Conference 7.286::atarist

444.0. "Bit Mapped or Outline FONTS?" by UKCSSE::KEANE () Mon Apr 10 1989 15:54

    
    Hello 
    
    In the begining was GDos, which I have painfully come to understand
    and love (to hate). After many hours of sweat and tears, I have a
    reasonable set of fonts, G+PLUs, a Fonteditor, a set of named 
    ASSIGN.SYS files for my various applications, I can now output on my 
    NEC 2200 reasonable quality text and graphics, I can translate some of 
    the files into Postscript and upload to the LPS40. I have  ST TEX and 
    am nearly ready to use it, as soon as I have worked out the METAFONT 
    suite of programs.
    
    So why am I discontented?  Because I am now out of step with current
    state of the art DTP!, or am I? 
    
    I understand that Pagestream, AKA as Publishing Partner Professional,
    Calumus and Fleet Street Publisher, version 2.0, have gone over to
    scalable outline fonts, instead of bitmapped fonts which are in common
    usuage up to now.
    
    The GDOS bit mapped fonts for most applications are interchangable,
    provided that the I.D's and type fields are correct. I understand that
    Timeworks is a bit mapped font but is not GDOS compatible. However NONE
    of the outline FONTS from the programs above are interchangable!!!.
    There are odd rumours that GDOS will be made to support outline fonts
    sometime, however since ATARI are supporting CALMUS, as their prime DTP
    appication, I cant see them supporting GDOS as well! I hear Calmus may
    sell for 500 pounds in the UK, (with support and training), and a MEGA 
    2 minimum config. This is the market the UK are aming at since the MAC
    market is still quite small, and MACS are very expensive!
    
    The questions I would like to table is:-
    
    What is your opinion on the new outline font software? 
    Is it an order of magnitude better in font quality output? 
    Are bit mapped font applications dead, (or dying).
    Would YOU reccommend a new user to purchase programs that use bit mapped
    fonts, or one that uses scalable fonts?
    
    There is obviously a trade off in the other features that an
    application offers, What do you rate the trade offs in say a DTP or a
    document processor, against print output quality?, speed etc?
    
    Cheers for now
    
    Pat K.

    Well, in my limited meanderings within PageStream I would have to
    say that the scaleable outline fonts are great.  You can resize,
    and stretch them and they always seem to print well.  Even rotating
    them is no problem.  While disappointed at the lack of standards,
    at least they aren't holding back because of GDOS!
    
    						-Dave

    re my original 444.0
    
    I read some erroneous information regarding Fleet Street Publisher, the
    mis-information was printed in the E A BROWN software newsheet. I have
    since checked with the Developer of F.S.P. at MIRRORSOFT. He says that
    the advert Michtron put out in the US is WRONG !!! The US version of
    FSP is V2.0 which equates to version V1.1 in the UK. This has the
    lovable GDOS FONTS!.
    
    The FSP developer says he will be issuing a new version of FSP later
    this year. It will be version 3.
    
    Some of the proposed features, dont crucify me if they dont finally
    appear are:-
    Text flow around pictures
    Picture can be direct imports of IMG or DEGAS or NEO
    Proper multi paging
    Vertical text justification, auto leading and para/line spacing
    direct support for ATARI's ULTRASCRIPT (postscript lookalike)
    Extra GDOS FONTS.
    Improved ICONS and user interface.
    
    So all is not lost in the GDOS SPACE !!!
    
    Cheers Pat K.