Everything you wanted to know about
the Mac OS 9 Fonts folder...
1. The System Software can only use fonts
contained in the first 128 font suitcases in the System Folder. You
may consolidate font suitcases, until you have 128 suitcases or less,
and you won't need a font management utility. BUT, you'll have a HUGE
font list in all applications you use, and when you open the Fonts
folder, it will take forever to list its contents...
2. Screen font suitcases should sit loose in the Fonts folder, NOT
inside other folders in the Fonts folder.
3. Printer font files should sit loose in the Fonts folder, NOT
inside other folders in the Fonts folder.
4. LOOSE screen fonts (not in suitcases) are susceptible to damage.
DO NOT leave a screen font loose in the Fonts folder. Put it in a
suitcase.
5. Printer font files are NOT counted in the 128 suitcase limit. BUT,
having too many in the Fonts folder can cause some applications to
bog down, escpecially if the application 'reads' the Fonts folder to
build a font list. Also, when you open the Fonts folder, it may take
a while to list its contents.
6. A printer font file without a corresponding screen font is
basically useless. However, you can use screen fonts without having
the printer font to match, but your printed output will suffer. Also,
if you are using Adobe Type Manager (ATM), you MUST have BOTH screen
font AND printer font files available. If you decide to use ONLY
TrueType fonts, then ATM is not needed, but can remain installed
without harm (for those with Adobe Acrobat installed).
7. The terms 'bitmap font' and 'screen font' are the same. The terms
'PostScript Font' and 'printer font' are the same.
8. The terms 'Type 1' and 'TrueType' are NOT the same.
9. TrueType fonts consist of scalable fonts with no sizes (in
suitcases) which are used to output to BOTH the screen AND printer.
Many folks use ONLY TrueType fonts for simplicity. If you wish to use
ONLY TrueType fonts, and if your suitcase contains BOTH TrueType
fonts and Type 1 screen fonts, it's a good idea to remove the Type 1
screen fonts, since you won't need them.
10. Type 1 fonts consist of screen fonts of different sizes (in
suitcases) used in conjunction with printer fonts (loose - often
times in groups of 4 according to plain, bold, italic, and
bold-italic). Many folks prefer the results of Type 1 fonts. Don't
mix TrueType and Type 1 fonts in a font family (use one or the other
for consistency). If you wish to use ONLY Type 1 fonts, and if your
suitcase contains BOTH TrueType fonts and Type 1 screen fonts, it's a
good idea to remove the TrueType fonts, since you won't need
them.
11. Many common fonts problems can be quite elusive, so you need to
keep a few things in mind. Consider these tools for your Font 'bag of
tricks'...
-- (Unwanted) Type in a cross-platform document
---- Sometimes, Bold and Italic type in a Mac document appears as
Courier (plain) type when that same document is opened on a
non-Mac.
-->> To prevent this, use a Style attribute (Bold, Itatalic,
etc.) on the Plain font, rather than selecting a named Bold/Italic
font from the Fonts menu. This way, the non-Mac OS software will
recognize the Plain font, and apply the Style attribute correctly (it
probably WON'T recognize the name of a bold- or italic-styled font
directly). To make sure, do a test print on both platforms BEFORE you
spend your valuable time and energy on the entire project...
-- (Unexpected) Type in a cross-platform document
---- Sometimes, the 'fi' and 'fl' ligatures in a document produced on
a computer running the Mac OS appear as unexpected type when that
same document is transferred and opened on a computer not running the
Mac OS. Also, fractions in a non-Mac OS document translate to other
type when opened on a Mac, because Mac and non-Mac fonts have
different character sets. The ligatures above on the Mac and three
common non-Mac fractions (1/2, 1/4, and 3/4) wreak the most
havoc.
-->> To avoid the ligature problem, use either a read-only file
(PDF or PostScript file), or use fonts that have an 'expert' set, or
simply choose a font that does not require ligatures, so that 'f'
characters don't collide with 'i' or 'l' characters.
-->> To get around the fraction issue, either make fractions by
hand with super/subscript operations, or use a font that has
fractions common to Mac and non-Mac alike (i.e., Helvetica or New
Century Schoolbook).
-- Warning Signs
---- You may have jagged fonts on screen, 'missing font' messages, or
errors while opening a document/application. Unfortunately, this may
be caused by one or more damaged fonts. If you use Adobe Type Manager
(ATM), make sure you disable it or remove it from the crime scene, to
determine whether it is adding to the problem.
-->> To correct for these problems, it is simplest and quickest
to install the font again from the original source CD or floppy. You
may also want to try Font Box or something like it, but I find it has
its own kind of complexity that I do not want introduced into my Mac
OS.
-- Inaccurate Diagnoses
---- You've just discovered that ATM Deluxe has closed many of your
fonts, or that MasterJuggler says some fonts are missing. But, the
fonts work fine in all aspects.
-->> To avoid this kind of deceptive reporting, get educated!
Know the ins and outs of font installation and usage. And above all,
without any symptoms to go with these deceptive reports, IGNORE THEM!
Some font utilities are so complicated, they don't always do what you
expect, and can mislead you (on a wild goose-chase).
-- Missing Fonts
---- Quark tells you that a particular font is not available, even
though you know it is...
-->> You may be using an old and newer version of the font,
especially if you are distributing the document to multiple editors.
Try to (about once a year) consolidate old fonts into an 'old'
basket, and get updates for them, until all of your fonts are the
same EVERYWHERE you use them...
-- Bold or Italic prints as PLAIN
---- You expect bold or italic text to print to your PostScript
printer, but plain type is printed instead. The text on screen looks
just fine.
-->> You are most likely missing one of the 4 or 6 PostScript
fonts in the Fonts folder. It may also be that that particular
printer font is damaged, or linked incorrectly. I would select a font
family that has all styles, rather than use any form of font
'linking'.
-- Odd Spacing
---- The spacing you have worked so hard to maintain has printed out
all wrong. This may be very common if you are printing to a
PostScript printer that uses font substitution (i.e., Helvetica,
Times, or Courier).
-->> To avoid this anomaly, if you use a TrueType font, make
sure it won't be substituted, both on your Mac, and at the printing
side. If so, use Type 1 fonts instead.
-- Word Space too small or gone
---- The space between words seems to disappear sometimes, especially
for very tightly spaced fonts.
-->> This problem is caused by kern pairs, and can be easily
corrected for by changing the kerning using a kern-editing utility.
Don't spend forever on this. Just change the kerning where necessary
for beauty and readability.