Installing Fonts

[Admin]

I have some folders of fonts, each fonts folder has files with *.afm,
*.pfm and *.inf extensions. The Win XP Pro Fonts installer (Control
Panel>Fonts) does NOT recognize these files as fonts files. If I right
click the *.inf and choose install, I get the error message "install
failed".

How can install these fonts on my system ?

Thanks

Matt

 

[NeoMinds]

Are you sure they are for windows? Sometimes they are mac fonts, i dont
know the exact extension for those but you cant install fonts with a
mac extension!

 

[Malke]

I have some folders of fonts, each fonts folder has files with *.afm,
*.pfm and *.inf extensions. The Win XP Pro Fonts installer (Control
Panel>Fonts) does NOT recognize these files as fonts files. If I right
click the *.inf and choose install, I get the error message "install
failed".

How can install these fonts on my system ?

Thanks

Matt

Those aren't font extensions. According to www.filext.com:

..afm is an Abassis Finance Manager Data File
..pfm is a printer font metrics file for a PostScript printer
..inf is the well-known and loved Information or Setup file, a text file
that specifies the files needed for installing a specific piece of
software or plug-in.

Since I don't know where you got those particular folders that you think
have fonts in them, that's as specific as I can be. Post back with more
details if you need more help.

Malke

 

[Admin]

Those aren't font extensions. According to www.filext.com:

.afm is an Abassis Finance Manager Data File
.pfm is a printer font metrics file for a PostScript printer
.inf is the well-known and loved Information or Setup file, a text file
that specifies the files needed for installing a specific piece of
software or plug-in.

Since I don't know where you got those particular folders that you think
have fonts in them, that's as specific as I can be. Post back with more
details if you need more help.

Malke

=================================================

Here is the Readme file that accompanies these 51 rare fonts, see if
that makes any sense

TreePrint listing of: C:\51 Rare Fonts

C:\51 Rare Fonts
+---411-Mojo
+---422-Bermuda LP
+---425-KoloLP
+---A_I BouwsmaScript
+---A_I BritishWriting
+---Ambient
+---Bajoran
+---Blood Feast
+---Chank Diesel TT
| +---CHK 26Snake Rumbatt Folder
| +---CHK Girl77tt Folder
| +---CHK LemonadeSpeedstertt Folder
| +---CHK Liquidy bulboustt Folder
| +---CHK Metolurgytt Folder
| +---CHK MilMascarastt Folder
| +---CHK PhreakKrustytt Folder
| +---CHK Proletariantt Folder
| +---CHK SooperCosmictt Folder
| \---TheDekoSide
+---Chank's DentalPak
+---Cyberotica
+---DeGenerate
+---Demon Knight
+---Devotion
+---Eddie Fisher
+---Erasure
+---Fast Girls
+---FF Tag Team
+---FontHead Fonts Volume 1
| \---FH Vol 1 jpeg previews
+---FontHead Fonts Volume 2
| \---FH Vol 2 jpeg previews
+---FontHead Fonts Volume 4
+---FrankenTOHO
+---Gigi
+---H-Man
+---H-Man Part 2
+---ITC Noovo_Nora
+---Kröbern
+---Love
+---Loving The Alien
+---Modebats
+---Ogilvie
+---Oogabooga
+---Plazm
| +---Anvil Regular (Plazm)
| +---Belch (Plazm)
| +---Colonist (Plazm)
| +---Colony (Plazm)
| +---Erosive (Plazm)
| +---Facsimiled (Plazm)
| +---Fly Trap (Plazm)
| +---INKy-black (Plazm)
| +---Kitsch (Plazm)
| +---Milk (Plazm)
| +---Neo Deko (Plazm)
| +---NewHamburger (Plazm)
| +---Petescript (Plazm)
| +---PHat (Plazm)
| +---Retrospecta (Plazm)
| +---Sillbat (Plazm)
| +---Stelefont (Plazm)
| +---Three Rivers (Plazm)
| +---Twiggy (Plazm)
| +---Unzialis (Plazm)
| \---Widows (Plazm)
+---PS Garage Fonts
+---RR Consort
+---RR Erasmus
+---RR Europa
+---RR Hess
+---RR Jardine
+---RR Keyboard
+---Sin Gothic
+---Syzygy
+---Temperance
+---Trekbats
+---Ultraworld
+---Violation
\---Yomama

 

[Miss Perspicacia Tick]

Those aren't font extensions. According to www.filext.com:

.afm is an Abassis Finance Manager Data File
.pfm is a printer font metrics file for a PostScript printer
.inf is the well-known and loved Information or Setup file, a text
file that specifies the files needed for installing a specific piece
of software or plug-in.

Since I don't know where you got those particular folders that you
think have fonts in them, that's as specific as I can be. Post back
with more details if you need more help.

