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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: Utilities
+Supersedes: <font-faq-16_817479312@ora.com>
+Followup-To: poster
+Date: 14 Aug 1996 10:35:35 -0400
+Organization: O'Reilly and Associates, Inc.
+Lines: 519
+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-16_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:48313 comp.answers:20527 news.answers:79248
+
+Archive-name: fonts-faq/part16
+Version: 2.1.5
+
+Subject: 11. Utilities Information
+
+ I have just started collecting information about font utilities. I
+ will gladly add any information that you can pass my way. Please send
+ your submissions to norm.
+
+ I would appreciate it if you could include a paragraph or so of
+ description and the appropriate site/filename for retrieval.
+
+Subject: 11.1. How do I convert AFM files to PFM files
+
+ You can get afm2pfm and pfm2afm files from
+ http://www.ora.com/homepages/comp.fonts/FAQ-tools.html.
+
+Subject: 11.2. PS2PK
+
+ PS2PK is a utility for converting Type1 postscript fonts into TeX PK
+ files. The source code is distributed and it has been compiled for
+ both *nix boxes and MS-DOS based machines.
+
+ Here is the original announcement:
+
+ Ps2pk-1.2 available
+ -------------------
+ (June 1992)
+
+ Version 1.2 of ps2pk is now available on:
+ ftp.urc.tue.nl (address: 131.155.2.79)
+ directory: /pub/tex
+ files: ps2pk12.README ( 1k) This file
+ ps2pk12.tar.Z (391k) Sources
+ ps2pk386.zip (232k) MSDOS executables
+ utopia.tar.Z (342k) Adobe Utopia font family
+ courier.tar.Z (207k) IBM Courier font family
+
+ For people having difficulties in handling UNIX `.tar.Z' format I
+ have made some UNIX tools (only executables) available in:
+ directories: /pub/unixtools/dos
+ /pub/unixtools/vms
+
+ See the system specific TARZ file for some help.
+
+ Ftp.urc.tue.nl can not handle E-mail requests. But sites are free
+ to put the ps2pk12 stuff on any server that can.
+
+ When do you need ps2pk?
+ =======================
+
+ Ps2pk is a tool that converts a PostScript type1 font into a corres-
+ ponding TeX PK font. The tool is especially interesting if you want to
+ use fully hinted type1 fonts in your DVI previewer (instead of the
+ unhinted type1 fonts currently used in GhostScript) or on a printer
+ that has no PostScript interpreter.
+
+ In order to use the ps2pk generated fonts your driver and previewer need
+ to support virtual fonts. The reason is that PostScript fonts and TeX
+ fonts do have a different font encoding and handle ligatures in a
+ different way. With virtual fonts the PostScript world (encoding +
+ ligatures) can be mapped to the old style TeX world on which the current
+ plain macro packages still are based (despite the fact that TeX3.0 can
+ handle 8bits).
+
+ It is also possible to use the ps2pk generated PK fonts directly
+
+Subject: 11.3. TeX Utilities
+
+ There are many TeX font utilities. For TeX related questions, I direct
+ you to comp.text.tex or the Info-TeX mailing list. I will happily list
+ any utilities here that the comp.fonts public feels should be present.
+ I am listing MetaFont because it is the obvious font-specific component
+ of TeX and PKtoSFP because it allows anyone to use PS2PK to create
+ LaserJet softfonts.
+
+ Liam R. E. Quin is the original author of the MetaFont section. It has
+ been hacked at a bit by norm to make it fit the tone of the comp.fonts
+ FAQ. Assume that norm is responsible for any errors, not Liam.
+
+ MetaFont
+ ========
+
+ About MetaFont:
+ ---------------
+
+ Metafont is a programming language for describing fonts. It was
+ written by Donald Knuth and is documented in
+
+ Computers & Typesetting/C: The METAFONTbook
+ Knuth, Donald E.
+ Addison Wesley, 1986
+ ISBN 0-201-13445-4, or 0-201-13444-6 (soft cover)
+ Library access: Z250.8.M46K58, or 686.2'24, or 85-28675.
