Can't Access Cochin Bold Italic OT Font in Embroidery Software

Report · Apr 05, 2008

I am having troubles trying to access this font in all of my embroidery softwares. The font is installed correctly, it appears in all the MS Office apps, but it will not appear in my drop down box font selections in ANY of my embroidery softwares which allow me to digitize TT and OT fonts. I looked in the Properties at this font, and in the Details screen, under "Font Embeddibility" is says, "Preview/Print" and not "Editible" like all my other OT fonts do. I purchased this font through MyFonts.com, and it is a registered Adobe font. Help! Is there any way to gain this access level so I can use the font to digitize a company logo?? This was the whole reason I bought the font in the first place!

Patty Sliney

Report · Apr 05, 2008

Most embroidery software can ONLY use Truetype and those OpenType
fonts that have Truetype outlines. With a very few exceptions, all of
Adobe's fonts, including their OpenType fonts, are based on Type 1
(Postscript) outlines that embroidery programs and others that do
their own font analysis can't handle.

- Herb

Report · Apr 05, 2008

Thanks, Herb. This makes complete sense. I was able to find Cochin Intalic Bold in a TT format, and voila, no problems with any embroidery program. Very good to know for future reference. Will steer clear of OT fonts for purchase, unless I know for SURE they have a TT outline. Appreciate the Font101 education!

Patty Sliney

Report · Apr 05, 2008

You're welcome. The nomenclature can be confusing -

All .ttf files have only truetype outlines.
Some .ttf files are opentype fonts.

If an opentype font has any T1 outlines (it may also have tt
outlines), it has an .otf extension.

It's also legitimate, but uncommon, for a file to have an .otf
extension and be all truetype.

Report · Apr 06, 2008

Generally sound advice, but one clarification:

> If an opentype font has any T1 outlines (it may also have tt
outlines), it has an .otf extension.

It would be a bug for a font to have both. (Early drafts of the OpenType format did not specifically forbid it, but nobody did it. Later drafts of the format specifically recommend against it.)

Regards,

T