Malke

Marion,

Let me educate you regarding Type 1 fonts (which is what the OP is talking
about). T1s can have four (or more) parts

AFM (Adobe Font Metrics) file. These files hold information about Type 1
fonts, such as character widths, kerning pairs and character bounding boxes.
These files aren't normally used in Windows, where .pfm files take their
place, but they are used on other operating systems and can be used to
recreate missing .pfm files.

PFM (PostScript Font Metrics) file. Type 1 font metrics file for Windows.
The .pfm file contains information about the size and spacing of the font
and needs to be accompanied by a second file that contains the shapes used
to create each glyph, called a .pfb file. On versions of Windows earlier
than 2000, you must have Adobe Type Manager installed to utilise these
files.

PFB (PostScript Font Base) file. The .pfb file contains the shapes used to
create each glyph and needs to be accompanied by a second file that has
information about the size and spacing of the font, usually a .pfm file.

The .inf file (which may or may not be present) is used, along with the .pfb
and/or the .afm files, to recreate the .pfm file should the original be lost
or damaged.

It is the PostScript Font Metrics (.pfm) file that is shown in the fonts
folder and the rest is "behind the scenes" as it were. You must have at
least the .pfm and .pfb files to have a valid font.

Hope that clears things up for you. A little more information may be found
in the alt.binaries.fonts FAQ located at www.abf.jamesgoffin.co.uk which has
links to other typography-related sites.

 

[Malke]

Marion,

Let me educate you regarding Type 1 fonts (which is what the OP is
talking about). T1s can have four (or more) parts

(snip) That's great, Sarah. Thanks for the info about fonts. However, my
name isn't "Marion". If you want to call me by my real, given name then
you can use "Malke". If you want to call me by my real, given English
name then you can call me "Marian". My preference is for "Malke" since
that's my less formal name, but whatever floats your boat, Anagramma.

Now that we have *that* out of the way, how does the OP install the
fonts s/he has?

Malke

 

[Miss Perspicacia Tick]

(snip) That's great, Sarah. Thanks for the info about fonts. However,
my name isn't "Marion". If you want to call me by my real, given name
then you can use "Malke". If you want to call me by my real, given
English name then you can call me "Marian". My preference is for
"Malke" since that's my less formal name, but whatever floats your
boat, Anagramma.

Now that we have *that* out of the way, how does the OP install the
fonts s/he has?

Malke

Sorry, Malke, I apologise. I honestly couldn't remember if it was '-on' or
'-an' and I picked the wrong one. I think I was thinking of my old English
teacher at the time (she's an -on) and typed that. No idea why, maybe
because I've just had a clear out and found my old GCSE coursework! Ye gods
I wrote such dross back then! ;o)

In short, they can't. If all they truly have is the .afm, .pfm and .inf
they're stuck - the .pfb file is essential. In short, no .pfb, no font. From
James Goffin's FAQ: -

"I've got a Type 1 font, but I don't have the .pfb file - can I use it?
No. The .pfb file contains the actual descriptions of the shapes in the
font, without it you can't use the font, even if you have the appropriate
..afm and .inf files. Note: Multiple Master fonts have a .mmm file as well as
a .pfb file."

Don't worry about Multiple Master fonts for now, you'll only end up confused
(if you aren't already! ;o))

The PostScript Metrics File can be recreated if one has the .pfb and/or .afm
and .inf files but there is nothing one can do to recreate a .pfb file. To
use a really crap analogy, the .pfb is like the structure of a building;
without structure the building cannot exist; likewise with a Type 1 font,
with out the PostScript Font Basics file, the font has no framework and,
therefore, cannot exist.

Does that make sense? Typography is something I merely dabble in - there are
those far more educated than I over in a.b.f.. If you ever want to talk
type, look up Dick Margulis over in a.b.f. or comp.fonts - what he /doesn't/
know about the topic could be written on the back of a postage stamp with
room to spare. An old-fashioned gentleman too...

I should add that I recommend using a good font management utility. Two of
the best are

Printer's Apprentice (my choice)

www.loseyourmind.com (15-day shareware, $30 registration)

Typograf

www.neuber.com (30-day shareware, $39 registration).

These two are regularly recommended in a.b.f..

Belated Solstice blessings,

Sarah

P.S. Is Malke really your given name? From where does it originate - it
looks Scandinavian or Dutch.

