Copyright: Copyright (c) 1998-2002 Acute Systems
Citation: Copyright (c) 1998-2002 Acute Systems


AFM
AFM (Adobe Font Metric): File name extension for a text file containing font metrics (font names, character widths, kerning, etc) for a PostScript Type1 font. This file is not of much use on the Mac.


ATM
ATM (Adobe Type Manager): Software for the Mac and PC that allows them to display and print Type1 PostScript fonts.


FFIL
A Mac font suitcase file that can contain one or more screen font resources, FOND resources or TrueType resources. The Mac file type for this file is FFIL.


Contents
CrossFont TM

Copyright © 1998-2002 Paul E. Thomson

CrossFont for Windows can convert TrueType and PostScript Type1 fonts between Macintosh and PC platforms. Features include automatic file recognition, drag and drop, folder searching, font outlines and hinting are preserved, OS X dfont support, NT SFM support. CrossFont runs under Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, and XP.

Click on a topic below to find more information:

Converting Mac Fonts to PC

Converting PC Fonts to Mac

More About Font Files

Using CrossFont

Point and Click Graphic Reference

Troubleshooting

Registering CrossFont

Glossary

More information available on the web:

Download the latest version of CrossFont:   http://www.asy.com/sharecf.htm

CrossFont FAQ and Help:   http://www.asy.com/helpcf.htm

Register CrossFont:   http://www.asy.com/regcf.htm

Useful Web Links Page:   http://www.asy.com/links.htm

Disclaimer:
This software and any support from Acute Systems are provided "as is" and without warranty, express or implied. Acute Systems specifically disclaims any implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. In no event will Acute Systems be liable for any damages, including but not limited to any lost profits, lost savings or any incidental or consequential damages, whether resulting from impaired or lost data, software or computer failure or any other cause, or for any other claim by user or for any third party claim.

Use CrossFont within the boundaries of your font licenses.

CrossFont and TransMac are trademarks of Acute Systems.

Product and company names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Acute Systems
PO Box 37
Algonquin, IL 60102

USA
Web Site: www.asy.com
Email: info@asy.com


More About Font Files

Where are installed font files located?

Windows: Font files are usually in the "\Windows\Fonts" or "\WINNT\Fonts" folder. ATM PostScript Type1 fonts are usually in the "\psfonts" folder

Mac: Both TrueType and Type1 font files usually go into the "System:Fonts" folder.

Note: Some applications may handle fonts themselves instead of using the operating system. In this case font files may be stored in folders elsewhere on the file system.

Differences between Mac and PC files:

The PC and Mac differ in the way they store files. On a Mac each file can have two parts called forks. The data fork holds data (text, images, etc.). The resource fork holds resources (icons, fonts, menus, sounds, etc.). There are actually two files linked to one name in the file system. PCs only have one file linked to each name. Macs also have two four character fields stored with the name for each file. They are called the type and creator. The type field tells the Mac software what type of file it is. The creator is a unique signature identifying a program on the Mac. This field tells the Mac OS what program to launch if the files icon is clicked. PCs identify files with a file name extension. This is the characters after a period at the end of the file name. It used to be limited to three characters from the DOS days, but it can now be larger on current Windows versions. This tells Windows both what type of file it is and what program to launch if the icon is clicked. Unlike the Mac, you have to tell Windows what program goes with what extension (this can also be done automatically by a setup program).

How can font files be identified?

PC extensions are easy to identify in Windows since they are part of the file name. Windows has an option to block the extension so the user does not see it. You can switch this off or just use Icons to identify files. Mac type and creator attributes are not displayed by the operating system. There are small utility programs that will display this information. If you use TransMac, the type and creator are displayed with the file name.

Here are the essential files needed for each font type and platform:

Windows TrueType font: A single file with the extension TTF.

Windows Type1 font: Two files with extensions PFB and PFM.

Mac TrueType: Stored as one font per file (type tfil) or as a font family with many fonts in one file (type FFIL). Most Mac fonts exist in a resource file. Each resource file can contain many resources. Each Mac TrueType font resource must also have a corresponding FOND resource. The FOND is used by the Mac font rendering mechanism.

Mac Type1: Two resource files are needed. The font outline data is stored in a file with type LWFN and is analogous to the PFB file on a PC. The second file (type ffil or FFIL) contains both FOND resources and bitmap screen font resources.

