Converting fonts from pfb/pfm to ttf
Georgios Zakitraxis
How can I do that?
Anyone done this before?
Sorry I am new to this "font" matter...
=)
Andreas Prilop
> Hello I need to convert 3 fonts from pfb/pfm to ttf.
Why?
> How can I do that?
Don't.
> Anyone done this before?
Probably - but why?
--
Top-posting.
What's the most irritating thing on Usenet?
Clark Kent
against converting fonts. True, there is a slight, sometimes
more-than-slight technical degradation when you convert from one format to
another, based on the differences in how the data's encoded. However, I
have found on a practical basis, that sometimes the converted font is
actually superior to the original, perhaps a little like how a "degraded"
photocopy of a slightly jagged original produces a "smoothed" copy which,
while technically degraded, is visually more attractive than the original.
Or, sometimes the original is unhinted, but the conversion tool adds hints.
There is no reason not to try it, if you have a good reason to want to.
There is also some difference in the quality of the conversions done by
different tools, so it can be worth comparing conversions, if you have
access to more than one.
I convert all my type1 to TTF for previewing, because there are more and
better good, free previewers which don't handle both formats. (I do use the
original t1s for editing and printing, though.)
The Frequently Asked Questions for the alt.binaries.fonts newsgroup
discusses conversion. The FAQ is accessible on the WEB at:
http://www.jgoffin.freeserve.co.uk/abf/faq.htm
Virtually any font editor which produces both t1 and ttf fonts can convert
between them. These include:
Fontographer
FontLab
Fontmonger (no longer sold)
TypeTool
There are also some dedicated font conversion tools which basically do
nothing else. Two are:
Crossfont
TransType
Sometimes a conversion from an older tool does not work on a newer operating
system. Those files may have to be "regenerated" on a newer font editor,
usually FontLab.
If you need only a few fonts converted and do not have either the tools
necessary or the skills to set the few adjustments needed for best results,
the best approach is to find someone who can do it for you. A post in one
of the smaller font user groups or alt.binaries.fonts may yield such a
contact, if you don't have a personal friend nearer by.
Another possibility is to look on some of the "font finder" WEB sites to see
if there isn't already a free, downloadable version of the face you want
available in the format you want. I have had good success with
www.fontseek.com, but there are others.
Although I think those who feel conversions should be prohibited or avoided
have reached a bit too-abrupt of a conclusion on this point, most are also
friendly, helpful, knowledgeable contributors to the group. My attempt to
offer an answer to your question is not intended to slam them personally. I
find the content posted here is usually accurate, often very valuable, and
generously supplied, often with bonus charm or humor at no extra charge..
"Georgios Zakitraxis" <efz...@yahoo.de> wrote in message
news:35ue5mF...@individual.net...
Character
Andreas' terse comments are appropriate.
A little explanation:
All versions of windows can use Type 1 fonts. Windows 2000 and Windows
XP support them directly; Earlier versions require the use of the FREE
Adobe Type Manager.
http://www.adobe.com/products/atmlight/main.html
Conversions between formats aren't like converting bitmap graphics,
where the conversion is 100% accurate and reversible. There are basic
differences between TTF and Type 1 that are just not transportable
across platforms.
There are, however, a very few *applications* that just don't support
Type 1. These include such things as embroidery programs that do their
own interpretation and rasterization.
And so yes, there are programs that can convert between formats. They
include most font creation programs such as FontLab and Typetool.
Googling for Font Conversion will lead you to much more detail, if
you're interested.
- Character
Alan
<Supe...@DailyPlanet.com> wrote:
>Virtually any font editor which produces both t1 and ttf fonts can convert
>between them. These include:
>
>Fontographer
>FontLab
>Fontmonger (no longer sold)
>TypeTool
If you really must convert to TTF, FontLab and TypeTool will do a
better job than the other (ancient) apps. Also you might look at the
free FontForge <http://fontforge.sourceforge.net/>.
However, I believe many commercial TTFs were made in Fontographer, and
opening a Type 1 font in Fontographer and exporting a TTF (with
correct settings) is probably giving exactly the same result as
these. (Except that somehow people often don't load the metrics and
lose the kerning; or regenerate it automatically making 4000 pairs.)
>There are also some dedicated font conversion tools which basically do
>nothing else. Two are:
>Crossfont
>TransType
No. Crossfont Converts between Mac and PC formats, not between
Truetype and Type 1.
>Another possibility is to look on some of the "font finder" WEB sites to see
>if there isn't already a free, downloadable version of the face you want
>available in the format you want. I have had good success with
>www.fontseek.com, but there are others.
Free TTFs versions are often made by "amateur" conversions. Many older
TTFs were made by running Type 1 collections through AllType, a batch
converter that did a horrible job -- creating outlines with thousands
of unnecessary nodes for instance.
>Although I think those who feel conversions should be prohibited or avoided
>have reached a bit too-abrupt of a conclusion on this point
One reason is that people make crappy conversions, losing or
scrambling important features like encoding, kerning and names, and
release these online, where they crowd out the original, correctly
made, font. And practically, conversions are often unnecessary given
that Type 1 fonts are supported by newer OSs directly, and ATM Lite is
available free from Adobe for older OSs. People often don't realise
this, and seeing an unfamiliar filetype assume they must convert it.
