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+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.
+