X-Ray MagazIne v5n3 A Multi-part Font Disquisition

A Multi-part Font Disquisition
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Let's assume that you need to change the formats to which you are converting. In this case:

Click the drop-down arrow icon in the destination fonts pane to the right of the font name as shown in figure 2 above.

From this drop-down, choose a format other than that from which you are converting (leave the other settings at default for now).

Click the convert button to complete the process.

When the fonts have been successfully converted, in my example from Mac format to Windows format, they will appear as shown in figure 3. Now you can use a jump drive or email them to your Windows platform and install as you would any other font on your system.

X-Ray Magazine v5n3 A Multi-part Font Disquisition Figure 3

Figure 3 In this Mac OS X window, you can see the resulting conversion of Caslon Mac fonts to Windows format.

Note: The process for installing fonts can vary greatly depending upon
the font-management system you use, so we will not cover the
process for installing fonts.

When you have finished converting your fonts, click the quit button .

A quick look at the dialogue box

Now that you've made your first conversion, let's tour a couple of areas as an introduction to other features.

Preview pane

A preview of the font that has been added to the source pane is shown in the preview area of the main TransType dialogue box. If closed, click the disclose arrow next to the preview area. Your choice of text and size is used to display the character set.

To change the sample sentence that is displayed here, click the preferences button to access TransType preferences, then select general.

X-Ray Magazine v5n3 A Multi-part Font Disquisition Figure 4

Figure 4 Use the preferences dialogue box to change the text and size of the preview string that appears in TransType’s primary dialogue box.

Type the character set or sentence in the preview string field and use the preview size drop-down menu to select a new size as shown in figure 4. Click OK to close the preferences window and the preview pane will now display the character set (or sentence) that you changed in the preference dialogue box. We will come back to preferences shortly.

Font Properties

In figure 2, you saw how to use the drop-down menu to access some of the font properties, but TransType Pro can provide you more information about your fonts than you ever likely knew you needed — and the ability to change these properties.

X-Ray Magazine v5n3 A Multi-part Font Disquisition Figure 5

Figure 5 The expanded properties view enables you to view and change font properties.

CAUTION: While the properties dialogue box enables you to change
the names of fonts, changing the names may have adverse affects.
For more information on the topic of font names, you will find the
user’s guide a great resource. Click here to download.

Double click the suitcase icon (not the font name) of the destination font, and you will prompt the dialog box shown in figure 5. In this example, I am still working with the same font family and converting to a Windows Type 1 font. In this dialogue box you can:

view and change the names and styles;
view and change the destination platform and format;
create MacOS X font suitcases by choosing Mac TrueType (dfont) as the destination format;
set the option to create a single master font from a multiple master; and
when converting to a Mac platform, view and edit Macintosh FOND resource information (shown in figure 6).

X-Ray Magazine v5n3 A Multi-part Font Disquisition Figure 6