(FFIL is a Mac font suitcase which can contain a collection of Mac TrueType and/or screen fonts.)

Requirements for using TrueType and Type1 fonts:

Windows 2000/XP have built in support for both TrueType and Type1 fonts. Windows 95/98/ME have built in support for TrueType fonts, but require Adobe Type Manager (ATM) to use Type1 fonts. Adobe has a free lite Windows version of ATM (see the Web Links page of our web site).

Mac OS X has built in support for both TrueType and Type1 fonts. Earlier OS versions support TrueType fonts, but require ATM for Type1 fonts. Adobe has a free lite Mac version of ATM (see the Web Links page of our web site).


ENC
ENC: Suggested PC file name extension for a Type1 font encoding vector file. These files are listed in the "Change encoding to" drop box. Selecting one will change a fonts encoding vector before and files are generated.


ENCODING Applestd
APPLESTD.ENC is the encoding vector of many Mac Type1 fonts because the Mac has some unique characters. Many Mac Type1 fonts also use the Standard Encoding vector.


ENCODING No Change
This will leave the Type1 font encoding as it is.


ENCODING Standard
STANDARD.ENC contains the standard Roman encoding vector of the PostScript language. Since this table exists in the PostScript interpreter, there is no need to spell it out like other encoding vectors. It is specified by "/Encoding  StandardEncoding def".


FOND Font Styles
These are the actual internal font names. The check boxes select the style that each font will represent when that style is selected on the Mac.

Note: There can only be one font selected for each style otherwise CrossFont will give a warning.


FOND Menu Name
This is the name that will show up in the Mac font menus.


INF
INF: PC file name extension for a text file containing individual platform, application and other metric information.


Kerning
Kerning is used to adjust the space between character pairs that appear too far apart or too close together. Not all fonts have kerning and any font can be used without it. Also, not all applications support kerning even if it is available for a font.


MAIN Add Files
Click this button to add font files to the listbox below. You can add any type of font that CrossFont supports, but only fonts of the type listed in the "Convert From" box are displayed.  Alternatively files and folders can be dropped onto the program window from Explorer.


MAIN Browse
Press this button to change the output folder.


MAIN Clear List
Click this button to clear all fonts from the list.


MAIN Convert
Click this button to begin converting the selected fonts. Note: Only highlighted fonts will be converted.


MAIN Convert From
Select the type of font file you are converting from. Each entry has its own set of "Convert To" check boxes to select the type of files you want to create. Each will also display font files of that type in the listbox window.
Click here for the list of conversions available in CrossFont.


MAIN Convert To
This area contains a set of check boxes to select the types of files you want to create.

Click here for the list of conversions available in CrossFont.


MAIN Edit
Select All - Selects all items in the listbox.

Settings - Change program parameters.


MAIN Encoding
These are Type1 font encoding vectors. Basically they are tables that associate each character shape to a character code that is generated by the computer keyboard.

"No Change" will not change the encoding.

"Automatic" will determine if a Mac font is using a Mac specific encoding vector and if so, substitute STANDARD.ENC for the PC font.

If an encoding vector file is selected, it will be substituted into the font before any files are generated. Source files are not changed by this selection, only the generated files are.

Generally it is best to leave this setting at "Automatic" since this will automatically substitute STANDARD.ENC when a Mac encoding vector is detected and leave it alone otherwise.

If the encoding is changed, make sure each set of files uses the same one. If a PFB and a PFM were generated with different vectors, the character widths may get mixed up.

You can create your own encoding files. Currently this must be done manually using a text editor. You can use the APPLESTD.ENC file as a template. Create an AFM file to see what glyph names the font is using. Name the file with a .ENC extension, then copy it to the CrossFont folder and CrossFont will display it in this box.


MAIN Exit
This button exits CrossFont.


MAIN File
Add Files -  Add fonts to the listbox below. You can add any type of font that CrossFont supports, but only fonts of the type listed in the "Convert From" box are displayed.

Add Folder - Add font files from a folder and all of its sub-folders.

Clear List -  Clears all fonts from the list.

Properties - Display information about the selected font file.

Convert - Begin converting the fonts selected in the list box. Note: Only highlighted fonts will be converted.

Exit - Quit CrossFont.


