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diff --git a/help/comp-fonts-FAQ/comp.fonts_FAQ:_Amiga_Info b/help/comp-fonts-FAQ/comp.fonts_FAQ:_Amiga_Info new file mode 100644 index 0000000000..49ef248971 --- /dev/null +++ b/help/comp-fonts-FAQ/comp.fonts_FAQ:_Amiga_Info @@ -0,0 +1,334 @@ +Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!news.mathworks.com!zombie.ncsc.mil!newsgate.duke.edu!news-feed-1.peachnet.edu!paperboy.wellfleet.com!news3.near.net!amber.ora.com!not-for-mail +From: norm@ora.com (Norman Walsh) +Newsgroups: comp.fonts,comp.answers,news.answers +Subject: comp.fonts FAQ: Amiga Info +Supersedes: <font-faq-13_817479312@ora.com> +Followup-To: poster +Date: 14 Aug 1996 10:35:18 -0400 +Organization: O'Reilly and Associates, Inc. +Lines: 311 +Sender: norm@ruby.ora.com +Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu +Distribution: world +Expires: 27 Sep 1996 14:34:08 GMT +Message-ID: <font-faq-13_840033248@ora.com> +References: <font-faq-1_840033248@ora.com> +Reply-To: norm@ora.com (Norman Walsh) +NNTP-Posting-Host: ruby.ora.com +Summary: This posting answers frequently asked questions about fonts. + It addresses both general font questions and questions that + are specific to a particular platform. +X-Web-Homepage: http://www.ora.com/homepages/comp.fonts/ +Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu comp.fonts:48310 comp.answers:20524 news.answers:79245 + +Archive-name: fonts-faq/part13 +Version: 2.1.5 + +Subject: 8. Amiga Information + + Daniel Amor contributes the following sections: + + Font Concepts + ============= + + The Amiga is able to use two different concepts of fonts. First of all + there are the bitmap fonts. These fonts are created by drawing a letter + pixel for pixel onto the screen. The advantage is that they look good + at small sizes, but are not very good for printout. Also they don't + look very good when you change their size. Therefore you have to + recreate the font for each size. Second there are the vector fonts. + They are created by curves which are stored as mathematical formula. + This has the advantage that changing the sizes does not effect the + output. But this only applies for larger sizes and print-outs. Vector + fonts also use less memory. + + Amiga Font Formats + ================== + + 1. Agfa IntelliFont (suffix: .type or .lib) is the native font format + on the Amiga. You can use it in any application and it can be + converted to the standard bitmap format using the system + utilities `IntelliFont' (OS 3.x) or `Fountain' (OS 2.x). + + 2. Postscript Type 1 fonts can be used within many applications, it + can be used in every word processor and DTP program. There are + two versions of the Type 1 format: Binary and ASCII (suffix: + .pfb & .pfa). The Amiga software uses the Binary format, but you + can easily convert them with TypeSmith or some PD software + products (z.B. PFB2PFA) . In Addition to the files mentioned + above, there are the metrics files with the suffixes .afm or + .pfm. They contain information about the size (width) of the + letters and most programs expect this file to be in the same + directory as the font file. + + 3. Postscript Type 3 fonts (suffix: .ps or nothing) are not often + used on the Amiga, but some applications do support this font + format (e.g. PageStream). There are also some download + utilities from PD sources available. + + 4. Truetype fonts (suffix: .ttf) are not very common on the Amiga, + there is one word processor supporting this format (Wordworth + 3.0). Due to the lower quality of the format, Amiga users tend + to use higher quality for their DTP, DTV and word processing... + There are also two formats: Mac & Windows available. The Amiga + software is able to use the Windows format. + + 5. DMF fonts is the privat format of PageStream (suffix: .dmf), since + PageStream is the market leader in DTP programs on the Amiga, so + this format is very common! + + 6. Bitmap fonts (suffix: .font and numbers in a directory by the name + of the font, sometimes .otag when converted from IntelliFont) + were used in the OS 1.x, but have been replaced by the superior + IntelliFont Format in OS 2.0. Under 2.0 or higher you still are + able to use the bitmap fonts for small sizes, but for printouts + you should use the IntelliFont format or any other vector font + format mentioned above. + + 7. Colour Bitmap fonts (same suffixes as Bitmap Fonts, but the + numbers have in addition a C, e.g. 35C) are also very common on + the Amiga, they are mainly used for DTV applications, like the + Video Toaster and Scala. + + Frequently Requested Amiga Fonts + ================================ + + 1. First place to look for fonts is the AMINET