+
+ A font written in MetaFont is actually a computer program which, when
+ run, will generate a bitmap (`raster') for a given typeface at a given
+ size, for some particular device.
+
+ What do you need in order to use the fonts:
+ -------------------------------------------
+
+ You cannot print the MetaFont fonts directly (unless you want a listing
+ of the program, that is). Instead, you must generate a bitmap font and
+ use that to print something.
+
+ If you are using TeX, the sequence of steps is something like this:
+
+ MF to MetaFont to GF
+ Convert a MetaFont program into a bitmapped font. Also produces a
+ TFM file.
+
+ MF to MetaFont to TFM
+ Covnert a MetaFont program into a TFM file. Also produces a
+ GF bitmapped font.
+
+ GF to GFtoPK to PK
+ Convert a GF bitmapped font into a compressed PK font.
+
+ TEX + TFM to TeX to DVI
+ Produce a device independent output file.
+
+ DVI + PK to dvi driver to output format
+ Produce a device-specific output file (or preview).
+
+ The above steps are idealized. In reality, you have to make sure that
+ the fonts get installed in the correct places and you may have to
+ adjust description files, etc. The friendly folks on comp.text.tex can
+ probably get it staightened out for you if you can't find a local guru.
+
+ If you are not using TeX, it's almost impossible to predict. At some
+ point in the above sequence, you'll insert some other conversion
+ program and proceed differently. Here, for example, is how you might
+ use TeX fonts with WordPerfect and a LaserJet printer.
+
+ PK to PKtoSFP to SFP
+ Convert a TeX PK file into an HP LaserJet softfont.
+
+ SFP to SFP2Auto to TFM
+ Make HP AutoFont Tagged Font Metric file.
+
+ SFP + HP AutoFont TFM to PTR to Installed in WP
+ Install the new font in WordPerfect.
+
+ Use WordPerfect as you normally would.
+
+Subject: 11.4. MFPic
+
+ MFpic is a macro package for including pictures in TeX documents. The
+ idea behind this package is to have Metafont do the actual drawing, and
+ store the pictures in a font that TeX can include in the document. The
+ macros have been designed so that the user should never have to learn
+ Metafont to use these macros--the TeX macros actually write the
+ Metafont file for you.
+
+Subject: 11.5. fig2MF
+
+ Briefly, fig2MF uses the mfpic macros to create formatted, commented MF
+ code from the fig graphics language. This means that programs like xfig
+ can be used as interactive font creation tools. I wrote fig2MF so that
+ I could portably illustrate TeX documents, but I suppose one could use
+ it to design letterforms as well.
+
+ The package consists of a single C source code file, modified mfpic
+ macros, documentation, and sample fig files. It is available at the
+ shsu archives.
+
+Subject: 11.6. GNU Font Utilities
+
+ Here is a brief description of the programs included:
+
+ * imageto extracts a bitmap font from an image in PBM or IMG format,
+ or converts the image to Encapsulated PostScript.
+
+ * xbfe is a hand-editor for bitmap fonts which runs under X11.
+
+ * charspace adds side bearings to a bitmap font.
+
+ * limn fits outlines to bitmap characters.
+
+ * bzrto converts a generic outline font to Metafont or PostScript.
+
+ * gsrenderfont renders a PostScript outline font at a particular
+ point size and resolution, yielding a bitmap font.
+
+ * fontconvert can rearrange or delete characters in a bitmap font,
+ filter them, split them into pieces, combine them, etc., etc.
+
+ * imgrotate rotates or flips an IMG file.
+
+ We need volunteers to help create fonts for the GNU project. You do not
+ need to be an expert type designer to help, but you do need to know
+ enough about TeX and/or PostScript to be able to install and test new
+ fonts. Example: if you know neither (1) the purpose of TeX utility
+ program `gftopk' nor (2) what the PostScript `scalefont' command does,
+ you probably need more experience before you can help.
+
+ If you can volunteer, the first step is to compile the font utilities.