MAIN Font File
This list displays the font name, font file name, and the file from which kerning will be extracted (if applicable). Only font files of the type selected in the "Convert from" menu will be displayed. You can right click for a quick popup menu to perform commands. To convert fonts: click on these names to highlight, then select the "Convert" command.


MAIN Font File Header
Font File Name Header: Click here to sort by file name.


MAIN Font Name
The actual font name is displayed in this column. To convert fonts: click on these names to highlight, then press the "Convert" button.


MAIN Font Name Header
Font Name Header: Click on this to sort by font name.


MAIN Help
Contents - Display CrossFont help file.

About - Version and information about CrossFont.


MAIN Kerning File
This column lists the file from which kerning data will be extracted for this Type1 font. Kerning can be extracted from a Mac screen font, PFM file or AFM file.


MAIN Kerning File Header
Kerning File Header: Click here to sort by kerning file name.


MAIN Output Folder
Converted files will be written to this folder. Change by pressing "Output Folder" button.


LWFN
Mac Type1 printer font file. This is the equivalent to the PFB file on the PC. The corresponding Mac file type is LWFN.


tfil
Mac TrueType font file. The corresponding Mac file type for this is tfil.


Mac Creator
The creator is a unique signature identifying a program on the Mac. This field tells the Mac OS what program to launch if the files icon is clicked.


Mac Type
The type field of a Mac file tells the software what type of file it is so programs can show only files of a certain type in their open dialog boxes. It can also associate an icon for the file if none exist in its resource fork.


MacBinary
MacBinary is a file format for storing the Mac resource and data fork together in one file so it can exist on a PC. It was originally used to telecommunicate files since both forks had to be transferred over a single data stream. The files type and creator are also saved


PFA
PFA (Printer Font ASCII): PC file name extension for a PC Type1 font file (PFB) in ASCII format. This file contains the data that a PostScript printer actually sees when a font is downloaded (the font downloader converts binary to ASCII for the PostScript interpreter).


PFB
PFB (Printer Font Binary): PC file name extension for a PostScript Type1 font file. It contains font outline data in binary format. The PFB and an associated PFM file are used by ATM on a PC.


PFM
PFM (Printer Font Metric): PC file name extension for a Windows font metric file. Includes much of the same information as the AFM file, only in binary format. ATM and Windows use this information for placing characters properly.


Point and Click Reference

Main Screen

(Click on a part of the dialog below to see its function)

Settings Dialog

(Click on a part of the dialog below to see its function)

PC Type1 Font Attributes

(Click on a part of the dialog below to see its function)

Mac FOND Resource Attributes

(Click on a part of the dialog below to see its function)


Registering

Acute Systems

PO Box 37

Algonquin, IL 60102

USA

WWW: http://www.asy.com

Email: info@asy.com

Get the latest version of CrossFont from http://www.asy.com

The registration fee for a single user CrossFont license is $45.00.

We have several agents taking registrations for us. This allows a wide variety of payment options and currencies. Pick the one most suitable for you.

After you register, you will receive an email containing your registration code that will unlock all features of the program. DigiBuy and SWREG are automated and will send your registration code quickly. Our other agents are not automated and it will take a little longer to send your password (most are sent within 24 hours).

Be sure to give your correct email address. Long delays in receiving your registration code are usually caused by an incorrect or non-functional email address.

Site and multiple licenses are available. Contact us for details.

The numbers below are only for ordering. Any other questions should be directed to info@asy.com.

For more registration options see our web page at http://www.asy.com/regcf.htm

CrossFont may be registered using one of the services below.

1) RegSoft.com
Payment options: Visa, American Express, Mastercard, Discover, Check, Money Order, Eurocheques.
Delivery Options: Password by email sent automatically after payment. CD-ROM by Postal mail (extra fee).

Internet: https://www.regsoft.net/regsoft/vieworderpage.php3?productid=44269

Phone: (CrossFont program number is 44269)
In the US: 877-734-7638 (Toll Free)
Outside US: +1-770-319-2718
(These numbers are for ordering only).

FAX: (CrossFont program number is 44269)
In the US: 800-886-6030 (Toll Free)
Outside US: +1-208-279-3837
UK Fax: (0870)132-2485
(These numbers are for ordering only).