archive. This is the + biggest archive of Amiga software and there you will find also + quite a lot of fonts. The Aminet consists of many mirrors + around the world. Here are some of them: + + 1. ftp.wustl.edu, + + 2. ftp.luth.se, + + 3. ftp.eunet.ch, + + 4. ftp.uni-paderborn.de, + + 5. ftp.doc.ic.ac.uk. + + Just log in as ftp and go to the directory + + /pub/aminet/text/font. + + 2. Another good ftp server to look is the CICA-server: + + 1. ftp.cica.indiana.edu + + To this server are also some mirrors around the world available. + + 3. Also a good place to look for is the following WWW server: + + 1. http://www.ora.com/homepages/comp.fonts/ifa + + 4. Another good place is the Fresh Fonts I CD-ROM, there you will + almost certainly find some nice fonts. The CD is available from + + 1. Fred Fish / Amiga Library Services (orders@amigalib.com) + + 2. Stefan Ossowski / Schatztruhe GmbH + + The CD is for free when buying another CD from that company. + + You can also access the HTML pages on the CD under the following + address: + + 1. http://macke.gris.informatik.uni-tuebingen.de:4711/~damor/ + + Commercial Font Sources + ======================= + + Commercial fonts can be obtained from a number of different companies, + including the large font houses: Adobe, Font Haus, Font Company, + Bitstream, and Monotype. At these companies, fonts cost about $40 for a + single face, and must be purchased in packages. Adobe, Bitstream, and + Monotype also sell pre-designated type collections for slightly lower + prices. + + There are also a lot of PD reseller who have a vast quantity of fonts, + check out your local Amiga magazin for more information. + + Please consult the vendor list for a more complete list of vendors. + + Non-Latin fonts on the Amiga + ============================ + + Due to the really bad information policy by C= there was actually no + information about non-latin fonts. But still it is possible to use them, + without difficulty. You just have to get yourself some additional + files. First of all you need the non-latin font files. There is a + large selection of them on the Fresh Fonts CD-ROM mentioned above. In + order to use the non-latin font files, you have to get yourself the + appropriate keymap file, this will remap the keys on the keyboard to + the appropriate letters of the foreign alphabet, e.g. in order to use + a Russian font, you should set the russian keymap file in the + preferences (via PREFS/INPUT). + + Not only that you can write with a non-latin alphabet, you can also + localize your workbench. How about a Greek workbench or a Hebrew + workbench? Have a look into the AMINET archive (mentioned above) for + these files! + + In addition to this you can easily use Hebrew & Arabic in any word + processor incl. writing from right-to-left! This can be easily done + by setting the kerning value to negative values (like this the cursor + moves left and not right) and moving the characters into the negativ + part! You can get fonts from me with this feature! + + Amiga Font Installation + ======================= + + The installation of Postscript, DMF and Truetype fonts is described by + the application that use them. Please refer to the manuals of the + software packages. + + The installation of IntelliFonts is very easy. Just start `IntelliFont' + (OS 3.x) or `Fountain' (OS 2.x) and follow the guidelines from within + the program. + + In order to install bitmap fonts, either copy them to the logical device + FONTS: or assign the directory with your bitmap fonts: + + ASSIGN Fonts: <your_directory> ADD + + Right after this you can start your application and use them. When using + non-latin fonts, don't forget to set the appropriate keymap file! + + Amiga Font Utilities + ==================== + + 1. IntelliFont + + IntelliFont is the system program by OS 3.x which lets you install + Agfa IntelliFonts and converts them to bitmap fonts. The program + is located in the drawer `SYS:System/'. For more information + read your Workbench 3.x manual. + + 2. Fountain + + Is the preceding program to IntelliFont and comes with the now + obsolete OS 2.x. Please read the section about Fountain in your + Workbench 2.x manual. + + 3. PFB2PFA + + This neat little utility lets you convert Postscript Binary files + to Postscript ASCII files. This is needed in order to use DOS & + Amiga Adobe Type 1 fonts on the Mac! + + 4. CacheFont + + This great program caches the fontlist for you, in order to save a + huge amount of time. The program looks for all fonts available + on the system and creates a special cache-file on disk. + + 5. TypeSmith + + This is the best font converter on the Amiga, besides this + function it is also a full