+ After that, contact me [ed: Karl Berry] (karl@gnu.ai.mit.edu). I will
+ get you a scanned type specimen image. The manual explains how to use
+ these utilities to turn that into a font you can use in TeX or
+ PostScript.
+
+ You can get the source by ftp from any GNU archive site.
+
+ You can also order tapes with GNU software from the Free Software
+ Foundation (thereby supporting the GNU project); send mail to
+ gnu@prep.ai.mit.edu for the latest prices and ordering information, or
+ retrieve the file DISTRIB from a GNU archive.
+
+ This is Info file compfont.info, produced by Makeinfo-1.55 from the
+ input file FAQ.texinfo.
+
+Subject: 11.7. Font Editors
+
+ * Editors for BDF fonts
+
+ There is a bdf font editor that comes with HP/Apollo workstations.
+ It's called 'edfont'. It's not the best but it works.
+
+ Gary reports:
+
+ The standard X distribution for X11R5 contains "xfed", which
+ allows you to play with BDF fonts. "xfedor" has a more elaborate
+ user interface, and is available on most contrib directories.
+
+ The last time I tried:
+
+ "xfedor" couldn't handle BDF files with more than 256 characters.
+
+ "xfed" aborts if the BDF file contains a COMMENT line with no other
+ text. The workaround is to edit the BDF file, to put text after
+ the word COMMENT. A single blank space is sufficient. For some
+ reason, the standard BDF files included in the X release contain
+ blank spaces on the otherwise empty COMMENT lines. It was
+ probably easier to add the space to the COMMENT lines of every BDF
+ file than it was to fix the lex code for xfed. :-)
+
+ * Editors for PK fonts
+
+ The GNU font utilities include an X-based editor called Xbfe which
+ edits bitmapped fonts under X.
+
+ Eberhard Mattes' emTeX includes PKedit.
+
+Subject: 11.8. The T1 Utilities
+
+ This is a snippet from the README file for I. Lee Hetherington's
+ t1utils package:
+
+ t1utils is a collection of simple type-1 font manipulation programs.
+ Together, they allow you to convert between PFA (ASCII) and PFB
+ (binary) formats, disassemble PFA or PFB files into human-readable
+ form, reassemble them into PFA or PFB format. Additionally you can
+ extract font resources from a Macintosh font file (ATM/Laserwriter).
+
+Subject: 11.9. Where to get bitmap versions of the fonts
+
+ There are archives containing the bitmaps of many of these fonts at
+ various sizes and resolutions. The fonts must have been generated for
+ the correct print engine: e.g. write-white or write-black. The
+ archives generally hold only the sizes used by TeX. These are
+ `magstep' sizes, and are not exact point sizes. It is probably better
+ to generate them from the Metafont sources yourself if you can.
+
+ The best place to look for raster fonts was almost certainly:
+ mims-iris.waterloo.edu
+
+ but it isn't any more, the fonts have all gone. Let me know if you
+ find them elsewhere. Most people seem to have moved to using
+ PostScript fonts or Bitstream ones instead now.
+
+ Some other sites are:
+
+ ftp.cica.indiana.edu
+ mac.archive.umich.edu
+ ftp.shsu.edu
+ ftp.tex.ac.uk
+ ftp.dante.de
+
+ The occasional posting of ftp sites to comp.misc and comp.archives
+ lists these and several other sites.
+
+Subject: 11.10. Converting between font formats
+
+ Conversions to and from pbm and pk format were posted to comp.text.tex
+ and to alt.sources on the 9th of August, 1990 by Angus Duggan. The
+ program is pbmtopk, and there are also at least two patches.
+
+ Chris Lewis' psroff package includes a program to go from pk both to
+ the HP LaserJet and to PostScript.
+
+ John McClain <ophelp@tamvenus.bitnet> has some conversion programs for
+ various graphics formats to/and from pk files.
+
+ A PC program, CAPTURE, turns HPGL files into PK format, US$130 from
+ Micro Programs Inc., 251 Jackson Ave., Syosset, NY 11791 U.S.A.
+
+ Metaplot can take pen-plotter files and prouce metafont files. Note:
+ Pat Wilcox is no longer at Ohio State.
