🚀 go-pugleaf

> prb@chinet.chi.il.us (Paul Botts) writes:
>> 6) I have the utility ALLTYPE, which will convert all my PostScript
>> fonts to TrueType. I'm thinking that I have had enough of all this
>> confusing mixing of formats, and would like to:
>>   a) convert the ATM fonts [...] to TrueType
>>   b) blow away ATM [...]

wolff@inf.fu-berlin.de (Thomas Wolff) writes:
> My recommendation: it's unwise. Reason: I don't see real problems with 
> type 1 (PostScript) fonts and ATM, there exist more documentation and 
> manipulation software for type 1 fonts, and: anyone who thinks about 
> converting type 1 fonts to truetype should be aware that
> 1. hints are rumored to get worse or lost during this transformation,
> 2. truetype fonts waste more than twice as much of precious disk space 
>    than equivalent type 1 fonts.

Yes, AllType does a horrible hinting job, if any.  And wrecks other things
as well (such as font family names).  However, FontMonger seems to have
done a very good job in my Type 1-to-TrueType conversions, and at least
on my modest LaserJet 2 printer the fonts look practically identical.

The increase in disk space usage is true: TrueType .TTF files tend to eat
up 50-60K each, while Type .PFB files use up 25-30K each.  .FOT and .PFM
files are small, probably the minimum of one cluster for each.  Whether
30K per font matters to you or not depends on your disk space -- the
systems I use all have at least 300 MB of disk, and an extra 600K for
20 fonts is not a problem.

But why switch at all?

First, there is printing speed.  Unless you're using the latest ATM (2.5?)
-- for which you'll have to pay Adobe -- you will print much faster to
LaserJets with TrueType, since it generates soft fonts on the fly.

Second, lower memory usage.  With ATM, you'll be using about 150K of memory
for ATM itself, plus whatever you set for the size of the font cache.  If
you run on a 4 MB system, this alone might be enough incentive to switch.

In the end, it's up to you.  If you already have a font conversion program,
you might give it a try.  Convert some fonts, uninstall ATM (yes, take it
out of your system.ini).  See whether losing ATM has an impact on memory
and/or performance.  Compare the output (at small AND large point sizes)
and see whether YOU can see a difference, and whether it matters to you.

In the worst case you'll have wasted an evening fiddling with your fonts,
but at least you'll now have an "expert" opinion on the matter yourself!

[ \tom haapanen    "i don't even know what street canada is on" -- al capone ]
[ tomh@wes.on.ca                   "trust the programmer" -- ansi c standard ]
[ waterloo engineering software      "to thine own self be true" -- polonius ]