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K
kcrossley
Inspiring
September 15, 2021
Question

Adobe Postscript Type 1 Fonts?

  • September 15, 2021
  • 8 replies
  • 1531 views

I have a lot of Adobe Postscript Type 1 fonts that I've accumulated over the past several decades. Does Adobe plan on offering an upgrade to OpenType versions of the same fonts? If not, is there a website or some other resource that shows Postscript Type 1 fonts and the OpenType equivalents?

 

Also, with this pending change is OpenType the new professional standard or are TrueType fonts okay as well?

 

Thanks!

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8 replies

K
kcrossleyAuthor
Inspiring
September 16, 2021

Here are the Type 1 fonts I use the most:

  • Akzidenz Grotesk BE
  • Franklin Gothic*
  • Function
  • Garamond*
  • Helvetica Neue
  • Rockwell*
  • Univers


I checked online and some of these font families (the ones with an asterisk) are available through an Adobe CC subscription. Others are not, and in some cases are as much as $500 for an OpenType equivalent. Which online font distributor has the best prices or are there any lower priced alternatives to the fonts I indicated above?

E
Eugene Tyson
Community Expert
September 16, 2021
quote

Here are the Type 1 fonts I use the most:

  • Akzidenz Grotesk BE
  • Function
  • Helvetica Neue
  • Univers

Univers is by Linotype - you could ask them do they have an exchange or upgrade path for the open type version. 

Similar to the other fonts - same advice is going to apply - ask them.

 

And also ask them if it's ok to convert what you have to Open Type using TransType.

 

And this time - retain your emails as proof 🙂

 

Good luck with it.

J E L
J E L
Community Expert
September 15, 2021

@kcrossley I'd also like to chime in to say that there are some commercial Type 1 font converters that might work but please tread carefully as users have reported problems where the converted font looks fine on their screen but falls apart when exported. It's much better to replace your Type 1 fonts starting now. I'm already going back through old projects to swap fonts. Sadly, in some cases, the text just doesn't look the same. However, if your Type 1 fonts were embedded correctly into your PDF it will still print just fine. It's only when InDesign changes have to be made that there will be a problem.

 

I also suggest hiding Type 1 fonts on your system if you don't want to delete them so you don't use them by mistake. I don't know of a specific site or resource that shows the equivalent fonts but typically name to name is a good start though they aren't always the same!

 

I sorted my font folder to see what Type 1 fonts I have installed and then started looking for Adobe and/or Google font equivalents. I'm also starting to only work with Open Type fonts as I was advised that True Type fonts are legacy and should be avoided. I've read a lot on this and I can't say I'm 100 percent sure about anything other than for now, Open Type doesn't give me any problems, has more flexibility, and I use gylphs quite a bit. I'm sure different thoughts on all this will continue.

    K
    kcrossleyAuthor
    Inspiring
    September 15, 2021

    Thanks, Jain. I appreciate your advice and I totally agree with you regarding font converters. I also like your idea about hiding Adobe Type 1 fonts, whose easy access has led me to where I am now. 🙂 Fortunatelty, there are only about a dozen legacy Type 1 fonts that I routinely use, so that should make finding substitutions a little easier. 

      Mike Witherell
      Mike Witherell
      Community Expert
      September 15, 2021

      Find/Change Font will give a clue:

      A font will have a common name that stays the same, but each font is also known to InDesign by its version number. 

      So, suppose you buy a font with a common name years ago; then buy it again recently: it might be named the same, but it is a different version, sometimes containing design tweaks, and this will trigger a reflow that has to be examined closely when republishing an old document. Letting go of the 1980s venerable PostScript fonts is a good thing, but you will wisely reinforce your Quality Assurance human-editing steps for any re-publishing projects that take old and make new.

