Chapter 2 - Character Formating II (PageMaker)

PostScript Type I Fonts vrs. TTF Fonts:

What-you-see-is-what-you-get technology, and thereby desktop publishing, came into being when Adobe Systems announced Post Script. Type I Fonts are a part of the PostScript concept. When you send an ASCII code from the keyboard, PostScript generates the appropriate mathematical function for the Quadratic Bezeir Curves that form the outlines of each character keyed in. When you install a PostScript printer, it brings along thirty five or so Type I fonts. Adobe Type Manager (ATM, which comes bundled with many applications and printer devices) brings in another set of Type I fonts. Additional Type I fonts are available from the font libraries from Adobe. Type I fonts are claimed to be more elegant than other types. Virtually all digital typesetting devices and pre-press machines (imagesetters) work with Type I fonts alone.

At one point of time, Microsoft and Apple Corporation agreed that the monopoly on PostScript enjoyed by Adobe is not good for their business. So they jointly developed the True Type font that work equally well under Windows or Apple’s operating systems. The name True Type signifies that the screen font is true and faithful to the printed version. When you install Windows, you automatically install a number of TTF fonts. You can use TTF fonts for all your publishing needs even if your work will ultimately go through a PostScript device such as an Imagesetter. ATM will see to it that the fonts are properly interpreted by the PostScript device. However, clash is bound to occur when you use a TTF font that has the same name as a PostScript font that the imagesetter driver has on board. Symbol font is an example. Bullets and Em dashes (both TTF Symbols) would print differently than expected on a PostScript printer or imagesetter.

Selecting Sizes:

Character sizes are measured in points. The larger the point size in a particular font, the larger the character. There are 72 points to an inch. Body text is usually in the 10 to 12 points range; subheads are usually around 14 points; and headlines are 20 points and up.

The character sizes cab be adjusted by selecting the Type > Size (Fig.1), and choosing a particular size. The Other (fig 2) option on the Size submenu lets you enter type sizes that are not on the list. In the Other Point Size (fig 3) dialog box, you can enter type sizes in increments as small as a tenth of a point.