[comp.fonts] Which programs use AFM files?

graham@isis.ee.washington.edu (Stephen Graham) (08/17/90)

I'm interested in finding out which programs (primarily Mac,
but also on other machines) actually use the *.AFM files.

I presume that Illustrator does. Also probably PageMaker,
Quark XPress and their ilk. However, what else?

Please e-mail replies.

Thanks,

Steve Graham
graham@isis.ee.washington.edu

hammen@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Robert Hammen) (08/22/90)

In article <6417@milton.u.washington.edu> graham@isis.ee.washington.edu (Stephen Graham) writes:
>I'm interested in finding out which programs (primarily Mac,
>but also on other machines) actually use the *.AFM files.
>I presume that Illustrator does. Also probably PageMaker,
>Quark XPress and their ilk. However, what else?

Sorry. Virtually all of the Mac applications get their font width information
from the Mac screen fonts. The only two applications I am aware of that need
the AFM files are JustText (an old, outdated typesetting/composition program)
and the Mac version of TeX. PC users, on the other hand, have many uses for
the AFM files...

Robert

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/ Robert Hammen | Macintosh enthusiast & publishing guru, looking for a job /
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dkletter@adobe.COM (It's all fun and games until someone PUTS AN EYE OUT) (08/23/90)

graham@isis.ee.washington.edu (Stephen Graham) asks:

>>I'm interested in finding out which programs (primarily Mac,
>>but also on other machines) actually use the *.AFM files.


to which, hammen@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Robert Hammen) responds with:

>Sorry. Virtually all of the Mac applications get their font width information
>from the Mac screen fonts. The only two applications I am aware of that need
>the AFM files are JustText (an old, outdated typesetting/composition program)
>and the Mac version of TeX.

actually, he was partially right because everything that is in the .AFMs
are somewhere in the FOND rescource of the Mac bitmaps, such as the
kerning tables and width information.

as far as TeX is concerned, the only use the .AFMs serve are to help
create the .PL files neccessary for using any fonts in a TeX application
like TeXtures, say. which is one reason why the .AFMs get included in
any Mac packages.

-- 
"Yellow... black and rectangular... with wedged shapes inside... Oh, I see
them everywhere... Am I losing my mind?"