Automatically ZIP fonts folder when making an InDesign package

[jonasukulore]

Hi guys. When making an InDesign package, I have the habit of zipping the Document Fonts folder before placing it on on external server (or ftp). Fonts easily go broken when transferring.
Is there a way of automatically zipping this fonts folder when making the package?

 

[Dov Isaacs]

No there isn't.

That having been said, why would “fonts easily go broken” when transferring? I have never seen or heard anything like this in all our experience at Adobe with InDesign, packaging of InDesign projects, or fonts.

If you are having trouble with font files getting corrupted on your server, the same thing could just as easily happen to .ZIP archives!

- Dov

 

[jonasukulore]

Thanks for your answer. What I meant is this: (please see attached 2 screenshots of the same Document Fonts folder, original, and once uploaded and download back again from a ftp server).
Notice how the icon changes to a 'blank' icon and the files are now 0 KB in size.

 

[prepressdork]

Hi Dov,

Almost every time a customer would upload older font types to my FTP (and I have used several different FTP server products over the last 15 or so years) without compressing beforehand, the fonts would appear as zero K on the FTP. I have not seen this with OpenType fortunately.

Best regards,
pd

 

[prepressdork]

[FONT=arial, helvetica, sans-serif]Hi Jonasukulore,

In lieu of compressing the fonts folder, why not just compress the entire packaged folder? That's what I tell my customers.

Best regards,
pd[/FONT]

 

[hsearcy]

I've seen something similar happen before when transferring Mac fonts to Windows servers and vice versa. Best I remember (it's been awhile) it has to do with Mac OS not using file extensions so Windows doesn't recognize the files.

 

[prepressdork]

Yup! The good ole days!

pd

 

[DCurry]

Unfortunately this zero-k font issue has been a problem for many years now.

 

[Dov Isaacs]

OK. Now I understand what you are talking about and what your real issue is!

MacOS files have two components, a data fork which is typically the data you would have in regular files and a resource fork which is the data which would typically be found in executables and certain system resources including the original MacOS-based Type 1 and TrueType fonts. The newer TrueType, OpenType CFF, and OpenType TrueType fonts have all their content in the data fork of a MacOS file.

Note that for Windows and Unix/Linux systems, there is no resource fork. Typically, servers supporting MacOS-based systems provide support for both the data fork and resource forks of MacOS file. This includes Windows servers properly configured for MacOS file support. But FTP servers might not have this MacOS resource fork support. That seems to be the problem here! In the case of MacOS-based ZIP compression software, both the data fork and the resource fork are preserved in the resultant ZIP file and that is what is saving your tuchas here!

If you want to avoid this problem completely, migrate to OpenType fonts (either CFF and/or TrueType flavor) and the resource fork problem goes away completely (plus your InDesign projects will be completely platform-independent).

- Dov

 

[jonasukulore]

Thanks for all the input, everyone!

I now understand why this breaks those particular type of fonts (or saves them, when zipping).
Unfortunately, migrating to other fonts is not always possible (for example, in a series of books that needs to look exactly the same, even when the series spans decades).
It would be handy if I could automatically zip just the Document Fonts folder when making a package.

As to why not zipping the entire Open files package: all these projects are constantly worked on, moved around different servers, duplicated, and (parts of it) re-used in other projects by a number of people.
Constantly zipping and unzipping entire open files packages would not be so practical.

 

[wonderings]

Thanks for all the input, everyone!

I now understand why this breaks those particular type of fonts (or saves them, when zipping).
Unfortunately, migrating to other fonts is not always possible (for example, in a series of books that needs to look exactly the same, even when the series spans decades).
It would be handy if I could automatically zip just the Document Fonts folder when making a package.

As to why not zipping the entire Open files package: all these projects are constantly worked on, moved around different servers, duplicated, and (parts of it) re-used in other projects by a number of people.
Constantly zipping and unzipping entire open files packages would not be so practical.

Wouldn't they have to then constantly unzip the font folder and zip again when placing back on the server?

 

[Tim-Ellis]

Hello Jonasukulore,

You can create an app with Automator on your Mac to do this.

I've attached an image of the workflow for you to copy.


-------

We used to have a Client where we needed to work the same way as this. Hundreds of artworks uploaded each month but all usually containing the same 5 or 6 fonts. I bet 95% of the time no one in production needed the font as it was already installed but we would always upload the fonts just in case the guys in the sister factory, for what ever reason, found themselves missing a font.

 

[jonasukulore]

Thanks everyone!

@Tim: I'm not so handy with Automator, but I'll sure give it a try, thanks! (funny: I know a guy called Tim Melis )
@ wonderings: true. Most of the times, though, the unzipped 'Document Fonts' folder also remains in the same location, so (if the inclosed fonts aren't broken) InDesign loads them automatically.

 

[prepressdork]

Hi Jonasukulore,

In your original post, you said "When making an InDesign package, I have the habit of zipping the Document Fonts folder before placing it on on external server (or ftp).". I assumed you were providing the file package to a print service provider ;-)

Best regards,
pd