Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!decwrl!adobe!lemon
From: lemon@adobe.com (David Lemon)
Newsgroups: comp.fonts
Subject: AFM revisions
Message-ID: <2820@adobe.UUCP>
Date: 25 May 90 15:40:04 GMT
Sender: news@adobe.COM
Reply-To: lemon@adobe.COM ()
Organization: Adobe Systems Incorporated, Mountain View
Lines: 32

In article 824, Dan Sears notes that some of the AFM files recently posted
on ps-file-server@adobe.com differ from previous versions, and gives the
exmple of a slight change in the bounding box of the Times-Roman "T". Other
changes include modifications to the composites (accent placement) and
kerning pairs. He asks:

>what happens when the information in an AFM file gets out of sync with the
>information in the font itself? 
This would cause applications which use the AFM information to produce
inappropriate results. It is clearly advisable to use the AFM file that
corresponds to the version of the font being used.

>How are changes in an Adobe AFM file accounted for in an Adobe Font? Are
>there updates to the font itself? 
In a word, yes. The changes in the AFM files are simply reflections of
changes in the font with the corresponding version number.

>Is the Times-Roman font in a Texas Instruments OmniLaser 2108 bought today
>(different|better) than the Times-Roman in an Apple LaserWriter bought in
>1985?  What about downloadable fonts?
Adobe is revising a number of fonts for various reasons, most of which will
have neglible impact on normal users, but all of which we clearly considered
necessary. In the case of ROM fonts, the currently shipping, revised
versions of Times, Helvetica, Courier and Palatino have been put into printer
ROMs, but I don't think any of the printers with these new ROMs are shipping
yet. As Dan seems to have guessed, it would be best to use the downloadable
version in such a case. This is easily done by manually downloading the font
to the printer; PostScript will check fonts in RAM before using fonts in ROM.

Hope this helps.

- David Lemon