Help with embedding Type1 OTF Fonts in Word 2007/2010 docs

[Guest]

Hi,

I purchased a few Adobe OpenType Pro fonts including Myriad Pro and Garamond Pro. I want to use those fonts in Word 2007 and/or 2010 .docx type documents. It works fine while I work on my PC which has the fonts installed. Word recognizes the fonts and I can use them, in the 2010 version even with some OpenType features like ligatures, medieval numerals, etc. However, I have tremendous difficulties embedding those fonts so recipients can actually read and/or edit my documents.

Exporting the fiels into PDF also skips embedding the fonts (at least as long as I use Microsofts PDF Export).

Can someone please tell me:

1) Is embedding of OpenType fonts in Word 2007 or 2010 possible at all?

2) If not, can I trade in the fonts for the corresponding TrueType versions?

3) If that is not possible, is there a way to convert the fonts into TrueType without losing too much of the font quality?

Thank you all for your kind support.

JP

[Dov Isaacs · Accepted solution]

Microsoft only allows embedding of TrueType fonts and OpenType TrueType-flavored fonts to be embedded in their Office documents. There is nothing in OpenType CFF fonts (the OpenType fonts with Type 1 outlines in them) from being embedded in Office documents other than a business decision by Microsoft. Complain to them.

No, Adobe does not provide its OpenType CFF fonts in OpenType TrueType format.

No, there is no reasonable way to “convert” OpenType CFF fonts to OpenType TrueType format without some degradation of quality. Essentially you would be converting Bezier curves definition outlines in quadratic curve outlines and discarding the hinting which provides for intelligent scaling.

I suggest you complain to Microsoft about this. Again, it is their business decision and pretty bone-headed one at that!

          - Dov 

[Guest]

Hi,

thank you for your reply. However, I would be surprised if this really was a "business descision", because OpenType has been co-developed by Microsoft, which has a surprisingly good typography department. More a case of the left hand not knowing what the right is doing

http://www.microsoft.com/typography/WhatIsOpenType.mspx

I have opened a support case over at Microsoft, I will let you know of the result (if any).

Cheers

JP

[Dov Isaacs]

Well, we here at Adobe did co-develop the spec with Microsoft. There is no technical reason why they don't embed these fonts. Thus, it must be a business decision or maybe even someone who is still stuck in the “font wars” of the late 1980s and early 1990s!

I'd be very interested in what response you get from Microsoft (if any). Please post that response.

          - Dov