 

[Malke]

Sorry, Malke, I apologise. I honestly couldn't remember if it was
'-on' or '-an' and I picked the wrong one. I think I was thinking of
my old English teacher at the time (she's an -on) and typed that. No
idea why, maybe because I've just had a clear out and found my old
GCSE coursework! Ye gods I wrote such dross back then! ;o)

In short, they can't. If all they truly have is the .afm, .pfm and
.inf they're stuck - the .pfb file is essential. In short, no .pfb, no
font. From James Goffin's FAQ: -

"I've got a Type 1 font, but I don't have the .pfb file - can I use
it? No. The .pfb file contains the actual descriptions of the shapes
in the font, without it you can't use the font, even if you have the
appropriate .afm and .inf files. Note: Multiple Master fonts have a
.mmm file as well as a .pfb file."

Don't worry about Multiple Master fonts for now, you'll only end up
confused (if you aren't already! ;o))

The PostScript Metrics File can be recreated if one has the .pfb
and/or .afm and .inf files but there is nothing one can do to recreate
a .pfb file. To use a really crap analogy, the .pfb is like the
structure of a building; without structure the building cannot exist;
likewise with a Type 1 font, with out the PostScript Font Basics file,
the font has no framework and, therefore, cannot exist.

Does that make sense? Typography is something I merely dabble in -
there are those far more educated than I over in a.b.f.. If you ever
want to talk type, look up Dick Margulis over in a.b.f. or comp.fonts
- what he /doesn't/ know about the topic could be written on the back
of a postage stamp with room to spare. An old-fashioned gentleman
too...

I should add that I recommend using a good font management utility.
Two of the best are

Printer's Apprentice (my choice)

www.loseyourmind.com (15-day shareware, $30 registration)

Typograf

www.neuber.com (30-day shareware, $39 registration).

These two are regularly recommended in a.b.f..

Belated Solstice blessings,

Sarah

P.S. Is Malke really your given name? From where does it originate -
it looks Scandinavian or Dutch.

That was really interesting information about fonts. I wouldn't class
your knowledge of typography as mere dabbling! My experience with fonts
is install 'em, use 'em, know how to repair the Fonts Folder in Windows
and that's it. Hopefully, the OP will figure out how to find his/her
post and learn from your answers.

Malke is Hebrew for "queen" and yes, the people of my Tribe all have at
least two names - one in the "outside" culture where we happen to be
living (an English name in my case since I am a USAian) and a Hebrew
name.

Cheers,

Malke

 

[Admin]

Snip

That was really interesting information about fonts. I wouldn't class
your knowledge of typography as mere dabbling! My experience with fonts
is install 'em, use 'em, know how to repair the Fonts Folder in Windows
and that's it. Hopefully, the OP will figure out how to find his/her
post and learn from your answers.

Malke is Hebrew for "queen" and yes, the people of my Tribe all have at
least two names - one in the "outside" culture where we happen to be
living (an English name in my case since I am a USAian) and a Hebrew
name.

Cheers,

Malke

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Thanks everyone for the useful info.

I already have removed all the font files that did not have the
corresponding pfb files. This indeed was the missing link in
installing these type1 fonts.

Matt

 

[Miss Perspicacia Tick]

That was really interesting information about fonts. I wouldn't class
your knowledge of typography as mere dabbling! My experience with
fonts is install 'em, use 'em, know how to repair the Fonts Folder in
Windows and that's it. Hopefully, the OP will figure out how to find
his/her post and learn from your answers.

Malke is Hebrew for "queen" and yes, the people of my Tribe all have
at least two names - one in the "outside" culture where we happen to
be living (an English name in my case since I am a USAian) and a
Hebrew name.

Cheers,

Malke

Malke,

I am genuinely interested. You say "tribe" you mean as in the 12 tribes of
Israel? I take it you're Jewish then? I've never heard of a Jew describe
themselves as belonging to a "tribe" and I've known many Jews. When you say
it means "queen" is that in a hierarchical sense? Indulge my ignorance,
please; theology has long been one of my interests (especially ancient
theology).

If you do not wish to carry on this most interesting discussion on this
group, my address is sarah (dot) balfour (at) craigy34 (dot) eclipse (dot)
co (dot) uk. I'd be most interested to hear from you. I though I was fairly
knowledgeable about most aspects of Judaism, but it appears that my
knowledge is somewhat lacking.

I know I can be a little heavy-handed at times, but if I know something
about anything then I believe in sharing the knowledge.

And I only know what I know about typography from hanging around a.b.f and
comp.fonts. Hang around there long enough and you're in extreme danger of
learning rather a lot! ;o)

One last thing I meant to ask you, because I've yet to meet an American who
read Pratchett and truly understood him, you've read the Tiffany Aching
books? Just wondered where you'd got 'Annagramma' from. Although they were
meant to be children's books, the only thing childish about them was that
the main character was 9 in the first book and 11 in the second. The Nac Mac
Feegle (who actually 'existed' in Cornish and Scottish Celtic folklore) did
use some rather choice language (well all Scotsmen swear a blue streak,
don't they...? ;o))

Goddess bless,

Sarah
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