+
+ Kinch Computer Company sell .pk fonts derived from PostScript fonts.
+ Kinch Computer Co., 501 S. Meadow St.Ithaca, NY 14850 U.S.A.
+ telephone: +1 607 273 0222; fax: +1 607 273 0484
+
+Subject: 11.11. Getting fonts by FTP and Mail
+
+ If you are using ftp, you will need either the name of the host or the
+ Internet number. For example, to connect to ftp.ora.com, listed as
+ ftp: ftp.ora.com [198.112.208.11] you will need to type something like
+
+ ftp ftp.ora.com
+
+ If that doesn't work, try using the number:
+
+ ftp 198.112.208.11
+
+ If that doesn't work, on Unix systems you can use nslookup (it's
+ usually /usr/etc/nslookup) to find the host number - it might have
+ changed. Type the entire host name, and after a few seconds nslookup
+ will give you the address. Of course, if you have nslookup installed,
+ the first form will probably work...
+
+ Once you have connected, you will need to go to the appropriate
+ directory, lists its contents, and retrieve the files.
+
+ Most of the machines listed here run Unix, and you use "ls" and "cd" to
+ list files and to change directories. On machines that run VMS, you
+ will have to put square brackets around directory names, like [this].
+
+ Remember that although Metafont sources are text files, pk fonts are
+ not ASCII, and you will have to use binary mode for them. In general,
+ use text mode for README files and *.mf files, and binary mode for
+ other font files. Files ending in .Z are compressed binary files - you
+ will need to use binary mode, and then uncompress the files when you
+ get them.
+
+ There is an ftp-by-mail BITNET service, BITFTP, for BITNET users.
+
+ Before getting large files by mail, please remember to get permission
+ from all intervening sites. Ask your site administrator, who can send
+ mail to Postmaster at each site on the way if necessary.
+
+Subject: 11.12. MetaFont to PostScript Conversion
+
+ There are (I believe) three programs that perform this task. At least
+ one of them is called "mf2ps". If you have any more information about
+ these tools, please let me know.
+
+ Chang Jin-woong reports that he found the "mf2ps" package with Archie.
+ It is written by Shimon Yanai <yanai@israearn.bitnet> and Daniel M.
+ Berry <dberry@cs.technion.ac.il>. The source programs are written in
+ Pascal.
+
+ MetaFog, a commercial conveter by Richard Kinch, is available on request
+ to TrueTeX owners.
+
+Subject: 11.13. How to use Metafont fonts with Troff
+
+ If, when you run troff, you get the message `typesetter busy', you have
+ the original Ossanna-troff, also called otroff. Chris Lewis has a
+ package which will let you use TeX fonts with troff - it's called
+ psroff, and comes with documentation.
+
+ ftp: gatekeeper.dec.com (16.1.0.2) pub/misc/psroff-3.0
+ ftp: ftp.cs.toronto.edu [128.100.1.105] pub/psroff-3.0/*
+
+ If, when you run troff, you get something like this:
+
+ x T 300
+ x res 300 1 1
+
+ you have ditroff. This is sometimes called titroff or psroff. In this
+ case, you will probably need to do the following:
+
+ 1. convert the font to your printer's format
+
+ 2. generate a width table for the font
+
+ 3. add the font to the DESC file for the appropriate device
+
+ 4. arrange for troff to download the font
+
+ 5. tell troff about the font by running `makedev DESC' in the
+ right place.
+
+ If, when you run troff, you get something like this:
+
+ X hp(SCM)(CM)(AF)(AD) 300 1 1
+ Y P default letter 2550 3300 0 0 90 90 2460 3210
+
+ you have sqtroff:
+
+ 1. convert the font to your printer's format
+
+ 2. generate a width table for the font
+
+ 3. add the font to the DESC file for the appropriate device
+
+ 4. put the font in the appropriate raster directory
+
+ 5. tell sqtroff about the font by running `sqmakedev DESC' or
+ `sqinstall'.
+
+ In each case, you should be able to get help from your vendor.