Postal mail: (CrossFont program number is 44269)
RegSoft.com Inc.
10820 Abbotts Bridge Road
PMB 201, Suite 220
Duluth, GA 30097
Attn : Registration

2) SWREG
Payment options: Visa, Mastercard/Eurocard, JCB, Switch, Solo, Delta, Discover, Diners Club, American Express, UK cheque, US check, Eurocheque, Postcheque, International Money Order, Bank wire, PayPal. Many currencies available.
Delivery Options: Password by email sent automatically after payment.

Internet: https://www.swreg.org/soft_shop/129/shopscr3.shtml

3) ShareIt!

Payment options: Visa, Mastercard/Eurocard, American Express, Diners Club, Bank Transfer/Wire, Check, EuroCheck.

Delivery Options: Password by email sent shortly after payment.

Internet: https://secure.element5.com/register.html?productid=101028. Also in Deutsch, Portugues, Español, Italiano, Français.

Phone: (CrossFont program number is 101028)
Outside US: +49-221-31088-20
In the US: 1-800-903-4152 (orders only) or 724-850-8186 (customer support)
(These numbers are for ordering only).

Email: register@shareit.com

FAX: (CrossFont program number is 101028)
Outside US: +49-221-31088-29
In the US: 724-850-8187
(These numbers are for ordering only).

Postal Mail: (CrossFont program number is 101028)
Germany Address:

ShareIt!

Element 5 AG

Vogelsanger Strasse 78

50823 Koeln

Germany

US Address:

ShareIt! Inc.

PO Box 844

Greensburg, PA 15601-0844


Resource Fork
The PC and Mac differ in the way they store files. On a Mac each file can have two parts called forks. The data fork holds data (text, images, etc.). The resource fork holds resources (icons, fonts, menus, sounds, etc.). There are actually two files linked to one name in the file system. PCs only have one file linked to each name.


SETTINGS Font Name
Select this to use the actual font name as the output file name. Otherwise the base name of the source file is used.


SETTINGS Prompt
Selecting this will bring up a dialog box for each font or font family to confirm or change the menu name and style.

(Available in registered version only).


SETTINGS Resource IDs
These values are used when Mac files are generated. The Mac stores most font data in a resource fork. Each resource has a number (resource id) which is used to keep track of it. Each time CrossFont creates a resource, this number is incremented. This decreases the chances of a resource id conflict. If there is a conflict, the Mac may display the wrong font. If you have a conflict after a font is copied to the Mac, you can change the id by using a resource editor like ResEdit.


SETTINGS Synchronize
Select this if you want to keep the converted font menu name the same as the source font. The menu name is extracted from a Mac screen font file or a PC PFM file. This option helps deal with moving documents between platforms by allowing the same menu name.

(Available in registered version only).


TTF
TTF (TrueType Font): PC file name extension for a TrueType font. This is a file containing font outline data in TrueType format. This is the only file needed to display a TrueType font in Windows.


TYPE1 Font Name
This is the internal font name that PostScript printers use..


TYPE1 Menu Name
This is the name that will show up in the Windows font menus.


Troubleshooting

Up to date help can be found on our web page http://www.asy.com/helpcf.htm

Symptom: A font does not show up in the CrossFont list box.

Problem: The "Convert From:" box does not reflect the type of font submitted to CrossFont

Solution: Change "Convert From:" box to reflect proper font type.

Problem: Submitted font was not copied from the Mac properly. Check the size of the file. If it is very small or zero, the file was not copied properly.

Solution: See Copying Mac Font Files to PC section for information on properly copying Mac font files.

Problem: Submitted file is not a supported font type (TrueType or Type1). CrossFont does not recognize PostScript Type 3 or Multiple Master fonts.

Solution: Try a font editor like Fontographer (see our Web Links page).

Problem: The font file was submitted directly from the /Windows/Fonts folder.

Solution 1: Files in this folder are treated specially and may not open individually. Add the entire Fonts folder instead of individual fonts.

Solution 2: Copy the fonts to a temporary folder before submitting to CrossFont. There is no need to uninstall the fonts first.

Symptom: Windows reports a converted TrueType font is invalid or it freezes when clicked to show a sample.

Problem: Windows is more picky than the Mac when it comes to TrueType fonts. Some Mac fonts do not have all of the information that Windows requires.

Solution: Be sure you have CrossFont v3.0 or later and select the "Make Windows Compatible" option in the Settings panel. This option will add some information that Windows needs, but it can not guarantee compatibility.

