mfrishko@bbn.com (Michael Frishkopf) (08/30/89)
Hello,
I have a problem with font translations.
I developed a specialized font, an edited version of zapf dingbats (actually,
the font has nothing to do with zapf dingbats, but I started with zapf
dingbats for reasons I can't recall now). Since I edited zapf dingbats,
I called it "my Zapf Dingbats". I gave it a font number of 203. So the
name and number were distinct from zapf dingbats.
When I printed a document using this font on the laser printer, I was surprised
to find that it had substituted zapf dingbats! Of course, my new font
was just a screen bitmap, but I expected that the bits would be sent to
the laser printer (Apple Laserwriter II).
My question is: how is font info sent to the laser printer, and how does
it decide what to substitute? Does the font number get sent, or the name,
or both? Is it possible that it noticed that "my zapf dingbats" and
"zapf dingbats" are close in name, and hence substitutable? Is there a way
to force it to send the screen bitmap font?
thanks very much for your help,
Michael
mfrishko@bbn.com
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Michael Frishkopf (mfrishko@bbn.com)
BBN Communications Corporation, Cambridge MA
.!{decvax, wjh12, ihnp4, harvard}!bbn!mfrishkogelphman@adobe.COM (David Gelphman) (09/01/89)
In article <44968@bbn.COM> mfrishko@BBN.COM () writes: > >I developed a specialized font, an edited version of zapf dingbats (actually, ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ this is the problem, see below >the font has nothing to do with zapf dingbats, but I started with zapf >dingbats for reasons I can't recall now). Since I edited zapf dingbats, >I called it "my Zapf Dingbats". I gave it a font number of 203. So the >name and number were distinct from zapf dingbats. > >When I printed a document using this font on the laser printer, I was surprised >to find that it had substituted zapf dingbats! Of course, my new font >was just a screen bitmap, but I expected that the bits would be sent to >the laser printer (Apple Laserwriter II). > >My question is: how is font info sent to the laser printer, and how does >it decide what to substitute? Does the font number get sent, or the name, >or both? Is it possible that it noticed that "my zapf dingbats" and >"zapf dingbats" are close in name, and hence substitutable? Is there a way >to force it to send the screen bitmap font? >Michael Frishkopf (mfrishko@bbn.com) >BBN Communications Corporation, Cambridge MA Unfortunately the solution to this problem is a bit complex. The FOND resource for PostScript fonts contains information which tells the LaserWriter driver what PostScript font name to use when generating the PostScript code to send to the printer. Since you started with the FOND resource for Zapf Dingbats the FOND still has imbedded in it that the proper PostScript font to use is Zapf Dingbats. It sees that the printer does indeed contain Zapf Dingbats so it goes ahead and uses it. In addition, the FOND resource contains the width, kerning, and other associated information for Zapf Dingbats which means that applications which use the fractional widths contained in the FOND will be using widths appropriate for Zapf Dingbats instead of your new font. Editting the FOND resources is not for the faint of heart, to least not this part of the FOND. There may be a trivial way to tell the system to ignore this information in the FOND but I don't know what it is. In the absence of such a method, I would recommend that you use a tool to generate fonts rather than use ResEdit on an existing font. Hope this helps, David Gelphman Adobe Systems Incorporated
herbw@midas.STS.TEK.COM (Herb Weiner) (09/07/89)
In article <44968@bbn.COM> mfrishko@BBN.COM describes his problems trying to print a font based on a modified Zapf Dingbats. In article <1137@adobe.UUCP> gelphman@adobe.COM (David Gelphman) describes the dependencies between the FONT and the FOND, specifically relating to character spacing. I have not tried this, but perhaps the following strategy would be helpful: 1. Use ResEdit to remove (CUT) the FOND resource. 2. Use Font/DA Mover (3.8) to install the font. Since a FOND resource does not exist, the Font/DA Mover will create one. Since the newly created FOND resource does NOT reference a printer font, the print driver should download the bitmap, as desired.