Overview of Printer Font Metrics (PFM) Files

 Last reviewed: February 24, 1995
Article ID: Q95456
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows Device Driver Kit (DDK) for Windows version 3.1

SUMMARY

Printer font metrics (PFM) files are the generic way of presenting device fonts information to a printer driver. Device fonts are resident on the printer; they are not generated by Microsoft Windows. PFM files provide a device-independent method of representing device fonts so that Windows or a printer driver can represent device-font-metrics data.

Windows also supports printer-cartridge metrics (PCM) files. PCM files are a collection of PFM files.

There are three tools that can be used to create PFM files:

  • The PFM Editor, explained in Chapter 3 (page 25) of the Microsoft Windows DDK "Printer and Fonts Kit." The PFM Editor creates PFM (or PCM) files that are compatible with Hewlett-Packard (HP) Printer Control Language (PCL) printers.
  • The PFM dialog box in UniTool, explained in Chapter 7 (page 104) of the Microsoft Windows DDK "Minidriver Development Guide." The UniTool PFM dialog box creates PFM files that can be used with all minidrivers.
  • The PFM file generator explained in Chapter 5 (page 53) of the Microsoft Windows DDK "Printer and Fonts Kit." The PFM file generator builds PFM files from recognized downloadable fonts. HP drivers use the PFM file generator.

REFERENCES

A good overview of the data structures used in standard PFM files is given in: 

   Chapter 2 (page 9) of the Microsoft Windows DDK "Printers and Fonts
   Kit"
An overview of the data structures used in PFM files generated by the Printer Font Installer (HP drivers) may be found in: 

   Chapter 5 (page 54) of the Microsoft Windows DDK "Printers and
   Fonts Kit"
A description of the data structures used in PFM files generated by UniTool for minidrivers is presented in: 

   Chapter 7 (pages 103-115) of the Microsoft Windows DDK "Minidriver
   Development Guide"

   Appendix C of the Microsoft Windows DDK "Minidriver Development
   Guide"
The data structures used in PFM files for PCL printers are documented in: 

   Chapter 4 (page 41) of the Microsoft Windows DDK "Printers and
   Fonts Kit"
The data structures used in PFM files for PostScript printers are reviewed in: 

   Chapter 7 (page 98) of the Microsoft Windows DDK "Printers and
   Fonts Kit"

Additional reference words: 3.10
KBCategory: kbprg
KBSubcategory:

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Last reviewed: February 24, 1995
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