PostScript Fonts compatible with NWC?

2003-09-23 07:07 pm

Can anyone tell me if there is a way to use PostScript fonts in NoteWorthy? None of mine show up in the font list. Thanks!

Re: PostScript Fonts compatible with NWC?

Reply #1 – 2003-09-24 01:50 pm

I'm not the official NWC voice, just a user. But here is a reasonably comprehensive reply:

PostScript (Type 1) fonts cannot be used in NWC1.75. That is true even if your system (such as Windows XP) allows the Type 1 font to be installed as if it were a True Type font.

If your PostScript font is an ordinary text font, then there is a good chance that there is a nearly-equivalent True Type font, usually with a different name. You may be able to find a list of font equivalents by browsing the Internet. Or, just look through your fonts and see what looks closest.

Some applications come with "bonus" fonts that are not installed with the program, but can be installed manually later. For example, you might have such fonts with MS Works or Word. Explore the CD-ROMs and find out. You may have the font you need, in True Type form.

In many cases, it is not difficult to convert a Windows Postscript font to a Windows True Type font. However, many Postscript fonts (particularly the Adobe fonts) are not licensed for conversion to another format.

Some PostScript fonts are freely available to the public. That is particularly true of some fonts created by educators in past years, for linguistics. But those fonts often have a "coding table" that is not completely compatible with Windows. What that means is that if the font is converted, some characters will have to be relocated. That's not a problem if your work is original and you embed the font, or give it to users. But if you have to open existing documents from others, it could be a problem.

You need to keep in mind that if a PostScript font has no True Type equivalent, it probably means either that conversion is prohibited (e.g. Adobe fonts) or the font is too obscure to be worth the effort.