Postscript vs. OpenType fonts

[Lisa_Spike@adobeforums.com]

Sorry, off topic...

We currently have the Postscript versions of Helvetica Neue fonts, and would like to get the OpenType versions. However, I'm unsure of a couple of them. Our "standard" text is Helvetica Neue 55 Roman; our bold text is Helvetica Neue 75 Bold.

Upon looking at Adobe's website, it seems the "55" and "75" have been dropped from the font names. The OpenType "Roman" looks MUCH bolder than my 55 Roman; OpenType "Light" looks right on. Similarly, the OpenType "Medium" looks more like my bold than the OpenType "Bold".

Obviously I'm comparing by looking at my monitor, which isn't an accurate way. But we only want to buy the exact fonts we need, not all of the sets.

Is there any way to know the EXACT OpenType equal to a Postscript font? A cross-reference chart, a print out of the fonts you can request...or has anyone else already been through this?

[Michael_S._Flynn@adobeforums.com]

Just buy FontLab and make OpenType versions of your Type 1 fonts.

[Alan_Gold@adobeforums.com]

Michael,

If you convert Wndows T1 fonts to OpenType with a product like FontLab, do you gain anything that you didn't have in the T1 font?

From my limited understanding, OpenType gives you cross-platform benefits, but since you can use PC fonts on a Mac, that doesn't seem like an issue here.

If OpenType gives an extended character set, that would be good, but would a "converted" font have that feature?

AG

[Robert_Oliver@adobeforums.com]

You might get a better answer in the Typography forum:

<http://www.adobeforums.com/cgi-bin/webx?14@@.eea5b3a>

[Thomas_Phinney@adobeforums.com]

The outlines of the fonts are unchanged (except for a few added characters). For Windows/Mac menu names, I think we might have been forced to drop the numbers because there just wasn't room when the "Std" was also added in. However, IIRC, the numbers were retained in the full OpenType names, which will show up in many applications (including InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop).

Regards,

T

Thomas Phinney
Program Manager
Fonts & Core Technologies
Adobe Systems

[Bob_Bob@adobeforums.com]

Hi Michael-
Are you really knowledgeable about FontLab? I've used it for awhile and
haven't always been successful converting Type 1 fonts to OpenType on
Windows- and then using the font on Mac. Sometimes it works... Wondering if
you have any tips?
- Thanks, BB/SL

<Michael_S._Flynn@adobeforums.com> wrote in message
news:3bb4719d.0@webx.la2eafNXanI...

> Just buy FontLab and make OpenType versions of your Type 1 fonts.