ATM Fonts Do Not Appear in Word for OS/2
PSS ID Number: Q69801 Article last modified on 03-07-1997
====================================================================== 1.10 OS/2
SUMMARY
ATM fonts 28 points or smaller will not appear in Word for OS/2 if all of the following conditions exist:
- The ATM font is not Times Roman, Helvetica, or Symbol.
- PostScript is the active printer driver.
- The ATM fonts are installed in both the Control Panel for use on the screen and in the PostScript printer driver for use with the printer.
The selected ATM font will display is some other standard display font such as Helvetica. Despite what Word is displaying on the screen, the font will print correctly.
Workaround
By removing the ATM font from the PostScript printer driver and leaving it listed only in the Control Panel, Word will correctly display the font in the document at any point size. The font will also continue to print correctly; however, the font will be rasterized by OS/2 and sent as a bitmap to the printer instead of the printer doing this. Note that this has the potential of causing noticeable reductions in print speed.
Microsoft is researching this problem and will post new information here as it becomes available.
MORE INFORMATION
Because a standard installation of OS/2 often does not have available screen fonts to match those fonts printable on the printer, Word for OS/2 uses an algorithm called the “Font Mapper” to select a close approximation in order to maintain the WYSIWYG look of the document as much as possible.
Choices made by the Font Mapper are on a point scale. Each screen font installed in the system receives a score based on how closely it matches the font that is needed by Word. This score is determined from several factors known about each font (weights to the scoring are applied accordingly).
In this particular case, the ATM font scores differently depending on whether it is installed as an outline (scalable) font with the printer driver or not. The Font Mapper will rate outline fonts lower due to their performance deficiencies with concern to screen updating. Thus, a substitute font is chosen to be displayed on the screen.
When the ATM font is not installed in the printer driver, its score awarded by the Font Mapper raises enough so that it will be chosen for screen display no matter what size is selected.
Reference(s):
Technical Testing
============================================================================= Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1997.
