Managing Your Work Environment > Installing Fonts > 
Installing Adobe Postscript Type 1 Fonts
 
 
 

When installing Windows and Macintosh Adobe Postscript Type 1 fonts in Backdraft Conform, you must first transfer the font files to the Backdraft Conform system. Then you convert them into a format recognizable by the software. The converter used depends on the source of the font (Windows or Macintosh).

An Adobe Postscript Type 1 font consists of two files. The .pfb file contains the outlines for each character. The .afm file contains the Adobe font metrics. If the AFM file is not present, you can still use the font in Backdraft Conform; however, it is preferable to have the AFM file, since it supplies Linux with additional font information, including kerning-pair data.

You can transfer the font files using an NFS or FTP utility. For fonts transferred from a Windows system to a Linux system, you can then use the pfbtopfa utility to convert the Windows printer font binary (.pfb) file to a Linux-friendly outline font (.pfa) file. The AFM file does not require conversion.

For Adobe Postscript Type 1 fonts transferred from a Macintosh to a Linux system, you must install a font-conversion utility, such as t1utils.

To use Adobe Postscript Type 1 fonts:

  1. Use FTP Explorer or a similar file transfer utility to move the fonts from the Windows or Macintosh machine.
  2. In the transfer utility, set the transfer format to binary mode.
    NoteIn Mac OS 9 (and earlier) TCP programs, select the MacBinary option. In OS X, you will need to install a utility, such as BinJuggler, to encode the files before transferring.
  3. Transfer the font files to the directory of your choice on the Linux system, keeping the outline file and AFM file together.
  4. On the Linux system, go to the directory where you transferred the font files.
  5. For files transferred from a Windows machine, convert the outline file from a printer font binary (.pfb) file to a printer font ascii (.pfa) file using the pfbtopfa utility:

    pfbtopfa <font name>.bin

    For example, to convert the Myriad font, type:

    pfbtopfa myriad.bin

  6. For files transferred from a Macintosh, use a font-conversion utility (such as t1utils) to convert the font files.
  7. After converting the font, clean up the directory by deleting the <font name>.bin files.
  8. The next time you start Backdraft Conform, you can load and select the fonts.