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ALL ABOUT FONTS


Information about New Deal fonts and different font formats

The world of outline fonts is somewhat complex. There are many companies involved at several different levels. This document will attempt to clarify some of the terms involved and where companies fit into the scheme of things, as well as describing ways to add more fonts to your New Deal software.

Overview

There are four different types of companies involved with outline fonts: foundries, rasterizer companies, application companies, and converter companies.
foundry
Designs outline fonts. An example of this is URW, which designed typefaces such as URW Roman. Foundries license their typeface designs to other companies.
rasterizer company
Creates the software for rendering outline fonts for display. An example of this is Digital Typeface Corporation (DTC), which has a rasterizer known as Nimbus-Q. Companies that create rasterizers make money by either licensing the rasterizer algorithm to other companies, or by creating separate software which adds this capability to existing programs. Traditionally, the fonts used with rasterizing software are licensed from a foundry. For example, many of DTC's fonts were licensed from URW.
application company
Licenses rasterizing software for use in a PC application. An example of this is New Deal, which licensed the Nimbus-Q rasterizer from DTC for use in New Deal software. The fonts for New Deal software were also licensed from DTC, who in turn licensed the designs from URW.
converter company
Makes software to convert between one or more of the font formats. This market has come into existence because of the large number of incompatible font formats. Conversion programs allow application users to use more fonts than might otherwise be available for the font format their application supports. An example of this is MI.EXE from MicroLogic Software, which converts Adobe Type 1 fonts into MicroLogic's MLS font format.

To keep things interesting, a number of companies fall into more than one of the above categories. For example, Adobe has designed some of its own fonts (acting as a foundry), created its own rasterizer (acting as a rasterizer company), and also sells the rasterizer as an add-on product for both Windows and the Macintosh (acting as an application company).

The New Deal font format

New Deal licensed its rasterizer and fonts from Digital Typeface Corporation (DTC) which acquired the company that created the Nimbus-Q rasterizer and licensed the designs for its fonts from URW. New Deal uses a derivative of the Nimbus-Q format, not the native Nimbus-Q format.

New Deal software includes outlines for several typefaces, which are very similar to fonts from other companies. The chart below gives the comparisons for the fonts included in New Deal Office. In addition, New Deal offers additional typefaces through font packages you can purchase directly from us. These fonts are the easiest way to add new typefaces.

Below are the original nine New Deal Office outline fonts along with names of equivalent or nearly equivalent fonts from other companies.

New Deal Name = Is SimilarTo
Cranbrook = Century Schoolbook
Cooperstown = Cooper Black
Sather Gothic = Franklin Gothic
Shattuck Avenue = Park Avenue
Superb = Broadway
URW Mono = Courier
URW Roman = Times Roman
URW Sans = Helvetica
URW Symbol PS = Postscript Symbol

Besides purchasing our additional font packages, there are a number of other ways to get additional fonts.

ATech Software published a conversion program called AllType which will convert a large number of formats, including Adobe Type 1, True Type, ATech's FastFont format, Nimbus-Q, and New Deal into any of the other formats. Atech is no longer in business, but AllType is still available from some retailers and from PageTech ( http://www.tfb.com/pagetech/).

MicroLogic Software offers fonts in an MLS font format which can be converted into New Deal fonts. MicroLogic has two font packages called Display Faces and Classic Faces. These packages include a program (MT.EXE) which will convert these fonts from MicroLogic's MLS font format into a large number of formats, including native Nimbus-Q and New Deal format (choose the Geoworks Ensemble option).

MicroLogic also makes a rasterizer for Windows and WordPerfect and this package includes a program which will convert Adobe Type 1 fonts into MicroLogic's MLS font format. This program is known as MI.EXE and can be used in conjunction with MT.EXE to convert Adobe Type 1 fonts into New Deal format.

Now that they're converted, what do I do?

Once the fonts are converted to the New Deal format, simply copy the font files into the \USERDATA\FONT directory. Your New Deal software will find the fonts and add them to your font menus in your applications, or you can run Preferences, Fonts to customize your list. You may need to exit and re-start your New Deal software before it recognizes your new fonts.

Miscellaneous notes

Companies, contacts and links

Adobe Systems - fonts
345 Park Avenue
San Jose CA 95110-2704
(408) 536-6000
Fax (408) 537-6000
http://www.adobe.com/type

Digital Typeface Corp. - rasterizer (NimbusQ)
9955 West 69th Street Suite 100
Eden Prairie MN 55344
(612) 944-9264

MicroLogic - converter (MT, MI) and fonts
1351 Ocean Ave
Emeryville CA
Sales: 800-888-9078
Tech Support: 800-888-9078
Fax: 510-652-5040

Page Technology Marketing Inc (PageTech) - AllType font converter
10671 Roselle Street Suite 100
San Diego CA 92121-1525
(619) 658-0191
Fax (619) 658-0194
http://www.tfb.com/pagetech/

URW++ Design & Development - foundry
Rechtsform: GmbH, Amtsgericht Hamburg
Geschäftssitz: Poppenbütteler Bogen 29A
D-22399 Hamburg
Tel. +49 (40) 60 60 50
Fax +49 (40) 60 60 51 11
http://www.urwpp.de/

Zenographics - fonts, SuperPrint
4 Executive Circle
Irvine CA 92714
(818) 765-5585
Fax (818) 765-5877

ZSoft Corp - SoftType
450 Franklin Road Suite 100
Marietta GA 30067
(404) 428-0008
Fax: (404) 427-1150

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