Chris:
THE QUICK ANSWER:
Fortunately, most PostScript Type 1 fonts are available today in OpenType format. But it may cost you to upgrade some of the fonts in your typeface library.
THE MORE DETAILED ANSWER:
Depending upon the typefoundry and typeface, upgrading from the older PostScript Type 1 format to the newer OpenType format may either be free or cost money. This is because some type designers revise their typefaces and add new features supported by OpenType.
The best place to start would be to draw up a list of all the PostScript Type 1 fonts you have licensed over the years. Next, you need to find the receipts and licences for those fonts. That may be challenging, since a good typeface library takes years to put together.
In some cases, you will have purchased licences for typefaces directly from the original typefoundry or type designer. But chances are good that you also purchased licences from third-party resellers. And this is where things may get more complicated. If you can’t find a receipt or licence for a specific typeface, then you’ll have to purchase a new licence that best meets your needs.
If you’re not too concerned about upgrading to permanent OpenType licences for your PostScript Type 1 fonts, there are various subscription services available. Most typefaces are available by subscription, just as long as you’re willing to continue paying for the right to use them.
Two of the best-known subscription services are Adobe Fonts and Monotype Fonts:
https://fonts.adobe.com/
https://www.monotypefonts.com/
Adobe Fonts is part of your Creative Cloud subscription, so there’s no extra charges to worry about for basic licensing. The service offers a large library of typefaces from Adobe Originals and a range of independent typefoundries. There’s a good chance that some of your PostScript Type 1 fonts are already available on Adobe Fonts.
Monotype Fonts is a subscription service that you’d have to purchase in addition to Creative Cloud. Monotype owns many historical and popular typefoundries, like Berthold, Bitstream, FontFont, Hoefler & Cº, ITC, Linotype, Monotype, and URW. Plans start at $100 per year for desktop-only licensing, but expect to spend at least $200 to $600 per year for website licensing as well.
Some Monotype typefaces are available on Adobe Fonts, but many are not. As of September 2022, Monotype’s typeface library includes many of the most popular designs like the many, many different flavours of Akzidenz-Grotesk and Helvetica. If you or your clients require any of Monotype’s typefaces, you’ll have to purchase subscription or permanent licences directly from the company or its subsidiaries.
Today, there are more independent typeface designers and typefoundries than ever before. You can license their typefaces directly, through third-party resellers, or on subscription services like Adobe Fonts and Monotype Fonts.
All font files used by both of these subscription services are in OpenType format, which solves your problem of replacing your existing PostScript Type 1 fonts. Providing of course, that typefaces by subscription works for you.
If you prefer having permanent licences for your typefaces, there are three basic options:
[1] The Free Upgrade
Some typefoundries are sensitive to the fact that their existing customers won’t be able to use their PostScript Type 1 fonts in the future, starting with the Creative Cloud 2023 applications. So they’ve decided to offer OpenType font upgrades for free.
If these typefoundries have your original licence on record, they’ll most likely have already contacted you directly about how you can download newer OpenType versions of the fonts you’ve licensed directly from them. In other cases, you may have to contact the typefoundry yourself.
A good example of a typefoundry offering OpenType upgrades for free is Underware, who started doing so in 2013:
https://www.underware.nl/blog/2022/08/postscript-type-1-fonts-end-of-support/
[2] The Paid Upgrade
Other typefoundries charge existing customers to upgrade their PostScript Type 1 fonts to OpenType format. One reason: the newer OpenType fonts may include features that were impossible to include in their Type 1 fonts, such as extended character sets, support for more languages, new special characters, and programmed behaviours. Another reason: if a typefoundry can make more money from selling you a new licence, they will.
Some typefoundries recognize that current PostScript Type 1 licence holders want a range of options when upgrading to OpenType format. Most Type 1 fonts only support Western European languages. Adding support for other languages using the Latin alphabet – as well as adding support for Greek and Cyrillic alphabet languages – can take a lot of time and effort, even more than it took to produce the original Type 1 fonts.
A good example of this is the Dutch Type Library, whose typefaces are highly-respected but quite expensive. DTL offers existing PostScript Type 1 licence holders a range of upgrade options:
https://www.dutchtypelibrary.nl/otupgrade_rdrct.html
Another example: P22 offers a 75% discount on OpenType licences, just as long as you can provide them with proof of your original Type 1 purchase:
https://www.p22.com/about-Font_File_Upgrades
[3] The Full Licence
There will be certain cases where you won’t be able to pay an upgrade price to convert your PostScript Type 1 font licences into OpenType format. If you purchased your licences from a third-party reseller – rather than directly from the typefoundry – it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to upgrade from Type 1 to OpenType.
Buying from a reseller is like a one-time transaction: you’re buying a very specific licence for a very specific purpose. Whether the reseller offers an upgrade path is up to them. That’s why it’s generally recommended to license typefaces directly from the original type designer or typefoundry, if you have the choice.
There may be PostScript Type 1 fonts you’ve licensed over the years that are no longer available for sale. In those cases, I recommend reading the original licence to see what you can do with the font files.
Some licences – like the licence used by Adobe’s original Type Library, Type on Call, and Font Folio – allow licensees to modify and convert the fonts they’ve purchased. If that’s the case, there is font editor software that you can use to convert those fonts from Type 1 into OpenType format:
FontLab
https://www.fontlab.com/font-editor/fontlab/
FontXchange
https://fontgear.com/products/fontxchange-for-macintosh
Glyphs & Glyphs Mini
https://glyphsapp.com/
TransType
https://www.fontlab.com/font-converter/transtype/
Please keep in mind that some font licences expressly forbid you from converting PostScript Type 1 fonts into OpenType format. Berthold is a good example:
https://www.bertholdtypes.com/help/
In those circumstances, it’s best to contact the typefoundry directly to ask what’s the best way to acquire OpenType licences.
I hope that answers your question. If not, please let me know.
Best regards
Andrew
–30–
ANDREW KEITH STRAUSS / ACTP / CTT+ / ACI / ACE / ACP
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