Symptom: PC Type1 font shows up on screen, but not when printed to a PostScript printer.

Problem: Some applications (like Quark) have problems finding printer  fonts with long file names.

Solution: Try shortening the names of the PFB and PFM file names to 8 characters or less. CrossFont has an option in the settings panel to create short file names automatically. Any enclosing folders may also need to have short names.

Symptom: Larger characters of a PC TrueType font show up on the screen, but will not print.

Problem: We have had reports of bad printer drivers causing this. type of problem.

Solution: Update your printer driver.

Symptom: Type1 fonts are not showing up in the menus of some programs.

Problem: Older versions of ATM had problems like this.

Solution: Upgrade to a newer version of Type Manager or Type Manager Lite (see our Web Links page).

Symptom: The wrong characters show up in a document for a converted PC Type1 font.

Problem: Incorrect encoding table.

Solution: Try changing the entry in the "Change Encoding To:" box to STANDARD.ENC. Remember to generate a new PFM file for the new encoding. Do not change the encoding of non text fonts since it could make some or all characters unavailable.

Symptom: The wrong characters show up in a document for a converted TrueType font.

Problem: Incorrect or missing encoding table.

Solution: Use a font editing program (like Fontographer) to fix encoding.

Symptom: Characters in a Type1 font are blank.

Problem: Since CrossFont does not contain a font renderer, it creates blank characters in the screen font.

Solution: Make sure the font is installed and turned on in ATM. If you need a screen font for use outside of ATM, you can use a utility like BitFont to create it.

Problem: Changing the encoding of a font with non-standard glyph names can break the glyph index associations.

Solution: Set the "Substitute Encoding" box to "No Change".


Using CrossFont

For quick summary of converting fonts and copying font files, see the Converting Mac Fonts to PC or Converting PC Fonts to Mac sections.

Files can be submitted to CrossFont a number of ways:

Drop files and folders from Windows File Explorer onto the CrossFont window.

Right-click in the CrossFont listbox and select "Add Files" or "Add Folders"

Use the buttons or File menu to add files or folders.

CrossFont will automatically search folders and detect supported file types. There is no need to rename or add extensions.

Select the type of font you are converting from in the "Convert From" drop box. Each "Convert From" entry will display a different set of "Convert to" check boxes below it. Here you can select what type of files you want to create. The "Output Folder" is where the files will be created. You can change the output folder by clicking the button next to it. Add a batch of files by clicking the "Add Files" button, right clicking the listbox or dropping anywhere on the CrossFont window. CrossFont will search folders and automatically detect font files. Only the files of the type selected in the "Convert From" drop box will be displayed. The listbox will display the actual font name, the name of the font file and for Type1 fonts the file from which the kerning will be extracted (if available. CrossFont determines this automatically). Highlight each font you want to convert and press the "Convert" button. A progress dialog will pop up while the files are processed. Click "Cancel" to end batch process.

Using Mac TrueType fonts on the PC:

Create a TTF file for each font and use the Windows font manager (or other utility) to install them. Styles exist internally in PC TrueType files so no selection dialog is necessary.

Using Mac Type1 fonts on the PC:

For PC ATM you need to create PFB and PFM file pairs. Use the ATM control panel to install the fonts. Windows can have at most four styles (due to limitations in the PFM file). Some applications handle their own font menu and can have more styles. Styles can be selected in the Type1 attributes dialog.

Using PC TrueType fonts on the Mac:

Mac TrueType fonts can exist individually or in groups (families). Families are stored in a font suitcase. CrossFont can put up to four fonts in a suitcase. The four fonts correspond to the styles normal, bold, italic, bold-italic. The whole font family is stored in a single resource file. When a font family is installed on the Mac, only one menu name will show up in the font menus. Each of the four fonts are accessed with different style selections from the style menu.

Using PC Type1 fonts on the Mac:

Mac Type1 fonts consist of two files - a Type1 font file and a screen font file. Mac ATM needs both of these to display a font. Mac Type1 fonts can also be accessed as a family of up to four styles (normal, bold, italic, bold-italic). Only one screen font file is needed for each family because the file can contain many resources  A family with all four styles will have five files - four Type1 font files and one screen font file containing the font family resources.

