Re: Adobe Type Basics

On Nov 17, 2004, at 6:37 AM, Peter Dyballa wrote:

> Am 17.11.2004 um 01:46 schrieb Aaron Jackson:
>
> > The afm/tfm files included with latex may not be in sync with what is  
> > included in the Adobe Type Basics.  The version preinstalled with my  
> > tex is Version 001.007, but the version that came with my Type Basics  
> > is Version 003.000.  I was advised bt Walter Schmidt (or at least  
> > somebody using his name) to recreate the files as the afm specs have  
> > change.  I don't know if this will be a problem, but he should  
> > know...
>
> Hello!
>
> The AFM files are of no use -- except you want to do a complete font  
> installation. In that case fontinst needs them to create the PL  
> (property list) files. They're too are needed to create TFM files with  
> the raw encoding. So the mismatch of the versions should not matter.

I was told the following:

"The TFMs and VFs that come with TeX refer to those versions of the
fonts, that were de facto standardized as "PostScript Base fonts".
Adobe has applied a few changes in the meantime, so the fonts
you can purchase nowadays have different metrics.  Unfortunately,
they have still their old /FontName, so you cannot use  the new
version and the old one (or a clone of the old one) simultaneously.
Using the new fonts in TeX would, indeed, require to re-make all
TFMs and VFs."

I don't know if there is a noticeable effect, but the amount of time it  
took for me to recreate all the support files wasn't too large, so in  
my mind was worth it.  After all, why go through the trouble of using  
TeX if your output is sub-optimal?

[snip]

> Care must be taken when the printer has none of the fonts built-in. In  
> that case the font(programme)s need to be downloaded -- the right  
> ones! The "download" named maps use the urw++ fonts! Usually a  
> PostScript printer comes with a set of built-in 35 fonts (then it's  
> old PostScript 1) -- otherwise it most likely wouldn't be a PostScript  
> printer! Any PostScript font programmes on diskettes or CD are for  
> screen use or to teach your word processing programme a new script. Or  
> to integrate them into TeX, probably the best destiny such a file can  
> find. Some manufacturers added some extra fonts and (HW related)  
> extras to the PS language, HP for example a lot for their big ones.  
> This and a few other things ("better/easier" PDF and "workflow" for  
> example) led to PostScript 3 with 136 built-in fonts. The first PS3  
> printer, Apple's LW8500, had the complete set. See youself:  
> http://www.adobe.com/products/postscript/pdfs/ps3fonts.pdf and/or  
> http://www.adobe.com/products/postscript/pdfs/ps3datasheet.pdf or  
> http://www.adobe.com/support/downloads/product.jsp? 
> product=44&platform=Macintosh for PPD files.
>
> So Herb, please don‘t use the "download" named maps! If your printer  
> is PostScript then you don't need to download any fonts to the  
> printer, except those it has *not* built-in. If your printer is not PS  
> then you should download the fonts from Adobe you recently installed  
> and try to use in TeX -- and pass them to dvips because dvips is  
> probably preparing the print job. PdfTeX uses it's own scheme to  
> include thes base fonts into the PDF file, or not. Besides this your  
> Mac needs the correct PPD (PostScript Printer Description) file for  
> your printer. The earlier mentioned "*35" maps are old because the  
> mechanism dvips uses to handle PostScript fonts in Tex is already 10  
> or 20 years old and nothing really new happened since then. The  
> download maps are younger because urw++ donated them after dvips and  
> TeX were already using the Adobe fonts (few of them were integrated  
> into X11 or came with Acrobat Reader).

I would strongly disagree with not downloading fonts for several  
reasons.

* Nothing is changed in the default case.  After all, the default latex  
font is computer modern and is it is *always* downloaded into every  
document you make with the default font.  That also goes for documents  
created using  utopia, cm-super and latin modern...  This only is an  
issue if you use mathptm, mathpazo...

*None of the printers I use have the standard PS fonts (including  
Brother and HP printers), and this is becoming more and more common.   
At least if you download the fonts into your document, it will print  
consistently on any printer and you don't have to have faith that the  
printer has the fonts in the first place.  Again, why take the time to  
use TeX if the output depends on which printer you use.

* I own the standard fonts.  Why not use them!  I know that my  
documents are consistent and use the standard fonts.  I don't know that  
the printer I am about to use has the standard fonts or some knock-off.

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