Font Book DilemmaEnlighten me please

B

b1hgaa88

Registered
I have a collection of fonts dating back some years that I keep in my Font Folder in my User's Library Folder. Most of these are in Suitcases and I presume are Bitmap fonts that I had used in Mac OS 9 and prior OS's. I am currently running OS 10.4.10 on an Intel MacBook (as the "Administrator").

The problem is that Font Book does not recognize any of them in its Font Panel. However, when I do a "Validate File..." from the Font Book "File" menu and navigate to my Fonts folder (~/Username/Library/Fonts), it shows all the fonts, allows me to select them in the Finder, to validate them (most pass the validation check), but when I click on the "Install Checked" button—nothing happens.

Does this mean that the fonts are too old for use in OS X or what?

Furthermore, for those fonts that do NOT pass the validation check, does this mean they should not, under any circumstances, be installed (assuming they could be)?
 
This article goes into detail on how fonts work in mac os x:
http://www.macworld.com/2002/07/secrets/fontfrustration/index.php

I don't think Classic fonts are directly usable by OS X because they must be stored in the Classic/system/fonts folder and are a different file format. They are usable by Classic and it's apps running in Classic Mode, however. But try copying them to the font folder you create (described below) and see if they load in OS X. If they do, you're in business unless you get a font error thrown at you upon RIPing a file for print.

Also, get rid of FontBook! There's a better option out there which will greatly improve your font experience, called Linotype Font Explorer (http://www.linotype.com/fontexplorer). Install it and first run Tools/Clean System Fonts Folder. It will remove all but the necessary system fonts from OS X. (Speeds performance since you won't then load all your fonts at start up, for every app.)

Then create a new folder called MY FONTS, or something similar, and store all your fonts there. Then load them into FontExplorer. Your font performance and utilization will greatly improve. You can even scan your fonts for issues. I love this app and have used it for the past 3 years without issue. They update it regularly.
 
b1hgaa88 said:
I have a collection of fonts dating back some years that I keep in my Font Folder in my User's Library Folder. Most of these are in Suitcases and I presume are Bitmap fonts that I had used in Mac OS 9 and prior OS's. ...
Click to expand...
It is not quite clear what you are doing. However, all of your MacOS 9 fonts should work out-of-the-box on MacOS X. The list of font formats that don't work is much shorter than the list of those that do.

If you used Extensis's font management utility Suitcase to manage your fonts on MacOS 9, then you need download and read the small PDF on Extensis's website.
 
Many thanks. I downloaded FontExplorer as you suggested and I have most of the fonts up and running.

One font suitcase failed due to lack of the necessary screen font, and I wondered whether there were any software that could generate a screen font from a bitmap?
 
Oh! It's a font called "DCRTimes" that was crafted by some University Lab to handle the diacritical marks on Roman transliteration of Indian languages.

Very esoteric—not one of your regular font families
 
I have been able to use this font (DCRTimes) on my iMac by putting it into the "Classic" System Folder. Microsoft Word X sees it from there and it operates normally in Classic mode (OS X—Panther), or with Word Perfect when booted directly into OS 9.2.2.

I am beginning to think there is something about the Intel chip (MacBook), or perhaps Tiger (OS 10.4.10) that prevents the use of it on this machine (Font Explorer tells me it is lacking a screen font).

Is this possible?
 
b1hgaa88 said:
I have been able to use this font (DCRTimes) on my iMac by putting it into the "Classic" System Folder. Microsoft Word X sees it from there and it operates normally in Classic mode (OS X—Panther), or with Word Perfect when booted directly into OS 9.2.2.

... (Font Explorer tells me it is lacking a screen font).

Is this possible?
Click to expand...
All of my Classic fonts show-up and work just fine in MacOS X and Classic. I wonder if you have monged your fonts in some fashion.
 
b1hgaa88 said:
I have been able to use this font (DCRTimes) on my iMac by putting it into the "Classic" System Folder. Microsoft Word X sees it from there and it operates normally in Classic mode (OS X—Panther), or with Word Perfect when booted directly into OS 9.2.2.

I am beginning to think there is something about the Intel chip (MacBook), or perhaps Tiger (OS 10.4.10) that prevents the use of it on this machine (Font Explorer tells me it is lacking a screen font).

Is this possible?
Click to expand...

Sounds like either a corrupt font, or missing a screen font or both. Try repairing it through FontExplorer or if you have a font utility like Font Cache Cleaner you could use that too.
 
Actually, it is missing the PRINTER font (not the screen font as I mentioned before). Is there any way of generating a printer font from a screen font on the Mac (or even in Windows)?
 
I'm not aware of being able to do that, and I'm having trouble finding it at fonts.com as a font for sale...
 
b1hgaa88 said:
Actually, it is missing the PRINTER font (not the screen font as I mentioned before). Is there any way of generating a printer font from a screen font on the Mac (or even in Windows)?
Click to expand...

Didn't you also say this?

... (Font Explorer tells me it is lacking a screen font).
 
b1hgaa88 said:
... Is there any way of generating a printer font from a screen font on the Mac (or even in Windows)?
Click to expand...
This depends on your definition of "screen font." If your printer fonts are PostScript and your screen fonts are bitmapped, then you cannot convert screen fonts into printer fonts.
 
Thanks to all your replies. I don't think the font is corrupt because I can "see" the text on my iMac monitor, though not print it.

Let me expand on this somewhat for a bit more clarity.

The problem I have is as follows. I have this old font, which I always assumed was a bitmap, that I used to use without problem on my old LC II for use in Roman transliteration of Sanskrit. It is basically a Times font but with special coding to handle Roman letters with diacritical marks. Thus, e.g. an 'a' with a bar on top of it would be produced by hitting 'option a' on the keyboard. It is called "DCRTimes" (for "diacritical Times") and I always assumed it to be a bitmap. However, my FontExplorerX tells me it is a Type 1 Postscript, and that the printer font is missing.

