Open Type font cross-platform compatibility

[paul.luna]

Hi

We're transferring Office documents between OS X and Windows XP.
We use our own custom OpenType fonts, created in FontLab, which are PS
flavour. We have the following issues:

Word and Excel: Naming of fonts on Mac is different from PC version.
Result: Files created on OS X embed a font name/style name that is not
recognized by XP.
Files created under XP embed font names which can be understood by OS
X. So - problem arises when XP-created docs need to be edited by Mac
users and returned to PC users.

PowerPoint: Docs created on a PC using these fonts default to Arial
when opened on a Mac; Docs created on a Mac using these fonts default
to Courier.

We are using Office 2004; OS X 10.4.9

Any advice? Will this be fixed in Office 2007?

Paul Luna
Department of Typography
University of Reading UK

 

[Priyanka Singhal]

Hello Paul,

I'd need to know more about the fonts and their identification schemes to be
able to answer definitively but post script fonts should perform well cross
platform. I would be especially interested to know if your font
identification differed from the methodology described on page 220 of the
FLS manual in the "How to Make a Font Family" section.

FLS Manual Link:

http://www.font.to/downloads/manuals/FLS5MacManual.zip

Thanks,

Priyanka

 

[paul.luna]

Thanks, Priyanka. I can try to get this info, or I can send you the
one of the fonts privately.

Paul

 

[Priyanka Singhal]

Hi Paul,
It would be better to just get this info.
Thanks,
Priyanka