Clark Kent
the reasons behind advice, the better we can make an informed decision to
follow the advice or make an exception. Hopefully even a passionate lover
of fonts will erase truly useless fonts of terminally poor quality if they
find that's what they've gotten by download or conversion attempt. I don't
think "thinning the herd" that way would be "font sacrilege."
"Alan" <no...@none.com> wrote in message
news:1106976582.09bab2fc211ba7ccedd5209c308d7aba@teranews...
<snip>
> If you really must convert to TTF, FontLab and TypeTool will do a
> better job than the other (ancient) apps. Also you might look at the
> free FontForge <http://fontforge.sourceforge.net/>.
>
> However, I believe many commercial TTFs were made in Fontographer, and
> opening a Type 1 font in Fontographer and exporting a TTF (with
> correct settings) is probably giving exactly the same result as
> these. (Except that somehow people often don't load the metrics and
> lose the kerning; or regenerate it automatically making 4000 pairs.)
<snip>
> No. Crossfont Converts between Mac and PC formats, not between
> Truetype and Type 1.
<snip>
> Free TTFs versions are often made by "amateur" conversions. Many older
> TTFs were made by running Type 1 collections through AllType, a batch
> converter that did a horrible job -- creating outlines with thousands
> of unnecessary nodes for instance.
<snip>
Larry Barowski
If you are converting for printing purposes (300 dpi
or better), automatic conversion as discussed in the
other posts should give you fairly good results. For a
screen font the results of automatic conversion may
not be so nice.
Character
Interesting - I think about it quite the other way around, since
high-quality printing has a much better resolution than screens.
Shape degradation (due to the mathematical differences between the
formats) will affect print media more, while hinting losses only affect
screen display.
- Character
Andreas Höfeld
> Interesting - I think about it quite the other way around, since
> high-quality printing has a much better resolution than screens.
>
> Shape degradation (due to the mathematical differences between the
> formats) will affect print media more, while hinting losses only
> affect screen display.
The effect of shape degradation is minimal compared to that of
lost hinting on screen. On paper the loss of hinting is no problem.
(unless you print at 7pt with a 300dpi laser ;-) And shape changes
are hard to make out even if you directly compare the glyphs. With
fontlab you should be able to make the test.
The main problem of conversions is that you have so many
opportunities to make a mess of it: lost kerning, botched
encoding and so on.
Andreas
Gilles Vollant
last a Postscript 2 printer), the printer drivers did not convert to type 1?
Character
> Just one point : when you print a truetype font to a postscript
> not convert to type 1?
No. Well, kind of, sometimes. Some drivers have an option "print
truetype as graphics", in which case the driver simply rasterizes.
http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/328606.html
has some interesting information on the subject - a relevant paragraph
from that site:
"Display and Printing
TrueType fonts are designed to display and print clearly at any point
size. When you print TrueType fonts to a PostScript printer, the printer
driver may convert them to PostScript-compatible fonts (for example,
Type 1). When the driver converts the fonts from the TrueImage language
to the PostScript language, some font information may be lost or altered
slightly, including font hinting and stroke widths. However, when you
print to a TrueImage PostScript printer, which uses native TrueType
information, or to a printer containing a TrueType rasterizer (for
example, Apple LaserWriter Pro 600 and 630, Apple Personal LaserWriter
NTR), the driver doesn't convert the fonts, enabling them to print with
no alteration."
- Character
Georgios Zakitraxis
management system TYPO3 [www.typo3.com] that I am using
And this CMS AFAIK until now only supports ttf fonts.
HTH
=)
"Andreas Prilop" <nhtc...@rrzn-user.uni-hannover.de> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:Pine.GSO.4.44.0501281543590.6488-100000@s5b004...
Andreas Prilop
> Why because, I am rendering pictures -> headlines as a gif in a content
> management system TYPO3 [www.typo3.com] that I am using
> And this CMS AFAIK until now only supports ttf fonts.
(1) Don't hide your headlines inside gifs; use H1, H2, H3, etc.
(2) If you really want images (with appropriate ALT attributes!),
make screen shots with your PostScript fonts.
Pilo Erector
Produced by Font Lab...
Price is approximately US$90.
"Character" <Ch...@cters.italic> wrote in message
news:j81Ld.212803$B07....@news.easynews.com...
Pilo Erector
"Pilo Erector" <SIGar...@si.rr.com> wrote in message news:...
> There is a program called TransType 2.
> Produced by Font Lab...
> Price is approximately US$90.
Character
> There is a program called TransType 2.
> Produced by Font Lab...
> Price is approximately US$90.
> The program is very easy to use and not confusing.
A number of people in a.b.f. have recommended against the use of
Transtype (for Mac <--> PC) because it doesn't do accurate conversions.
I would imagine that Truetype <---> Type1 would be even worse, because
it's inherently inexact to begin with, and technically much more difficult.
- Character
Altsoft_ftm
See http://alt-soft.com/products_ftmaster.jsp for the details.
Best Regards,
Altsoft nv
http://alt-soft.com/
"Pilo Erector" <SIGar...@si.rr.com> wrote in message news:<B2zLd.67998$Yh2.24...@twister.nyc.rr.com>...
