Converting PC fonts into Macosx ones

[OldMacHand]

I need a piece of magic to "port" a few fonts from the Windows universe to the Mac one, a real powerful spell. I already tried to Use the Force, but...

Come on crafty ones! I'm still working on NFSU-Carbon, to see how we can arrange a network game...

[Zaid Al Hilali]

So you dropped it in your Font library but didn't work?

If it didn't work I think it is a question for Al-Irani to answer, as I know also there is a small piece of software that converts them to suit Mac.

[OldMacHand]

...
to be honest I didn't try the drag&drop magic, that much I wouldn't have dared! But I will, and TransFont seems to be doing the job, I'll see what I can find...

[AlIrani]

Originally Posted by Zaid Al Hilali

....I think it is a question for Al-Irani to answer...

Hello "OldMacHand",

If I have understood the question correctly, you have some Windows Arabic fonts that you want to use in OSX (Leopard?), these fonts are in TTF format? encoded as Arabic Windows (CP-1256)? Am I right?

The thing is that "Leopard" supports the TTF font format without the need for any conversion. Even PostScript suitCase and the modern font format like OpenType are properly supported in Leopard so you can use all of these fonts without any extra efforts. Just follow Zaid's instruction on how to install.

In the Mac OS9 this was a problem and fonts needed to be converted to Mac specific format to be able to be used therefore one company made a program that was meant to convert fonts from Windows to Mac and vice versa (TranType from FontLab, it did not work for Arabic/Persian fonts anyway), this is history now and you do not need to bother about.

But if you are planning to re-build (re-write) the fonts you own to make them compatible with Unicode character encoding or add some modern fancy features by supporting the OpenType technology, there are tools which you can use:

For general info about OpenType:
OpenType - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Unicode compliant fonts:
Unicode typefaces - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For professional tools:
- Fontlab Typographic Tools - font editors and converters (commercial and expensive but extremely powerful)
- FontForge (Free tool but you need X11 to be able to use it)

Apple Specific font tool (AAT fonts like GeezaPro an Al Bayan)
Apple Advanced Typography - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Text & Fonts

Microsoft Visual OpenType Layout Tool "VOLT" (Very good free tool, OT font created with this tool on MS Windows will work on Mac too):
http://www.microsoft.com/typography/...lt/default.htm

Some free Fonts Provided by IRMUG (Iranian Macintosh User Group), Support both AAT and OpenType. Support all Arabic based languages, support "Tashkeel or Harakat" properly. (I am sorry the page is in Persian but all you need is to click on the word " اینجا " on top of each font to start the download:

& - IRMUG

Good luck,
Al-Irani

[OldMacHand]

People you're simply the best, thank you very much for all your help!!! The solution was quite simply to drag and drop the font in discussion (ITC bradley) into Font Book and vuala'! as the French say. But I always loved fonts and GX-style technology (anybody old enough to remember Paceworks Object Dancer???) therefore: Thanks again!!!

[Zaid Al Hilali]

Glad it worked.

Frankly I have had no PC fonts to convert and use since the introduction of OpenType fonts. They solved Mac, Windows, Unix, Linux and printer old font problems.