Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!usc!ucsd!ames!amdcad.amd.com!sun!concertina!fiddler
From: fiddler@concertina.Sun.COM (Steve Hix)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Some ATM questions
Message-ID: <135399@sun.Eng.Sun.COM>
Date: 9 May 90 16:59:34 GMT
References: <24658@netnews.upenn.edu>
Sender: news@sun.Eng.Sun.COM
Lines: 63

In article <24658@netnews.upenn.edu>, jeff@eniac.seas.upenn.edu (Jeff White) writes:
> 
> 1. Does ATM work with the normal print driver?  

Yes. (Personal sample so far: DeskWriter, drivers 1.0 & 2.0, and a pre-
applewriter Apple serial DMP printer.  Both work fine.)  The printer's
driver just has to be able to handle QuickDraw input.

> 2. What are the 13 fonts that are provided with the package?  What are the
>    other 22 that comes with the Plus Pack?  I assume the both are equivelent
>    to the normal 35 fonts that come with the LaserWriter.

Yes.  The initial ones are equivalent to Courier, Helvetica, and Times Roman
in various styles. And Symbol, I think.  (It may come in the PlusPak.)

> 3. How does the selection of the fonts work? 

If the proper bitmap is available, it is used.  Otherwise the outline font
is used.  If *that* is missing, it falls back on non-ATM default behavior. 

> 4. For the Apple LaserWriter - how does ATM output compare with the regular
>    LW fonts?  

On the screen, not as good. ( :} )  With a DeskWriter, generally as good as a
LaserWriter.  Some small point sizes, on the right paper, are actually a bit
better.  Using a LaserWriter, you won't notice any difference with character
shape/quality.  (Kerning and tracking are a separate issue, as usual.)  ATM
doesn't get in the way when you're outputting to a PostScript printer.

>    Also, how much larger will the file be with ATM vs. regular LW fonts?

If the font lives on the printer, the file won't be any larger than usual.
If the font has to be downloaded to the printer, the file will be just as
large as any normal PostScript file with downloaded fonts.  (The ATM outline
fonts *are* Adobe Type 1 PostScript outline fonts.

> 5. How good is ATM at printing smaller point sizes (10 and less)?  I've read

Some hand-tuned bitmap fonts are slightly better than characters generated from
the outline fonts.  You'd have to look pretty closely.  (How often do you use
6-point type?  How likely that you'll even *have* a 6 pt. bitmap font?  Quality
is fine.)

> 6. Does ATM produce a significant slowness in performance (both for on-screen
>    and printouts)?  I have 2.5 Megs of ram, so I should be able to allocate
>    a few hundred kbytes for the ATM cache, which I've read helps performance.

It does, some.  the first time a font is read in, it'll be noticeably slower 
than subsequent uses of the same font/size in the document.  It's not much
slower than normal font usage on the machine then.  (on a 1Meg Mac, though...)

> 7. What is the usual charge for upgrades?  

The last one (to version 1.2) cost me the effort of filling in a card and
mailing it and waiting for the upgrade to arrive.  Oh yeah, I took advantage
of Adobe's offer of a font package for $39.  I picked Veronese (is the spelling
right?), which is usually ~$275.  I'm happy with it.


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