Watkins Printing
110 West 1200 South
Logan, Utah 84321

Sales | Service | Support | Contact Us

Fonts

Overview

Fonts are copyrighted by their authors, like any software. To print your job accurately with the correct typefaces, we must use the same fonts that you create your job with. Though we strive to purchase and retain licences for as many fonts as possible, we do not own all existing typefaces.

We require, in addition to your document and graphics, that the fonts you have used be supplied. Sometimes we will not need to use them as we may already have your fonts installed. More often than not, however, we will require a font because we do not own it, or our version is different from yours. This page will help explain how to provide fonts for your job.

At Watkins Printing, we store incoming jobs on film and digitally on various media. We do not use our customers' fonts to create jobs nor do we supply customers with fonts that they do not already own. Fonts are archived with individual jobs and thus are accessible when the job is ordered again as a reprint.

TrueType Fonts - TrueType fonts consist typically of just one file for each typeface. Sometimes typefaces are offered in italic, bold, thin, heavy, etc. versions, and this will usually result in more than one file. However, for a particular style of TrueType font, one file will provide both the screen and printer font information. On a Windows machine, this is a .ttf file. On a Macintosh, it is represented by the icon with multiple "A's."

PostScript® - PostScript® fonts consist of two files. One is a screen or basic font, and the other is a printer or metrics font. Both files are required for the font to print! On a Windows computer, they are .pfm (metrics) and .pfb (basics) files. On a Macintosh, they are represented by fonts with a single "A" in their icon (within a suitcase or standalone) and accompanied by the printer version (never in a suitcase), usually with a much-abbreviated filename.

[ Back to Top ]

Macintosh®

Typically, fonts are stored in the Fonts folder in the System Folder. If you are using a font management utility such as Extensis® Suitcase™ or Adobe Type Manager® Deluxe they may be stored in other folders. Some things to keep in mind:

PostScript outline fonts are also called printer fonts; and bitmap fonts are also called screen fonts.

The outline (printer) font contains mathematical descriptions in PostScript language for each character of the typeface.

The bitmap (screen) font provides bitmap representations of each character at various sizes for display on-screen. It also provides kerning information and system information for listing the font in menus.

TrueType fonts consist of only one font file, used for both display and printing.

Both TrueType and PostScript bitmap (screen) fonts can be stored in suitcases, which are like folders specifically for fonts.

PostScript outline (printer) fonts can not be stored in suitcases. They should be located in the same folder as the bitmap (screen) font, or the suitcase in which the bitmap font resides.

PostScript outline (printer) fonts are generally named according to the first five letters of the font's name followed by the first three letters of each character style (TimesBol, UniveBlaExt, etc.)

Knowing this, you can copy necessary fonts to a folder with your job. We recommend that your job folder have 1) The document(s); 2) Images folder; and 3) Fonts folder.

[ Back to Top ]

Microsoft® Windows®

Typically, fonts are stored in the Fonts folder in the Windows folder (on your C: drive). If you are using a font management utility such as Adobe Type Manager® Deluxe, they may be stored elsewhere and require locating. Some things to keep in mind:

PostScript outline fonts (pfb's) are also called printer fonts; and bitmap fonts (pfm's) are also called screen fonts.

The outline (printer) font contains mathematical descriptions in PostScript language for each character of the typeface.

The bitmap (screen) font provides bitmap representations of each character at various sizes for display on-screen. It also provides kerning information and system information for listing the font in menus.

TrueType fonts (ttf's) consist of only one font file, used for both display and printing.

To use PostScript fonts with Microsoft® Windows® you must have a PostScript font management utility such as Adobe Type Manager® Deluxe (ATM). With ATM installed, the .pfb and .pfm font files are stored in folder locations of your choice, found in the Settings tab of ATM.

Knowing this, you can copy necessary fonts to a folder with your job. Be warned that the fonts listed in the /Windows/Fonts folder may be shortcuts rather than the actual font (usually indicated with a small arrow on the bottom left corner of the font icon). In such cases, you need to locate the font that the shortcut refers to. We recommend that your job folder have 1) The document(s); 2) Images folder; and 3) Fonts folder.

[ Back to Top ]

Fonts in Linked Images

Encapsulated Postscript files and Adobe® Illustrator® files can both contain fonts. When placed in a layout program such as Adobe® PageMaker® or QuarkXPress™, these fonts become somewhat 'hidden' to the layout application. In other words, the layout application will not ask for the fonts used in the placed EPS images until the document is printed. Additionally, the "save for service provider" option of the layout software generally will not gather fonts used in placed EPS images.
The solution is to be sure to provide fonts used in EPS images along with the job, or to convert the text in such images to outlines rather than text blocks which require fonts. In Adobe® Illustrator® this is Text -> Convert to Outlines. In Macromedia® Freehand™ this is Text -> Convert to Paths. Doing this eliminates the need for the font and is highly recommended for logos and art which is unlikely to require text changes.

[ Back to Top ]