On my old slot-loading iMac booted directly into OS 9.2.2, or running Panther, my Microsoft Word X can load a romanised Sanskrit text and view it on screen with all the diacritical marks. No problem. However, I cannot print the text—printer wants to print but shows "No job printing". This makes sense to me if FontExplorerX is right. I should add that the font is located in my Classic "System Folder."

When I try to use this same text on my Intel MacBook running Mac 10.4.10 my MSWord 2004 cannot see the font. FontExplorer sees the font in red and cannot activate it (Information panel shows "Missing printer-font file").

Unfortunately, I no long have my old LC II machine, but I can assure you all that I was fully able to load and use the font to read (on the monitor) and to print (on paper) whatever I needed. In fact, in those halcyon days all (or most) of my fonts were single suitcases—my bet is they were mostly bitmap fonts.

I first looked into the possibility of generating (creating) a 'printer' font from my 'screen' font suitcase in Fontographer, but this program will not open the file. I then looked at Fontforge (which may be used to create fonts as I understand it), but find this program totally opaque and confusing. I have read the Manual, but cannot see how to proceed. It looks like something you need the Terminal for (at least I cannot see any decent GUI on the latest version that I have).

What I am looking for is:

a) an explanation of how come I could earlier use this font in OS 7.6 (which I ran on my LC II machine), but cannot use (to print) in either OS 9.2.2 or Classic, or OS X?

b) an explanation of how to use Fontforge to generate the 'printer' font from my 'screen' font suitcase.

c) Failing this, how to proceed from here (any other software available?)

I should add that this font (DCRTimes) is not a commercial font (so will not show up on fonts.com), and I cannot remember what University originally sent it to me.
 
b1hgaa88 said:
... It is called "DCRTimes" (for "diacritical Times") and I always assumed it to be a bitmap. However, my FontExplorerX tells me it is a Type 1 Postscript, and that the printer font is missing.

On my old slot-loading iMac booted directly into OS 9.2.2, or running Panther, my Microsoft Word X can load a romanised Sanskrit text and view it on screen with all the diacritical marks. No problem. However, I cannot print the text—printer wants to print but shows "No job printing". This makes sense to me if FontExplorerX is right. I should add that the font is located in my Classic "System Folder."

...

a) an explanation of how come I could earlier use this font in OS 7.6 (which I ran on my LC II machine), but cannot use (to print) in either OS 9.2.2 or Classic, or OS X?

...

I should add that this font (DCRTimes) is not a commercial font (so will not show up on fonts.com), and I cannot remember what University originally sent it to me.
Click to expand...
Without access to the original font, it is difficult to say what should be going on or what is going wrong. If the font dates back to System 7.6, then it could be a TrueType GX or PostScript GX font with glyphs for the entire panoply of diacriticals. FWIW, TrueType GX and PostScript GX are compatible with MacOS X.

I notice that FontExplorer incorrectly identifies bitmapped fonts as Adobe Type 1. Bitmapped fonts may be standalone or they may be linked to an Adobe Type 1, but they are not Adobe Type 1 fonts. The fact that DCRTimes is not a commercial font is of little concern. There are numerous freeware and shareware fonts which are not listed by Fonts.com. However, there should be a source somewhere. I have done a Google search on the name "DCRTimes," but I get absolutely no hits. The font may have a different file name, but you don't seem to know it.
 
Have you tried installing the dcrtimes font in your macosx system/fonts folder? Found an article that says these older classic fonts (and remember this too) needed to be in the system folder in order to load.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fonts_on_the_Mac#System_7_.E2.80.93_Mac_OS_9

You may be running into an issue where apple has dropped support for older files on your newer, intel, machine and this file is an unintended casualty, or its file structure isn't allowing it to be read anymore, or its corrupt.
 
Natobasso said:
... Found an article that says these older classic fonts (and remember this too) needed to be in the system folder in order to load.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fonts_on_the_Mac#System_7_.E2.80.93_Mac_OS_9

You may be running into an issue where apple has dropped support for older files on your newer, intel, machine and this file is an unintended casualty, or its file structure isn't allowing it to be read anymore, or its corrupt.
Click to expand...
That Wikipedia piece contains some information that may not be true. As for storing printer fonts directly in the System Folder, that may have been an issue for certain applications that were hardcoded for the organization of the System 7.0 System Folder, but it was not a limitation of the fonts. The OS requirement to place printer fonts in the System Folder was removed in System 7.5, IIRC, when they are allowed to be placed in the Fonts folder with your bitmapped and TrueType fonts. This was long away and may have been earlier or it may have been later. However, it was certainly long passed by the time MacOS 9 was introduced.
 
Yes, I think you are right. This is obviously a very old font, and is probably a bitmap (incorrectly identified as a Type 1 postscript by FontExplorerX, as above). I guess I'll just have to use it with SimpleText in the future (unless I find a program that can generate a new font with it).

Thanks for all your info. The Wikepedia article was instructive (if correct).
 
MisterMe said:
That Wikipedia piece contains some information that may not be true. As for storing printer fonts directly in the System Folder, that may have been an issue for certain applications that were hardcoded for the organization of the System 7.0 System Folder, but it was not a limitation of the fonts. The OS requirement to place printer fonts in the System Folder was removed in System 7.5, IIRC, when they are allowed to be placed in the Fonts folder with your bitmapped and TrueType fonts. This was long away and may have been earlier or it may have been later. However, it was certainly long passed by the time MacOS 9 was introduced.
Click to expand...

Just showing a lot has changed since system 7 and now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top