First of all, is there a better place to ask this question than this forum? I looked at the list of forum names, and I didn't see one that I felt was right for my issue.
I'm trying to install an OpenType font in WinXP (Inconsolata). When I select the file in the font installation dialog, it just says "Unable to install the ... font. The font file may be damaged. Check with your vendor about obtaining a new file." I'm getting the .otf file from http://www.levien.com/type/myfonts/inconsolata.html. I've also tried http://moorstation.org/typoasis/designers/steffmann/samples/a/albert.htm with the same result. I've tried downloading the file (from Firefox) several times.
OpenType is fairly new invention even on the Macintosh Platform until OSx.3.9 and X.4.x were Opentype fonts accepetable. 3.8 and below if you selected a OT Font would crash the machine. 3.9 was when they gained support for Opentype.
I suspect that Buko is correct even though he is attempting some light humor. Open type is supposed to replace Posscript ans Truetype. In fact its a cross between the two.
OX.3.8 and below didn't handle OTF very well. Because I tried.
and OTF is a cross between Truetype and Postscript.
In postscript, if you choose a Font, you can only use certain point sizes 8,9, 10, 12,14,18, 20, 24, 48, and so on.
In Open type you can use 6, 7, 11, 13, 23 along with the other sizes; whatever, just like true type. I've read up on the technology. and every where I've read is that OpenType uses the best features of both postscript and TrueType,
Every time I tried an OTF Font would end up crashing either Application or system until OSX.3.9. After that the same Font unchanged worked fine in X.3.9 and of course never had a problem in OSX.4.11.
Maybe it was somethin unique to my system. Although I use a very small set of, 3rd party Control panel (system preference items and I have used the same for years). Yahoo widgets (called something else when Arlo Rose original came out with it), TypeIt4Me, DefaultFolder, USB Overdrive. Big appliactions I've had various paid for version of them for years, MS Office, Acrobat, DreamWeaver, Canvas, GrapicConverter. Web Browsers: SeaMokey, FireFox, Safari, Opera, Omniweb, iCab, and mail News Readers. Thunderbird and just recently trying out postbox. (plus SeaMonkey has email newsreading built in). I've only upadted these to new version as they come out and I can afford. So it not like It try out exotic stuff just to see what happens.
And OBTW: Since OSX.3.9 up to X.4.11 I haven't had a System Crash, nor have I even had an application crash. Period. How many years is that. And up until just in recent months computer was turned on in Morning, it wasn't shut down until 10 or 11 at night.
Of course I do regualr maintaince such as using AppleKack from Time to time and Oynx from time to time.
The purpose of Postscript fonts going back to its origins was to provide a mathematical algorithm to describe fonts. Going back to early pre-OS X systems there were bitmaps included along with the postscript printer files. The bitmaps were used for display purposes (mostly) and provided kerning and metric information. The printer files were used by the postscript printer and the bitmaps for the display. ATM allowed the use of postscript fonts for non-postscript printers and provided better screen output for sizes that were not provided by for in the bitmaps. This goes back to at least OS 6 perhaps earlier.
I believe on early Windows they didn't use bitmaps but provided other files for kerning and/or metric information (perhaps these were the afm and/or pfm files). I'm sure someone more knowledgeable than me will step in with more detailed information. ATM was necessary for support of postscript files on early Windows systems. Probably going back to Windows 95, I'm not sure if it was supported with Windows 3.1. I've got some vague recollection of OS/2 support but I'm real hazy on that.
Mike, Indeed OS2 Warp provided support for postscript. IBM was trying to sell it to prepress outfits at the time, as those were dark days for Apple. I was asked by my then prepress manager, to follow him to IBM to help sell Warp. Too bad it didn't take off; it was far superior to what was available from both Apple and MickeySoft at the time. Even NeXT which was supposed to be in the game during this time frame supported Display Postcript; something I *think* Quartz uses or used to.
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