NOTE: Since CrossFont does not contain a font renderer, it creates a Mac screen font with blank characters. This should not matter unless the screen font is used outside of ATM. If this is the case, you can use a Mac utility like BitFont to create one with images.

Other Operations:

CrossFont can perform several functions other than converting fonts between Mac and PC formats:

Generate metric files associated with PostScript Type1 fonts - AFM and INF.

Convert between Type1  PFB and PFA file types.

Create a PC PFM from an AFM.

Change the encoding vector of a Type1 font. You can create your own encoding files. Currently this must be done manually using a text editor. You can use the APPLESTD.ENC file as a template. Create an AFM file to see what glyph names the font is using. Name the file with a .ENC extension, then copy it to the CrossFont folder and CrossFont will display it in this box.

Below is a list of conversions CrossFont is capable of performing:

Convert From	Convert To
Mac Type1 Printer Font	PC Type1 Printer Font (PFB) Printer Font Metric (PFM) Adobe Font Metric (AFM) Font Information File (INF) Printer Font ASCII (PFA)
PC Type1 Printer Font (PFB)	Printer Font Metric (PFM) Adobe Font Metric (AFM) Font Information File (INF) Printer Font ASCII (PFA) Mac Type1 Printer Font Mac Screen Font Mac Font Family Suitcase Reencoded PFB (PFB)
Adobe Font Metric (AFM)	Printer Font Metric (PFM) Font Information File (INF)
Printer Font ASCII (PFA)	PC Type1 Printer Font (PFB)
Mac TrueType Font	PC TrueType Font (TTF)
PC TrueType Font (TTF)	Mac TrueType Font Mac Font Family Suitcase Create in Data Fork (OSX .dfont)


View this help file.


MAIN Select All
Click this button to select all items in the listbox.


Glossary

(Click a word or phrase to see definition)

AFM

ATM

ENC

Encoding

FOND Resource

Font Family

Glyph

INF

Kerning

Mac Creator

Mac Type

MacBinary

Menu Name

Multiple Master Font

PFA

PFB

PFM

PostScript

PostScript Interpreter

Resource Fork

Resource ID

Style Variations

TrueType Font

TTF

TransMac

Type 1 Font

Type 3 Font


Encoding
A fonts encoding is a table associating a glyph with an index number. Changing the encoding changes which glyph is displayed for a particular key on the keyboard.


TrueType
The TrueType font format is internally supported on most versions of both Mac and Windows operating systems. No external software is required. Each TrueType file contains all metric information for the font - kerning, widths, etc. It also can contain information specific to each platform it supports - encoding tables, names (in different languages), etc.

TrueType Under Windows:

Windows requires only one file for each TrueType font. The file has a TTF extension.

TrueType on the Mac:

The Mac also requires only one file for each TrueType font, but it is a resource file. Each resource file can contain many resources. A Mac TrueType font file must have a FOND resource along with the TrueType font resource.


Type 1
Type1 fonts are the native font format of the page description language PostScript. Currently, Type1 fonts have built in support in Mac OS X  and Windows 2000/XP. Adobe makes software to support Type1 fonts in earlier systems on both platforms. It is called Adobe Type Manager (ATM). Type1 fonts don't contain as much information as TrueType fonts do. Kerning is not stored in the font. More than one file is required to use them on either platform.

Type1 on Windows:

ATM requires two files to use a Type1 font under Windows. The PFB file contains the actual font outline data. The PFM file contains metric data including kerning.

Type1 on the Mac:

ATM requires two files to use a Type1 font on the Mac. Both are resource files. The font outline data (printer font) is stored in a file with type LWFN and is analogous to the PFB file on a PC. A separate file with both a FOND resource and bitmap screen font is also required.


TransMac
TransMac is a Windows utility for reading and writing Mac disks (diskettes, CDROMs, ZIP, Syquest, etc.) on a PC. You can download the shareware version from our web site at http://www.asy.com.


Style
A typeface can have several styles or variations. Bold, black, italic, oblique, condensed, extended are examples of style variations. Usually the font menu of an application will display only a font family name, then the user can select each style from a separate style menu.


Font Family
A Font Family is a collection of several styles of a particular font. Usually the font menu of an application will display only a font family name, then the user can select each style from a separate style menu.


Menu Name
Fonts can have several names associated with them. Each font has an internal name which describes the font. Several fonts can share the same family name. The menu name is the name that is selected from the font menu in an application. CrossFont allows you to change this name.


