[comp.lang.postscript] PostScript Bitmap Fonts

mikec@wam.umd.edu (Michael D. Callaghan) (02/08/91)

Does anyone know where the Screen Fonts for the NeXT come from?
Specifically, if I get a new font, how do I get a screen bitmap?
The outline fonts look really bad.

MikeC

-- 
_________________________________________________________
Michael D. Callaghan, MDC Designs, University of Maryland
mikec@wam.umd.edu

scott@erick.gac.edu (Scott Hess) (02/10/91)

In article <8006@umd5.umd.edu> matthews@lewhoosh.umd.edu (Mike Matthews) writes:
   In article <1991Feb8.014709.13728@wam.umd.edu> mikec@wam.umd.edu (Michael D. Callaghan) writes:
   >Does anyone know where the Screen Fonts for the NeXT come from?
   >Specifically, if I get a new font, how do I get a screen bitmap?
   >The outline fonts look really bad.

   Screen bitmap?  In a Display PostScript environment?

   This isn't a Macintosh.  It's all PS, at least that's the way I understand it.

Well, yes and no.  When fonts get too small (12-point on a 92dpi screen
is too small), they just don't look good without hints and/or a screen
font.  The included fonts have screen fonts for 10, 12, 14, and 18 point
in most cases (though it looks like it's changed a bit from 1.0).  Note
what your options on the Font Panel are (namely, 10, 12, ...).  Though
you can set to the "between" sizes, it's easier to use the explicitely
given ones :-).  The screen fonts drop off around 18 point, because then
the postscript-generated ones look about as good, anyhow.

The public domain fonts seem to have neither screen fonts nor hints,
thus look fairly terrible on-screen (though most look good on the
printer).

[BTW, I seemed to have missed the explaination of screen fonts :-).
Screen fonts are essentially a hand-tuned bitmap of the characters
which is used in place of a dps-generated bitmap for those screen
fonts availiable.  Screen fonts are always an integral number of
pixels in size (regular fonts can be, say, 6.5 pixels wide).  You
can get the screen font for a font, if availiable, by looking for
Screen-<fontname> (if you're a direct person), or just saying
[aFont screenFont] if you use the appkit.]
--
scott hess                      scott@gac.edu
Independent NeXT Developer	GAC Undergrad
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