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From: kevin@kosman.UUCP (Kevin O'Gorman)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: What are Adobe AFM files for?
Message-ID: <537@kosman.UUCP>
Date: 26 Jan 89 15:23:18 GMT
References: <3536@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu>
Reply-To: kevin@kosman.UUCP (Root)
Distribution: na
Organization: K.O.'s Manor - Vital Computer Systems, Oxnard, CA 93035
Lines: 22

In article <3536@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu> u545731798ea@deneb.ucdavis.edu (Greg DeMichillie) writes:
>I've been using several Adobe fonts for a while and I still am not sure
>what the heck the Adobe Font Metric (AFM) files are for.  Are they used 
>to better display the fonts on the screen or just when printing?
>
>Basically, I work on 2 systems, only 1 of which is connected to a 
>LaserWriter.  Should I install the AFM files on both machines or just
>the printing one?
>
>Thanks for the help...

If you don't know what they're for, just throw them away.  No kidding!

They are text files (open them in your favorite word processor and browse).
I have written applications that use them all the time.  They contain 
information about character size, kerning (placement adjustments), and
character formation that are useful if you're writing an application that
will output to a LaserWriter or similar printer without going through the
standard Macintosh printer driver.

Your standard applications don't need them, since they get this information
from QuickDraw.