FOND Resource
A Mac FOND resource associates several fonts into a font family. It contains the menu name, metric information (widths, kerning, etc.), and a list of the associated fonts.


Glyph
The image of a character in a font.


PostScript
PostScript is a page description language (programming language for placing text and graphics on a page). Type1 fonts are the native font format for PostScript.


Type 3
Type 3 fonts are actually PostScript programs which need a PostScript interpreter. They are not compatible with ATM and CrossFont does not support them.


PostScript Interpreter
A PostScript Interpreter executes PostScript programs (including PS or EPS files) which usually place text and/or images onto paper, computer screens or other medium. PostScript printers contain these interpreters, but some are available that run on a desktop computer. PostScript files are usually not thought of as programs because they are usually generated by non-human means, but they do contain a rich set of instructions similar to other programming languages.


Multiple Master
Multiple Master fonts can create many  font variations from a single base design. CrossFont does not support conversion of these fonts.


ENCODING Auto
This will automatically determine if Type1 encoding should be changed for a particular font.


SETTINGS TT Compat
This option will check TrueType fonts for Windows compatibility and add certain information if it is missing. Turn this option on if you have problems with Windows recognizing a converted TrueType font. Note: This option can not guarantee the font will work in Windows. It just addresses a few possible incompatibilities.


SETTINGS Short Name
Some PC applications have problems handling Type1 fonts with long file names. Select this to force font file names to an 8 character base name.


TYPE1 Font Attributes
These font attributes are set automatically, but should be checked for accuracy.


MAIN Help Button
Click this button to call up the CrossFont help file. You can also click the F1 key to get context sensitive help on a particular window.


MAIN Add Folder
Click this button to add font files from a folder and all of its sub-folders. This can take a while since CrossFont is actually searching the entire folder tree for relevant file types. Alternatively files and folders can be dropped onto the program window from Explorer.


Converting Mac Fonts to PC

Copying Mac Fonts Files to PC:

The first step in converting is to move the Mac font files over to the PC. This may not be as easy as it sounds since care must be taken to preserve the resource fork of the file. Three copy methods are shown below. Any method can be used as long as it preserves the resource fork either in MacBinary format or by fork swapping. Make sure the fonts you are converting are PostScript Type1 or TrueType. Here is how to identify them:

Mac TrueType font: Stored as one font per file (type 'tfil') or as a font family with many fonts in one file (type 'ffil').

Mac Type1 font: Has two files associated with it. A printer font file with the type 'LWFN' and a screen font file with the type 'ffil' or 'FFIL'. To transfer kerning when converting a Mac Type1 font you must submit a screen font file besides the printer font. A font may or may not have kerning associated with it and kerning is not required to use a font. If kerning is not required, a lone Mac printer font file can be submitted to CrossFont.

NOTE: OS X data fork fonts (.dfont or .dfnt) can be copied like normal files since the font information is in the data fork instead of the resource fork.

Copy method A: Copying font files from a Mac disk or CD using TransMac:(Best method if fonts are on a removable disk or CD-ROM)

1) Copy the fonts you want to convert from your Mac to a Mac disk.

2) Put the disk in your PC drive and start TransMac.

3) Select the disk in the TransMac "Mac Drive" box.

4) Select the PC folder you want to copy to in the upper  "PC File" box.

5) Select the Mac font files you want to copy in the lower "Mac Files" listbox.

6) Press "Copy"

7) A dialog box will pop up. Select "Automatic" or "Resource File" in the "File Translation" box

8) Press OK.

9) The Mac font files will be copied to the designated PC folder. Follow the directions below under "Converting the Fonts".

NOTE: TransMac has the ability to search for files using the Mac type field. You can search an entire disk or CD for font files of a particular type. See above information for the Mac types of various font files.

Copy method B: Copying font files using Stuffit and Stuffit Expander (Best method for emailed or downloaded fonts)

1) Use Stuffit on the Macintosh to archive the Mac font files.

2) Move the Stuffit archive to the Windows PC using any method (network, email, TransMac, etc.).

3) Use Stuffit Expander for Windows (see the Web Links page of our web site) to unstuff the Mac font files.

