Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!shadooby!samsung!cs.utexas.edu!halley!steve
From: steve@halley.UUCP (Steve Williams)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.postscript
Subject: Re: AFM files: of any use?
Summary: At least two ways to get them
Message-ID: <627@halley.UUCP>
Date: 16 Nov 89 14:47:14 GMT
References: <134400010@cdp> <8049@cg-atla.UUCP> <12830@polya.Stanford.EDU>
Reply-To: steve@halley.UUCP (Steve Williams)
Organization: Tandem Computers, Austin, TX
Lines: 24

In a followup article rokicki@polya.Stanford.EDU (Tomas G. Rokicki) writes:
>> |Do _any_ applications make use of AFM files?
>
>> Yup, they are used.
>
>So, then, why aren't they made available?  When I buy a PostScript laser
>printer, I don't get AFM files for the fonts.  I can get them from the
>Adobe file server, but that doesn't help Joe Consumer.  And Adobe has
>never responded to any requests for permission to distribute the things
>with any software packages I am aware of.  What good are they if you can't
>get them?  (This is one of my major gripes with Adobe . . .)

Long before I ever found the fileserver, I got a set of AFM files by
sending Adobe several blank DOS-format diskettes.  They sent me an equal
number of diskettes (not the same disks I sent them) full of AFM files,
for free.  I don't remember how I found out about that service, and I
doubt if they still do it in that casual manner, but I don't think it's
too very hard to get AFM files if you put a little effort into it.  And
"Joe Consumer" has little or no need for the files.  Really, only
developers, hackers, and the insatiatiably curious ever need them.

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Steve Williams               ...!cs.utexas.edu!halley!steve
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