Font Issues

[vaugh6288]

Hello,

I am new to design and I am working for a small digital print shop with 3 other designers. Everyone but myself is working on new Mac Pro machines mostly in InDesign and Quark to check files and prep jobs for print. I am on a PC and use Suitcase Fusion3 as my font management system. I have a problem. When I go to our pre-press server (Kodak Prinergy) to access customer files from programs like Indesign I can see font files, but they are "0 KB" and I cannot do anything with them. My PC will not recognize them. I have tried downloading font converters like crossfont but even they cannot recognize these font files. But I can logon to a Mac workstation and use the same font files with no trouble. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can get my PC to see these files correctly?

Any help would be appreciated

 

[davidmwe]

Preflight with FlightCheck

Preflight with FlightCheck

Not all fonts are cross-platform. Only OpenType fonts will work or run natively under both Mac and Windows. I am guessing that is why you cannot use what are likely Mac fonts on your PC. Strange the size though.

 

[pdan]

@ davidmwe "Strange the size though."
Not really; Mac's resource fork is the reason. I've unzipped a hundred Mac packaged folders and the font size is always listed zero (or 1kb).

Only OpenType fonts are truly cross compatible.

You'll be much better served sticking to native Win files on that PC although I open Mac files on a PC regularily, I have authority to make minor revisions, you may not; a mix of Mac & Win is an advantage in your shop.

FWIW, ID CS5's document fonts feature is going to be a big help if I ever upgrade there. (Fonts within the document files folder which cannot be loaded into the OS will be available to ID on a document by document basis; so no more activating Helvetica TT vs Helvetica Type 1 all afternoon)

 

[davidmwe]

Thanks @pdan gothca.

 

[Tech]

Truetype for the most part are also cross platform. As for the "0 KB", I would check and make sure it's not a server or system or the silly unzip program issue. I have seen some programs can't handle Stuffit files properly and creates similar file size problem of "0 KB".

 

[leonardr]

I have tried downloading font converters like crossfont but even they cannot recognize these font files.

Be aware that you may not have the legal rights to convert the font files to another format. For example, Adobe fonts are NOT licensed for this purpose - so that conversion would be illegal.

 

[buckeye]

Leonard,

I hope this doesn't get off the beaten path. A law is a law, and I'm not wanting or condoning to buck the legal system, but why exactly is it illegal to convert fonts?

Erik

 

[macgurl70]

Hi there,

I have run into this issue also - and yes - several font houses have strict regulations on how your fonts are used. I am a consultant with Sogeti (local Houston company) and am on assignment at a print company. One of the issues has been with post script fonts - especially Type 1 postscript fonts.

In this case, it reads you have purchased the fonts legally - or customers are sending you the fonts with their press jobs.

I have attached a word document - since it explains things in more detail. The basic synopsis is: The type 1 fonts are a compilation of two files: one for the screen and one for the printer. Macintosh computers only show one file since one file's information is stored in the resource fork of the font (I am still learning and getting information on this - but it reads to be a format on the older Macintosh files.)

PC computers also need two files, however - they are viewable (.pfm and .pfb if I remember correctly - I have the exact files in the document.)

Hopefully this will help a bit - if not, let me know since if you have questions - other people where I work will too and it would be good to be able to cover other areas I didn't realize I was missing.

 

[M. R. Horton]

Type 1 font files besides PFM's and PFB's

Type 1 font files besides PFM's and PFB's

INF = Font Information files (readable text) with overral font information.
-------------------------
FontName (...)
FullName (...)
FamilyName (...)
Version (001.000)
isFixedPitch false
CharacterSet (isoadobe)
Encoding (StandardEncoding)
Pi false
ItalicAngle 0
CapHeight 700
UnderlinePosition -133
UnderlineThickness 20
StemWidth 162
Serif false
AppleName (...)
MSMenuName (...)
VPMenuName (...)
WORDMenuName (...)
AppleFONDID ...
VPStyle (N)
WindowsCharSet 0
WindowsFirstChar 32
WindowsLastChar 255
-------------------------
AFM = Adobe Font Metrics files (readable text files) have overral font information as well as Character Metrics, optionally Kerning Pair Metrics, and optionally Composite character metrics.
-------------------------
StartCharMetrics 228
C 32 ; WX 266 ; N space ; B 0 0 0 0 ;
C 33 ; WX 312 ; N exclam ; B 123 0 189 719 ;
EndCharMetrics
StartKernData
StartKernPairs 281
KPX hyphen T -37
KPX hyphen V -56
EndKernPairs
StartTrackKern 3
TrackKern -1 6 0.10 144 -2.20
TrackKern -2 6 0.05 144 -4.24
TrackKern -3 6 0.00 144 -6.27
EndTrackKern
EndKernData
StartComposites 56
CC Aacute 2 ; PCC A 0 0 ; PCC acute 69 205 ;
EndComposites
EndFontMetrics
---------------------------------

 

[M. R. Horton]

More about PFB files on PC

More about PFB files on PC

PFB files are Binary Printer Font files and they can be embedded into your graphics file and sent to a printer/RIP or they can be stored on a printer/RIP and referenced or "called" by your graphics file in order to reproduce characters in the font. These (pfb) files are PostScript language files saved/stored in binary format.

 

[vaugh6288]

I have tried downloading the free trial version of Stuffit Deluxe but even with the cross-platform setting like you had it in your document. I still extract 0 KB files.... Anything else you can think of?

 

[JayDA]

If you have Crossfont, and a customer has sent you a zipped folder full of fonts, try pointing Crossfont at the ZIP FILE as opposed to the folder you unzipped to. I find that this sometimes works better....