blown font editor (see below) :-). + The program is able to convert between: + + 1. Truetype + + 2. DMF + + 3. Adobe (Type 1 & 3) + + 4. IntelliFont + + 5. Bitmap (Amiga, Adobe, DMF) + + Making Outline Fonts + ==================== + + This is very, very difficult. Many people imagine that there are + programs that will simply convert pictures into fonts for them. This is + not the case; most fonts are painstakingly created by drawing curves + that closely approximate the letterforms. In addition, special rules + (which improve hinting, etc.) mandate that these curves be drawn in + specific ways. Even designing, or merely digitizing, a simple font can + take hundreds of hours. + + The easiest way of learning how to create fonts, is to have a look at + existing fonts and try to change some letters. + + Given that, there are two major programs used for font design on the + Amiga, TypeSmith 2.5 ($150) and FontDesigner ($100). These programs + will allow you to import scanned images, and then trace them with + drawing tools. The programs will then generate Adobe type 1, 3, + TrueType, AGFA Intellifont, DMF and Bitmap fonts for either the + Amiga, the Macintosh or the IBM PC. They will also generate automatic + hinting. They also open previously constructed outline fonts, + allowing them to be modified, or converted into another format. + + As far as I know, there are no shareware programs that allows you to + generate outline fonts. + + There are also two programs for creating bitmap fonts. Personal Fonts + Maker and Calligrapher. The second one has not been updated for several + years, but it still is a good tool to work with. The first Program was + created by adding some features to a good bitmap paint program + (Personal Paint). + + There are some shareware tools to create bitmap fonts which you can + convert to outline (vector) fonts with TypeSmith. + + Problems and Possible Solutions + =============================== + + 1. Pagestream does not recognize your newly installed font. + + This happens when you have two fonts with the same ID. The + solution is to load such a font into a font editor and enter a + new ID for one of the fonts. Still it might happen that you + choose another one, that has already been used by! + + 2. Your application does not find the IntelliFont. + + This happens when you haven't set the locigal device FONTS: to + your drawer. You can change this by typing the following + command into your SHELL or add this line to your + `S:User-Startup' file: + + ASSIGN Fonts: <your_drawer> ADD + + 3. You're using a non-latin font and the wrong characters appear when + typing. + + This happens when you forget to set the appropriate keymap file. + Enter the Prefs directory and start the program `INPUT'. There + you can choose your keymap file. + + Adobe Type 1 fonts for the Amiga + ================================ + + Darrell Leland contributes the following information: + + There are now three high end DTP packages for the Amiga that can + directly or indirectly use Adobe Type 1 Fonts or AGFA Compugraphic + fonts. The best of the lot in both my and Amiga World's opinions is + SoftLogik's Pagestream, currently in version 2.2 but about to go to + version 3.0. Pagestream can take Adobe fonts in MS-DOS format directly + with no format conversion needed. All you have to do is get them on an + Amiga format disk, which is very easy using the new version of + Commodore's Workbench operating system. Pagestream has import modules + for MacWrite, Adobe Illustrator, and every other format in the universe + (seems like). It is generally a very stable and well behaved program + with a lot of features. I haven't had a chance to see 3.0 yet, but they + are claiming it's going to be a real killer. We shall see. It does color + seps, twists and rotates fonts, etc. Pagestream's job has been made + easier with Commodore's (about time) release of their own Postscript + printer drivers and Preferences postscript printer control tools. + + SoftLogik also sells a program called Typesmith, which is (at last!) a + structured font maker/editor for the Amiga. Typesmith will work with + both formats mentioned above plus SoftLogik's own font format, which I + get the impression they are discontinuing in favor of Postscript. They + also sell ArtExpression, a very nice structured drawing package that + does everything I can think of. I understand SoftLogik has also been + getting several Mac and PC font makers to make Amiga fonts for them too. + They even have a program system that allows programs to publish to other + programs, sort of like in Mac System 7.0. They are lisencing it out to + any Amiga developer who pays a paltry sum to lisence it. + |