Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!iconsys!danny
From: danny@iconsys.UUCP (Danny Young)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
Subject: Re: PS program to create font from BDF files available?
Keywords: BDF, fonts, conversion
Message-ID: <390@iconsys.UUCP>
Date: 10 Jul 89 15:22:39 GMT
References: <387@iconsys.UUCP> <964@adobe.UUCP>
Reply-To: danny@iconsys.UUCP (Danny Young)
Organization: ICON International, Inc., Orem, UT
Lines: 33

In article <964@adobe.UUCP> greid@adobe.COM (Glenn Reid) writes:
>In article <387@iconsys.UUCP> danny@iconsys.UUCP (Danny Young) writes:
>>Are there any public domain postscript programs for creating a font out of
>>a BDF (Binary Distribution Format) font description?
>
>I don't know of such a program.  Since the BDF files are bitmap fonts
>at low resolution (intended for screen fonts), they aren't very good
>for making into printer fonts.  Also, since these fonts are derived
>originally from the high-quality outline PostScript fonts, there isn't
>much demand for bitmap versions.
> ...
>Glenn Reid
>Adobe Systems

I see your point.  The reason I ask is because I obtained a kanji font
(kanji are the Chinese characters used in written Japanese) in BDF from the
recent X-windows release which I would like to use.  Of course, I would prefer
an outline kanji font (does Adobe sell one?) but for now, this is the only
kanji font I can find.  BTW, the X-windows release has several other
interesting bitmap fonts as well.

Since there isn't much general interest in a BDF-->printer_font utility, I'll
probably try to write one myself (I've already written a utility to show the
BDF font).  Thanks for the information though.

P.S. I originally wrote that BDF stood for Binary Distribution Format, it is
really *Bitmap* Distribution Format.

-- 
Danny Young		    USENET:  uunet!iconsys!danny
Icon International, Inc.    ARPANET: icon%byuadam.bitnet@wiscvm.wisc.edu   
764 East Timpanogos Pkwy    BITNET: icon%byuadam.bitnet
Orem, Utah 84057-6212       Telephone: (801) 225-6888