Gathering Your Fonts

Our Prepress Department's number one problem when outputting files is the fonts. Files are received with missing fonts, corrupt fonts, or the wrong fonts. If you want to avoid delays and errors on your next project, take the extra steps to ensure that you send the right fonts with your file.

If you don't supply your own fonts Graphics Plus may substitute our own version. This might work. Or not. It often results in subtle or obvious differences in your document including text reflow.

Common Font Problems and Errors

  • Missing fonts
    Even if you only used a single character from a certain font, you'll have to send that font along with all the others. Don't forget to include the bold, italic, and other versions of the font as well if you used them. Not all fonts are text. Did you use a dingbat symbol for bullets or end-markers on articles? Include those fonts too.
  • Missing fonts in EPS graphics
    If you have embedded EPS files that include text be sure to send the fonts for those images as well. Generally it is best to convert the text to curves but sometimes this can alter the image in unwanted ways. If that's the case, you must send the font files for that text.
  • Missing screen or printer fonts
    Type 1 (PostScript) fonts have two files that must be sent -- both a screen and a printer font. When you send only the screen font the file may look fine on screen but when printed you'll see font substitutions. Be sure to include both screen (bitmap or .pfm) and printer (postscript outline or .pfb) files for each Type 1 font.
  • Wrong version
    While Graphics Plus prefers Type 1 fonts, we can and will use TrueType as well. Some designers who use TrueType fonts in their designs may mistakenly send the Type 1 version thinking that's all the we can use. TrueType and Type 1 differ in how they handle kerning and other spacing matters. Sending the wrong version of the font can result in differences in text flow and alter the appearance of kerned headlines.

    If you have both TrueType and Type 1 versions of the same font installed (which is not a good idea) you may inadvertently use one in your file then send the other version for printing. Avoid this by only installing and using one version of the font.


Automated Font Collection

One way to insure that you include all the fonts used in your project is to use the utilities of your page layout program or third-party utilities that gather all the files needed for output or provide lists of the fonts used in a particular document.

  • Adobe PageMaker's Prepare for Service Bureau feature gathers the fonts used in your document and tells you whether they are TrueType or Type 1 fonts.
  • Adobe InDesign's Preflight and Package features also gathers the fonts used in your document as well as gathering all graphics being used.
  • The Collect for Output utility in QuarkXPress creates a list telling you which fonts were used.


Manual Font Collection

Whether or not you use helper software, it's still a good idea to know how to manually locate the files for each of your fonts. The following includes steps to help you locate your Windows or Macintosh TrueType and Type 1 fonts and troubleshoot other font problems.

Macintosh Fonts (System OS X 10)

  • There are various locations in OS X where fonts can reside. The easiest way is to use the Font Book application.
  • Open the Font Book application located in the Applications folder.
  • Create a new "Collection" and drag in the fonts that are used for the project.
  • Click on the named Collection and in the File Menu choose "Export Collection...".

Macintosh TrueType Fonts (System 9)

  • The default location for all fonts in System 9 is the Fonts folder inside the System folder.
  • There is only one file for each TrueType font.
  • A TrueType file icon appears as a dog-eared page with three letter "A"s in progressively larger sizes. The filename does not include a point size.

Macintosh Type 1 Fonts (System 9)

  • The default location for all fonts in System 9 is the Fonts folder inside the System folder.
  • The bitmap font icon appears as a dog-eared page with the letter "A." Each bitmap filename includes a point size (Times 10, for example). All the bitmap files for a font are in a suitcase.
  • The outline file icon appears as a letter "A" in front of horizontal lines. Most Type 1 outline files are named using the first five characters of the font name, followed by the first three characters of each style (HelveBol=Helvetica Bold, TimesBolIta=Times Bold Italic). An outline filename does not include a point size.
  • Be sure you send both the bitmap (screen) suitcase and outline (printer) file for each Type 1 font.

Windows TrueType Fonts

  • The default location for installed TrueType fonts under Windows 95 and above is Windows/Fonts although actual files may be anywhere.
  • Go to your Windows/Fonts folder (My Computer > Control Panel > Fonts). Select View > Details. You'll see the font names in one column and the actual file name in another.
  • The icon for TrueType fonts is a dog-eared page with two overlapping "T"s.
  • For installed fonts that have only a shortcut to the font in your Windows Fonts folder (the icon will have a little arrow in the corner), right click on the font name and select Properties to find the path to the actual file.
  • In directories other than the Windows Font folder the Details View won't show you the font name, only the filename. You can doubleclick a file to view the name of the font.
  • All Windows TrueType fonts have an extension of .ttf

Windows Type 1 Fonts

  • The default location for Type 1 fonts is the psfonts and psfonts/pfm directories but they can be located anywhere.
  • Use Adobe Type Manager (ATM) to locate both of the needed files for a Type 1 (PostScript) font.
  • With ATM open highlight a font name in the Fonts window then choose File > Properties.
  • A pop-up windows displays the complete path to two files.
  • Each Windows Type 1 font will have a .pfm (Printer Font Metrics, your screen font) and a .pfb (Printer Font Binary, your printer font) file.
  • The icon for both the .pfb and .pfm files is a dog-eared page with a lower case script "a" (for Adobe).