FONT POLICY Policies and Best Practices for Font Usage and Management on the Mac OS
r.140528 TEN Font Policy page 2
Table of Contents
TEN Font Policy ...... 3 About Fonts in Mac OS X ...... 3 About Font Formats ...... 3 Font Locations ...... 4 Required Fonts ...... 5 Best Practices ...... 6 About Helvetica and Helvetica Neue ...... 6 Font Cache Issues ...... 6 Font Management & Purchasing ...... 7 Support Contacts ...... 8 TEN Font Policy page 3
TEN Font Policy
This document contains information about font usage and best practices for print design on the Macintosh Operating System. TEN Art Directors are responsible to understand and implement the policies outlined here. Proper font management and usage is critical to maintain dependable and accurate editorial workflows, consistency of type design, and reliable, repeatable print output.
As of September 2008, OpenType is the preferred font format to be used in type design for all TEN print publications. Only OpenType fonts may be purchased going forward. Furthermore, for magazines that allow copy editing to be performed via InCopy on Microsoft Windows, ONLY OpenType fonts can be used in print design.
About Fonts in Mac OS X
Font management can be one of the biggest problems facing any graphic arts workflow. Mac OS X is a powerful platform that supports multiple font formats in a multi-user environment. Unfortunately, this makes for a system that is prone to font conflicts, font duplicates, and a general lack of font control. Applications such as Suitcase can assist in reducing these problems, but the foundation of any system must be correct font installation and usage.
OS X manages and stores fonts in multiple locations on the hard drive. Several of these fonts are required for Mac OS X to function properly. Removing or deactivating these fonts can affect the stability of your system. This fact, coupled with the permissions associated with the various font locations, can make font management very difficult. If fonts are poorly managed, corrupt fonts, duplicate fonts, orphaned fonts, a corrupt font cache, buggy behavior, application crashes, and incorrect output can result. The policy below outlines proper steps for font installation and management, which if followed, will reduce or eliminate such problems.
About Font Formats
The Following is a brief synopsis of all font formats supported by Mac OS X .
OpenType - OpenType fonts use a single file for all of their outline, metric, and bitmap data. OpenType is the only true cross-platform font type. For TEN print publications, OpenType is the preferred font format. Only OpenType fonts may be purchased for use in print design. OpenType fonts can contain 65,000 different glyphs, including ligatures, true fractions, symbols, and multiple languages. OpenType fonts are supported by Adobe CS and QuarkXPress 7 (and up.)
Windows and Mac OpenType = .otf
PostScript - PostScript fonts (also called Type 1) is the traditionally preferred font format for high-end printed output. Each PostScript font requires two files; a screen (bitmap) font and a printer (outline) font. These two files must coexist in the same folder. PostScript fonts are not cross platform, and are formatted differently for Windows and Macintosh.
Windows PostScript = .pfm .inf .afm .pfb
Mac PostScript files do not have extensions.
TrueType – TrueType is the forerunner to OpenType, and TENilarly contains screen, printer, and metrics data in one file. Some older TrueType fonts contain limited metrics (sizing) information, which can cause the appearance of a font to change when outputting to a PostScript device. For this reason, older TrueType fonts are not preferred for print publishing. Mac TrueType fonts work only on a Mac. Windows TrueType fonts work on both platforms.
Windows and Mac TrueType = .ttf TEN Font Policy page 4 dFont - dFont stands for “Datafork TrueType font.” DFonts are Classic TrueType fonts repackaged for OS X. DFonts reside in the System/Library/Fonts folder and are intended for Apple system use only. They are not compatible with Windows. dFonts are not intended for print output, and can cause conflicts with PostScript or TrueType fonts. They should not be used for print publishing.
Mac dFont = .dfont
Multiple Master - Multiple Master is a kind of PostScript font that never gained widespread acceptance. Multiple Master fonts are problematic, should never be used, and should be deleted.
Mac Multiple Master files do not have extensions, but often contain “MM” in their name.
