves as the internationally recognized standard for the romanization of modern Mandarin. It is not only extensively employed in the foundational education of native Chinese speakers but also functions as an essential phonetic tool for learners of Chinese as a second language, forming a crucial step before engaging with Chinese characters. Despite its widespread application in areas such as foundational education, keyboard input methods, and accessibility support, Pīnyīn has consistently played a secondary role in Chinese typography, where Chinese characters dominate. Consequently, its typographic relevance has not received the scholarly attention it merits.
This presentation is based on a project initiated by the author in 2017. Adopting the perspective of a native speaker, it examines the current state of Pīnyīn processing across various mediums, including letterpress typesetting, desktop publishing, and web design, with a focus on both aesthetic and technological dimensions. The talk identifies a range of challenges related to Pīnyīn orthography, type design, layout conventions, and rendering engines. Furthermore, it highlights the progress achieved over the past seven years through the author’s collaboration with industry stakeholders, including type designers, font foundries, and standardization organizations. The presentation aims to offer a comprehensive and reliable decision-making framework for users both domestically and internationally.