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Fonts for the Macintosh are almost universally available in PostScript Type 1 format and commonly available in TrueType format. A few fonts are available in a new font format called OpenType.
A PostScript Type 1 font has two parts: the bitmap and the PostScript font file. The bitmap, also known as the screen font, contains the information an application needs to display the font on screen at specific sizes. The PostScript font file contains PostScript information for printing a smooth-looking font at any size. Adobe Type Manager also uses the PostScript font file to create smooth-looking fonts when you view them on screen or when you print to a non-PostScript printer.
A PostScript Type 1 font uses a font suitcase and also requires one or more corresponding printer outlines, which are in the same folder as the font suitcase.
We recommend using Adobe Type Manager (ATM) Deluxe or ATM Light if you are installing PostScript Type 1 fonts on Mac OS 9 and earlier systems. (PostScript support is built into Mac OS X, so you do not need ATM if using Mac OS X.) Note that you can download ATM Light for free from Adobe's Web site.
A TrueType font has only one part. It combines the bitmap and the printer outlines into a single file.
TrueType fonts work with all versions of Mac OS since version 7.0.
An OpenType font has only one part. OpenType fonts work in Mac OS X only. The same OpenType font can be installed in Mac OS X and in Windows XP and Windows 2000.
Note: OpenType fonts come in two "flavors."
When in doubt, select the TrueType font format. A TrueType font is easier to install, because it will work without needing ATM on all versions of Mac OS and there is only one file to worry about (each PostScript font has two).
Some service bureaus, printers, and publishers are not yet comfortable using TrueType fonts and may require you to use PostScript fonts for jobs you submit to them.
PostScript fonts are also recommended where you are sharing design work between Windows and Macintosh computers. You are more likely to get cross-platform consistency with PostScript fonts than with TrueType fonts.
OpenType fonts are still quite new. Although they are widely supported, you are more likely to run into quirky behavior with OpenType fonts than with TrueType and PostScript fonts.
On Mac Systems prior to Mac OS X, bitmap fonts and TrueType fonts travel inside suitcases.
![[icon]](/images/help/mac_suitcase.gif){kind=small} font suitcase |
Suitcases can contain either:
To determine whether a suitcase is contains bitmaps or TrueType fonts, open the suitcase and look at the icons inside. The other clue is that TrueType fonts are noticeably larger than bitmaps.
| inside PostScript Type 1 suitcase |
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![[icons with a single A]](/images/help/insidePSsuitcase.gif) |
| 2 bitmaps |
| inside TrueType suitcase |
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![[icons with multiple As, single A]](/images/help/insideTTsuitcase.gif) |
| TrueType font + bitmap |
Always leave fonts stored inside suitcases. Although you can remove a font from a suitcase, it may not work properly outside the suitcase.
On Mac OS X where fonts are organized quite differently, suitcases look more like ordinary files, the contents of which can no longer be viewed and identified in the Finder. However, the term, Font Suitcase, continues to be seen when fonts are viewed as List.
![[Mac OS X Panther font suitcase]](/images/help/OSXPantherFontSuitcase.gif)
Some font foundries use their own custom icons for bitmap suitcases, PostScript font files, and TrueType font suitcases. The foundries may even use custom icons for the folders containing the font files. We recommend viewing font folders in list view to make it easier to tell the difference between folders and files.
Your font files may include AFM or INF files for the fonts. AFM files contain Adobe font metrics information. INF files contain other font information. Unless your application tells you that you need the AFM or INF files, you can ignore them. Installing them on your computer has no effect.