      Mike Witherell
        K
        kcrossleyAuthor
        Inspiring
        September 15, 2021

        Thanks, Mike. Replacing my old Type 1 fonts was probably something I should have done years ago. I just opened Suitcase and I see what you're referring to. That should make identifying fonts a lot easier. I just hope I can find suitable substitutions for all of my Type 1 fonts. 

          K
          kcrossleyAuthor
          Inspiring
          September 15, 2021

          I think I already know the answer to this, but if a Type 1 Font is called Hevetica Neue, can I assume that an OpenType font with the same name has the same or similar structure? In otherwords, are font names exclusive?

          BobLevine
          BobLevine
          Community Expert
          September 15, 2021
          No, you cannot assume that...in fact, you should assume just the opposite.
            K
            kcrossleyAuthor
            Inspiring
            September 15, 2021

            Thanks, Bob. I figured that was the case. That's what make this transition a little more difficult—for me. As you know, a seemingly insignificant variation in the font structure can sometimes have a big impact in the desktop publishing file. 

            E
            Eugene Tyson
            Community Expert
            September 15, 2021
            quote

            Also, with this pending change is OpenType the new professional standard or are TrueType fonts okay as well?

             

            Thanks!


            By @kcrossley

            Opent Type has been a professional standard for a long long time.

            Adobe are only moving with the times, lots of mobile devices, web browsers, epub readers, etc. all ended support for Type1 fonts years ago. 

            It would be foolish for Adobe to allow apps/webpages/mobile/epub etc. to be built using software that is not supported by the programmes that read it - or the hardware that it is using. 

             

            You would have to contact the Type Foundry individually to see if there's an upgrade path you can take - or a license transfer - if you still have the receipts and proof of purchase for all your fonts. 

             

             

            K
            kcrossleyAuthor
            Inspiring
            September 15, 2021

            You would have to contact the Type Foundry individually to see if there's an upgrade path you can take - or a license transfer - if you still have the receipts and proof of purchase for all your fonts. 

             

            Hi Eugene, and there's the rub. I seriously doubt I have receipts that old. 

            E
            Eugene Tyson
            Community Expert
            September 15, 2021

            Even if you have email transactions - they could be evidence of proof of purchase.

            Again, it would be up to individual type foundry and how they are handling it.

             

            There is a font converter - https://www.fontlab.com/font-converter/transtype/ 

            There's a pretty extensive thread here

            https://community.adobe.com/t5/type-typography-discussions/announcement-adobe-ends-support-for-type-1-fonts-for-content-editing-amp-creation/m-p/11807973

             

            FontLab (creators of TransType) already commented in that thread - and they say if your local laws permit it  you can use their software - but you'd need to check the EULA of your fonts.

             

            If in doubt - get in touch with the font foundry. 

             

            Peter Spier
            Peter Spier
            Community Expert
            September 15, 2021

            Support for TrueType does not seem to be near an end...

            BobLevine
            BobLevine
            Community Expert
            September 15, 2021
            Important to note that many, in fact, most at this point, TTF fonts are actually OpenType.
              BobLevine
              BobLevine
              Community Expert
              September 15, 2021

              OpenType is more than 20 years old and was developed by Microsoft and Adobe. It has been the professional standard for many, many years due to its crossplatform nature as well as the ability to handle thousands of glyphs.

               

              If you bought Type 1 fonts in the last 15 years, I'm afraid you weren't well served.

                K
                kcrossleyAuthor
                Inspiring
                September 15, 2021

                No, all of my recent type purchases have been OpenType. The Type 1 fonts are probably more than 15 years old, but since I'm old school I have my favorites. 🙂 

                Ashutosh_Mishra
                Ashutosh_Mishra
                Inspiring
                September 15, 2021

                Hi there,

                 

                Thanks for reaching out. You should find the answers to most of your questions on this help article: https://helpx.adobe.com/fonts/kb/postscript-type-1-fonts-end-of-support.html

                Additionally, you may check out suggestions given on this community post & let us know if they help.

                 

                Regards,

                Ashutosh

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