6.21 TrueType Support

The Windows 3.1 PostScript driver supports TrueType fonts allowing users to create and print document containing TrueType fonts on PostScript printers. The driver also provides a variety of advanced options that let the user determine how TrueType fonts are to be used with the printer. Depending on the capabilities of the printer, the user may want to convert TrueType fonts to an Abode format, or substitute the TrueType font with a printer-resident font.

The PostScript driver may need to convert the fonts to PostScript device-font format before downloading to the printer. This is true if the printer does not support the TrueType font format itself. If the driver must convert TrueType fonts, it can convert them to either Adobe Type 3 bitmap fonts or Type 1 outline fonts. The user sets the type in the TrueType option in the Advanced Options dialog box. The TrueType to Type 1 conversion is not exact and may produce fonts of slightly inferior quality to the original TrueType font. However, using this conversion will reduce print time and require much less printer memory for documents containing lots of TrueType fonts at large point sizes.

The user can direct the PostScript driver to substitute PostScript printer-resident fonts for TrueType fonts by using the Substitution option in the Advanced Options dialog box. This option displays another dialog box that lists the TrueType fonts and lets the user choose the substitution font. Using substitution fonts reduces print time and requires less printer memory.

If the printer supports the TrueType font format, the user can also direct the driver to download TrueType fonts to the printer by using the Substitution option in the Advanced Options dialog box. In this case, the user sets the Download as a SoftFont option for a TrueType font instead of choosing a printer-resident font. The driver converts the TrueType font to a soft font and downloads it to the printer. This is the default for any TrueType font that hasn't been assigned a printer font in the substitution table.