+
+ Note that Chris Lewis' psroff package has software to make width tables
+ for troff from pk files.
+
+Subject: 11.14. PKtoBDF / MFtoBDF
+
+ From the SeeTeX distribution, programs to help previewers under X11.
+ They convert TeX PK files into X11 BDF fonts (which can be further
+ converted into one or more server native formats).
+
+Subject: 11.15. PKtoPS
+
+ Included in the psroff distribution, this utility converts PK fonts
+ into PostScript fonts (bitmaps, I presume). If you have any more
+ information about these tools, please let me know.
+
+Subject: 11.16. PKtoSFP / SFPtoPK
+
+ Convert fonts from TeX PK format to HP LaserJet softfont (bitmap)
+ format.
+
+Subject: 11.17. PostScript to MetaFont
+
+ ps2mf started out as a way of creating bitmaps via MF for TeX. Only,
+ when I had just finished it, Piet Tutelaers came with ps2pk. This was a
+ far superior way runtime-wise. He uses the IBM X11-R5 fontutilities
+ library, which is extremely ugly code. But, it works. So, to generate
+ bitmaps, I suggest everyone use ps2pk.
+
+ To generate a MF outline description, ps2mf is *the* tool. Yannis
+ Haralambous has just started a project where he wants to create
+ meta-ized fonts for MF from Postscript descriptions. ps2mf does the
+ basic conversion. This project wants to revive the use of MF for it is
+ a truly beautiful program with enormous possiblities.
+
+ The following information comes from the README file for ps2mf:
+
+ This is pfb2mf. It is a copyleft program. See the file COPYING for more
+ details. I suggest that for the translation of Type-One to readable
+ PostScript you use I. Lee Hetherington's Type-1-Utils. You can find
+ these somewhere on obelix.icce.rug.nl in pub/erikjan.
+
+ If you find any bugs, please do report.
+
+ If you have any complaints, please do report.
+
+ Now for some info about the different stages. This package contains
+ four programs:
+
+ * pfb2pfa
+
+ * pfa2chr
+
+ * chr2ps
+
+ * ps2mf
+
+ pfb2pfa
+ =======
+
+ pfb2pfa will decompress an IBM (!) Postscript type 1 fontfile into
+ readable and downloadable hexadecimal data.
+
+ The resulting file still contains two layers of encryption:
+
+ * eexec encryption
+
+ * charstring encryption
+
+ pfa2chr
+ =======
+
+ pfa2chr will do an eexec-decryption of a readable hexadecimal font file
+ to a fontfile with encrypted charstrings.
+
+ chr2ps
+ ======
+
+ chr2ps will perform a charstring-decryption of a font file with
+ encrypted charstrings to fontfile with postscript commands for type 1
+ fonts.
+
+ With a "-" as filename, these programs will read from <stdin> and write
+ to <stdout>. This way you can pipe the results, as in:
+
+ pfb2pfa garmnd - | pfa2chr - - | chr2ps - garmnd
+
+ This will create a garmnd.ps from garmnd.pfb without explicitely
+ creating the intermediate files.
+
+ These previous stages can be replaced by (when using Lee Hetherington's
+ type-1-utils):
+
+ t1disasm garmnd.pfb garmnd.ps
+
+ ps2mf
+ =====
+
+ This last stage will convert to a MetaFont program with the use of the
+ corresponding .afm file and a mapping configuration file. It can
+ convert to an ordinary form with Bezier controlpoints. It can also
+ generate a curl specification. For this last option specifify -C.
+
+Subject: 11.18. Mac Bitmaps to BDF Format
+
+ I [ed: who?] have posted a program which I hacked together for
+ extracting all NFNT and FONT resources from a MacBinary form of a
+ standard Mac file and dumping the fonts as Adobe BDF files. It has only
+ been compiled and tested on a Sun system to date. It can be fetched
+ from METIS.COM, /pub/mac2bdf.c.
+
+ I wrote this tool to be able to use Mac Bitmaps under X Windows and
+ OpenWindows (which take Adobe BDF format files).
+