Font Locations
Fonts can be stored in several locations in the Mac OS X system. When the system searches for a font, it searches these locations in the order listed below using the first matching font that it finds.
1 . Application Fonts - Some applications have their own font folder (usually in Library/Application Support). For that application only, fonts stored in the font folder will take precedence over other fonts on the system. These fonts must be left intact for the respective applications to function properly.
2 . User Library Fonts -
3 . Library Fonts - Library/Fonts is intended for shared fonts. Since Source Interlink Media users do not share fonts, this folder should be empty.
4 . System Fonts - System/Library/Fonts in this folder are used by the OS, available to all users of the system, and in general should be left alone. Some of the fonts in this folder are absolutely required by the OS and removing them will cause the OS or certain applications to crash or behave erratically. Fonts stored in this location are always active and available to the OS and all applications. Admin access is needed to modify the contents of this folder.
Note: InDesign CS5.5 has an important and useful feature for managing fonts used in InDesign layouts. When packaging InDesign layouts, packaged fonts are placed in a folder called “Document Fonts.” This Document Fonts folder is placed in the same folder as the InDesign layout file. InDesign will automatically activate fonts in this Document Fonts folder, for use in InDesign only. The fonts in this folder take priority over any other fonts in the system (for InDesign only). Use of the InDesign Document Fonts folder is encouraged for activating fonts and sending fonts with layouts. This feature helps guarantee that fonts are correctly activated and used in InDesign layouts. TEN Font Policy page 5
Required Fonts The Mac OS requires that the following fonts must be activated at all times:
Required Fonts For the Mac OS X For Adobe CS3 For Microsoft Applications AppleGothic.dfont MyriadPro-Black.otf Andale Mono AquaKanaBold.ott MyriadPro-BlackIt.otf Arial AquaKanaRegular.ott MyriadPro-Bold.otf Arial Black Courier.dfont* MyriadPro-BoldCond.otf Comic Sans MS Geneva.dfont MyriadPro-BoldIt.otf Courier New Helvetica LT MM and HelveLTMM MyriadPro-BoldCondIt.otf Georgia Helvetica.dfont* MyriadPro-Cond.otf Impact HelveticaNeue.dfont* MyriadPro-CondIt.otf Times New Roman Keyboard.dfont MyriadPro-It.otf Trebuchet MS LastResort.dfont MyriadPro-Light.otf Verdana LucidaGrande.dfont MyriadPro-LightIt.otf Webdings Monaco.dfont MyriadPro-Regular.otf Batang.ttf Osaka.dfont MyriadPro-Semibold.otf Gulim.ttf OsakaMono.dfont MyriadPro-SemiboldIt.otf MS Gothic.ttf Symbol.dfont* MS Mincho.ttf Times LT MM and TimesLTMM MS PGothic.ttf Times.dfont* MS PMincho.ttf ZapfDingbats.dfont* MT Extra ProN W3.otf PMingLiU.ttf (HiraMinProN-W3) ProN W6.otf TENSun.ttf (HiraMinProN-W6) ProN W3.otf Wingdings (HiraKakuProN-W3) ProN W6.otf (HiraKakuProN-W6) * These fonts are OK to replace with another version of the font. For example, you can substitute a .dfont with a PostScript version of the same font. However, at least one version of the font is required at all times.
For further details on required fonts and their locations, please see the Extensis Suitcase “Best Practices Guide”. This PDF can be downloaded at http://dl.extensis.com/downloads/SC/EN/P/Fonts_Best_Practices_in_OSX.pdf TEN Font Policy page 6
Best Practices
All other fonts on a Mac can be activated/deactivated as necessary. Suitcase Fusion is installed on TEN Macs to facilitate font management and activation. It is highly recommended that ALL fonts (other than those listed on page 5) be screened by Font Doctor™. Font Doctor is installed on all TEN Macs, and facilitates easy ‘clean up’ of a collection of fonts. Before scanning fonts, check your Font Doctor settings to make sure they match the screenshot on the right. In the course of the font scan, conflicting, duplicate, corrupted and orphaned fonts will be identified (if they exist). These fonts must be deleted, along with Multiple Master fonts.
