Apple 12/600PS manual Keeping two font versions available

For example, if a document uses 12-point Times, available in that size as a bitmapped font and as a TrueType font, the system uses the bitmapped font. If a document uses 4-point Times, the system scales the TrueType font to that size, because a bitmapped version isn’t available.

Using only TrueType fonts produces a closer match between the appearance of type on the screen and on paper. However, a document you’ve already created with bitmapped fonts will be reformatted with the corresponding TrueType fonts, and line breaks in the document may change. Similarly, if a document is created on a system that has TrueType fonts or Adobe Type Manager software installed, it may have different spacing, kerning, and so on, when opened on a system that doesn’t have TrueType fonts or Adobe Type Manager software.

Keeping two font versions available

If you have a TrueType version of a font, you don’t need a bitmapped version. However, although keeping both versions of a font takes up more disk space, there are several advantages to doing so.

Bitmapped fonts are hand-designed: a graphic artist planned each character in each font to look good on a screen. TrueType fonts are scaled by the computer to match what you request. At smaller point sizes, the bitmaps may appear sharper.

Additionally, scaling fonts takes time—sometimes up to several seconds in slower Macintosh computers; but all Macintosh computers can display a bitmapped font instantly.

282 Appendix C