IMPORTANT: To make sure Windows Expander saves Mac font files as MacBinary, select the option "Save Macintosh Files in MacBinary format" under "When a file contains a resource fork" in the Options/CrossPlatform dialog box.

4) Follow the directions below under "Converting the Fonts".

Copy method C: Copying font files from a Mac using a PC disk (Use this method only if the Mac can mount PC disks)

1) Open a PC disk or diskette on the Mac.

2) Create a folder to put the fonts in. (Fonts should be copied to a sub folder, not the root folder).

NOTE: When writing to a PC disk, the Mac creates a hidden folder where it writes the resource fork data (font data). This folder is called "Resource.frk". Since this is a hidden folder, the PC will not display it unless File Explorer is set up to show hidden files. By creating a sub folder, CrossFont will do the work searching for fonts and you will not have to worry about the hidden folder.

3) Copy the fonts into the folder.

4) Open the disk on the PC and follow the directions below under "Converting the Fonts".

Converting the Fonts:

1) Move the Mac font files to your PC using copy method A, B or C above.

2) Drop the resulting font files or folder onto the CrossFont window. CrossFont will automatically detect supported file types. There is no need to rename or add extensions.

3) Select the original font type in the "Convert From" box (Mac Type1 or Mac TrueType).

4) The font names should show up in the "Select fonts to convert" list box.
NOTE: If a font does not show up in the list box, it may not be a Mac TrueType or Type1 font or it may not have been copied to the PC properly.

5a) For Type1 fonts, select the check boxes to create a PFB and PFM for the PC.

5b) For TrueType fonts there is only one check box that will create a PC TTF file.

6) Highlight the fonts you want to convert.

7) Push convert button or select "Convert Selected" from the File menu or right click menu.

8) The font files will be converted and stored in the designated output folder. The output folder can be changed by pressing the "Output Folder:" button.

9) Install the fonts using ATM or the Windows Fonts Control Panel.

NOTE: Windows 2000/XP have built in support for both TrueType and Type1 fonts. Windows 95/98/ME have built in support for TrueType fonts, but require Adobe Type Manager (ATM) to use Type1 fonts. Adobe has a free lite version of ATM (see the Web Links page of our web site).


Converting PC Fonts to Mac

Converting PC Fonts to Mac:

Notes: When converting fonts from the "\Windows\Fonts" folder, use the add folder option to scan the entire folder. Adding individual fonts may not work since this is a special type of folder. There is no need to uninstall a font before converting it. Make sure the fonts you are converting are PostScript Type1 or TrueType. Here is how to identify them:

Windows TrueType font: A single file with the extension TTF.

Windows Type1 font: Two files with extensions PFB and PFM. To transfer kerning when converting a PC Type1 font you can submit a PFM or AFM file along with the PFB file. A font may or may not have kerning associated with it and kerning is not required to use a font. If kerning is not required, a lone PFB file can be submitted to CrossFont.

1) Drop the font files or folder onto the CrossFont window.

2) Select the font type in the "Convert From" box (PC Type1 or PC TrueType).

4) The font names should show up in the "Select fonts to convert" list box.

NOTE: If a font does not show up in the list box, it may not be a PC TrueType or Type1 font.

5a) Select the boxes "Mac Type1 Printer Font" and "Mac Screen Font" to create individual Type1 fonts.

5b) Select the boxes "Mac Type1 Printer Font" and "Mac Font Family Suitcase" to create a Type1 font family (regular, bold, italic, bold-italic).

5c) Select "Mac TrueType Font" to create individual TrueType fonts.

5d) Select "Mac Font Family Suitcase" to create a TrueType font family (regular, bold, italic, bold-italic).

6) Highlight the fonts you want to convert. For individual fonts, highlight any number of entries. For a font family, highlight up to four entries (regular, bold, italic, bold-italic).

7) Select "Convert Selected" from the File menu.

8) The font files will be encoded as MacBinary files and stored in the selected output folder. The output folder can be changed by pressing the "Output Folder:" button.

9) Copy the converted files to the Mac using any method (network, email, TransMac, etc.). Drop them on the Stuffit Expander icon (see our Web Links page). The fonts will be reconstituted and can be installed on the Mac.


dfont
Select this along with one of the options above to create a Data Fork Font (.dfont). Mac OS X can use TrueType fonts that exist in the data fork instead of the resource fork. These fonts will have a .dfont extension.