The resulting ‘clean’ fonts should be copied to a new ‘Font Directory.’ Font Doctor can be set do this automatically. Create a new folder named Font Directory (or whatever name you prefer) in the
This resulting Font Directory then becomes the main repository of fonts for the user. The Font Directory folder should be loaded into Suitcase Fusion. Individual fonts can then be activated/deactivated as necessary using Suitcase. Font files should never be moved from the Font Directory.
Font sets (specific collections of fonts) can be created in Suitcase as needed. It is generally best for the Art Director to create one specific set of fonts for each magazine that they work on. This font set can then be shared with all other users (editors) as needed.
About Helvetica and Helvetica Neue
Helvetica and Helvetica Neue are essential to the Mac OS, and some applications require active versions of these fonts in order to function correctly. Because these fonts are required by the Mac OS, they can be problematic when used in print design. (Other fonts listed on page 5 can be problematic as well, however they are not commonly used in print design.)
If any of these fonts are used in your print designs, you must take care to activate and use the correct version, particularly if you are required to use only OpenType fonts (i.e. your designs are copy edited on Windows.) The TENplest solution is TENply to use an alternative font in your designs, so as to avoid conflicts with system fonts. If this is not possible, it is best to activate and use an OpenType version of these fonts, such as those included with the Adobe OpenType Font Folio.
If the latter option is chosen, you may see more that one choice for these fonts in your layout program. You must make sure that only the OpenType versions of these fonts are used in your print designs (including in your paragraph and character styles.) Always take care to activate and use the correct version of a font in each design/output scenario. Use of the InDesign Document Fonts folder can help ensure that the proper version of these fonts is activated and used in InDesign.
Font Cache Issues
If your fonts appear garbled or if you experience other strange behavior with your fonts, you may be seeing a problem with the Mac OS X font cache. If you experience this problem, please contact the help desk at 1-866-266-8989. A help desk technician can clear your font cache. This will solve most common font problems on the Mac OS. TEN Font Policy page 7
Font Management & Purchasing
OpenType is the preferred format for print design. Only OpenType fonts can be purchased for use in TEN print publications. Postscript and TrueType fonts may be used if no OpenType option exists, however they must be converted to outlines prior to copy editing for editorial workflows that include copy editing on Windows computers. DFonts and Multiple Master Fonts must never be used.
Users must always embed fonts in pdf files. NEW fonts (or newly replaced fonts) must always be collected when sending files for output. Be aware that different versions of a single font may exist. A new version of a font must also be collected and sent for output.
ALL font purchases must be called into the helpdesk. The Art Director should indicate font name, font foundry, format (must be OpenType) and purchase info, along with accounting code.
1. IT will review font licensing to ensure legal output and our ability to provide fonts to outside vendors for such purpose.
2. IT will procure font and test for proper output, using this procedure:
a. Install font on test machines (Mac and Windows, if applicable) per the best practices procedures in this document.
b. Create a document containing a list of glyphs for each of our supported platforms (Quark, InDesign, Illustrator, etc.)
c. Print from each platform to as many output ‘devices’ as possible: PDF, Distiller, .ps, laser printers, etc.
d. Verify that all outputs are consistent and correct
3. Once verified, IT will install the font into the proper location in the
Support Contacts
TEN Prepress is responsible for oversight of all prepress The internal TEN Help Desk is responsible for technical workflows, including font policy implementation. Please administration of all TEN computers and software. contact the personnel below for any of the following reasons: Non-emergency tickets should be self-created using the web site: http://helpdesk • New employee (Art Director) training • Specific questions about the TEN Font Policy • Any other questions relating to prepress workflows
Chris Buford PreMedia Manager 949.705.3139 - Santa Ana [email protected]
Matthew Paige Director Publishing Services 310.363.4036 [email protected]
For manuals and instructional videos covering TEN prepress systems and related topics, please visit http://www .manula .com/manuals/enthusiastnetwork