🚀 go-pugleaf

For example AGaramond-regular:
files -
C:\PSFONTS\gdrg____.PFB
C:\PSFONTS\PFM\gdrg____.pfm

"Those are the names in the font set. But once you use ATM to read the 
fonts all my apps can read them with the correct name just as if they 
were a regular TTF or something."

You're confusing the FONT names with the FILE names. All applications 
display the internal name of the FONT, while the list of files in a 
directory displays the FILE names.  An exception is the 
C:\WINDOWS\FONTS folder, which is 'special' and displays the FONT 
names - whether Type 1 or Truetype if they're in that folder.

"(please pardon my lack of knowledge in the font subject. I'm just 
trying to figure all of this out)

No problem, It IS confusing!"

"So because the names are all like that, amd I just stuck with ATM, or 
is there something else out there which can translate those back to 
more normal looking files that most apps can read?"

ATM does no translation, and, as has been pointed out, you no longer 
need it anyway.

Yes. The absolutely best tool for renaming the font FILES to match 
their FONT NAMES is Font Renamer by Philip Engel (AKA RedEar). It's 
free and can be downloaded directly with this link:

http://aljones.us/fontorg/FontRenamer216.zip
The webpage is
http://fontorg.com/download.aspx  but it hasn't been updated to 
reflect the latest version.

It requires Microsoft dot.net framework version 2.0 (free from Microsoft)

It will rename Type 1, Truetype, and OpenType fonts, and will rename 
any associated files, such as .afm and .inf files. It has many 
options, can identify and mark invalid fonts, rename in place or leave 
the originals alone, produce a log file, and much more.

"I'm curious also, how to then make it so another 200 or so employees 
here also have a few of those select fonts on their computer without 
needing this special software."

Unless they're running Windows 98 or Mac OS 8, they don't need ATM. 
All current operating systems support Type 1 fonts natively. You 
install them the same way you install Truetypefonts.

First, make sure that your font licenses allow such multiple-computer 
installation.

There are also ways to maintain a central font depository on a file 
server. The methods are beyond the scope of this discussion group.


"I think that might be one reason we use ATM. It comes with our other 
software so is essentially free. We would probably purchase 15 or so 
licenses of whatever other software, but most people just need some of 
the fonts. They don't need to explore fonts. They just need to be able 
to open and edit some of the illustrator, photoshop, and PDF files 
which use the fonts. But how does IT install those fonts on multiple 
computers if we can't really tell what the font names are? I'm just 
not sure how that works."

Whether you're using ATM or Windows' Control Panel / Fonts to install 
fonts, they are always listed by font name. I don't understand the 
problem - copying files is NOT the recommended way to install fonts.

I'm a big proponent of renaming the font files anyway. It makes life 
MUCH easier.  Those ABRG____.pfm names are a holdover from 1980 when 
file names were limited to 8 characters.  Adobe's newer files, are all 
readable file names that reflect the font name.

As an aside, you should be thinking of migrating to OpenType.

One more aside.  ATM's default put its installed fonts into C:\PSFONTS 
and if I remember correctly, it separated the .pfm files into their 
own PSFONTS\PFM sub-folder. This was ALWAYS unnecessary and led to 
problems when someone would only copy or back up one or the other of 
the two required files. You had the option of putting them all in the 
same folder.

If you abandon ATM, as you should, all installed font files will go 
into the same C:\Windows\Fonts folder.

  - Herb