Convert Classic Fonts to OS X?

[wPod]

Hi, im trying to find a way to convert classic fonts to a useable format for OS X. The fonts are on an old mac running OS 8.6 and they need to be transported for use on a new OS X 10.4 machine. I am not a classic guy, i switched back in 10.1 so this 8.6 is kinda out of my knowledge. I know I need to pull the files from the Fonts folder in the System Folder but other than that I dont know what file types they are or if they need to be converted for use on the new computer. Thanks for your help!

 

[MisterMe]

Hi, im trying to find a way to convert classic fonts to a useable format for OS X. The fonts are on an old mac running OS 8.6 and they need to be transported for use on a new OS X 10.4 machine. I am not a classic guy, i switched back in 10.1 so this 8.6 is kinda out of my knowledge. I know I need to pull the files from the Fonts folder in the System Folder but other than that I dont know what file types they are or if they need to be converted for use on the new computer. Thanks for your help!

You don't have to convert Classic (or Resource Fork) fonts. They work with MacOS X out of the box. Windows fonts also work with MacOS X out of the box, no conversion needed.

 

[wPod]

You don't have to convert Classic (or Resource Fork) fonts. They work with MacOS X out of the box. Windows fonts also work with MacOS X out of the box, no conversion needed.

How can I transfer them from one computer to another? its an old PowerMac Sawtooth with OS 8.6 and I am trying to move them to a new iMac G5 with 10.4. Thanks

I tried copying them to a thumb drive but when i open the thumbdrive on the iMac the files say they are zero kb in size! and in an unrecognizable format

 

[MisterMe]

How can I transfer them from one computer to another? its an old PowerMac Sawtooth with OS 8.6 and I am trying to move them to a new iMac G5 with 10.4. Thanks

I tried copying them to a thumb drive but when i open the thumbdrive on the iMac the files say they are zero kb in size! and in an unrecognizable format

You copy fonts just like you copy any other Macintosh file. Go into the MacOS 8.6 /Macintosh HD/System Folder/Fonts/ folder. Copy them to your removeable storage. Take them to your MacOS X computer. Copy them to one of the several available Fonts folders. You can also double-click on the Fonts and use FontBook to install them.

 

[wPod]

ive tried that . . . a number of the fonts are in .TTF format and those work fine. they will open with fontbook. But, a majority of the fonts, when opened on the iMac with OS X show up as "Unix Executable File" with no file extensions and the size says "zero KB on disk" and they will not open, even when i put them in the fonts folder under the OS 9 system folder.

 

[Nermal]

Is your USB drive formatted for HFS or FAT?

 

[MisterMe]

ive tried that . . . a number of the fonts are in .TTF format and those work fine. they will open with fontbook. But, a majority of the fonts, when opened on the iMac with OS X show up as "Unix Executable File" with no file extensions and the size says "zero KB on disk" and they will not open, even when i put them in the fonts folder under the OS 9 system folder.

Use Get Info to change their file types

 

[Nermal]

I don't think that'll work, since the files are showing up as 0 bytes. I'm pretty sure that he's copying onto a FAT volume and losing the resource forks.

 

[wPod]

I don't think that'll work, since the files are showing up as 0 bytes. I'm pretty sure that he's copying onto a FAT volume and losing the resource forks.

Interesting. Yes, I am copying the files onto my iPod shuffle which is formated as FAT32. If I reformat to HFS will that solve my problem? Or will the iPod work as non FAT32? I have a number of other flash drives i could especially format for this. And will this really solve the porblem?

(btw i just tried changing the file format and that didnt work)

 

[MisterMe]

I don't think that'll work, since the files are showing up as 0 bytes. I'm pretty sure that he's copying onto a FAT volume and losing the resource forks.

I regularly copy Mac files to FAT floppies, ZIP disks, and flash drivers. I have never experienced the loss of data that wPod claims. If I understand dual-fork systems correctly, the worse that should happen is that each of his dual-fork files would be separated into two files.

 

[Nermal]

I regularly copy Mac files to FAT floppies, ZIP disks, and flash drivers.

Using which OS?

 

[Blue Velvet]

Postscript Type 1 Mac fonts come in two parts. The outline font and usually a font suitcase which contains screen versions.

Perhaps the best thing to do in this case is to use Stuffit to compress the files on the older Mac and expand them on the newer Mac.

Files can get scrambled when transferring them on flash keys. Just last night, bought some work home on my key to find that half of the files had lost their icons and were tagged as Unix executables (mostly Quark files), some wouldn't open at all in their native program (Illustrator EPSs), even the .zip archive I'd made of the project folder wouldn't open.

The only files that I could access were the Photoshop files which was OK since those were the ones I intended on working on anyway.

 

[MisterMe]

Using which OS?

MacOS 9 > Removeable Storage > MacOS X.
MacOS X > Removeable Storage > MacOS X.
MacOS 9 > Removeable Storage > Windows.

 

[wPod]

I have never experienced the loss of data that wPod claims. If I understand dual-fork systems correctly, the worse that should happen is that each of his dual-fork files would be separated into two files.

Postscript Type 1 Mac fonts come in two parts. The outline font and usually a font suitcase which contains screen versions.

Perhaps the best thing to do in this case is to use Stuffit to compress the files on the older Mac and expand them on the newer Mac.

er, ok, i dont know a lot about classic, especially the OS 8.6 i am currently dealing with. can someone fill me in a little more on the 'dual-fork' or two part mac fonts? these sound similar.

And how about this HFS file format? I just formated a usb flash drive to Unix File System. All of my other choices in formating Started with OS X (then said extended, or extended with case sensitive etc) So, Ill try here again in a little. Thanks again for the input.

 

[Blue Velvet]

can someone fill me in a little more on the ... two part mac fonts?

http://www.prepressure.com/fonts/type102.htm

 

[MisterMe]

er, ok, i dont know a lot about classic, especially the OS 8.6 i am currently dealing with. can someone fill me in a little more on the 'dual-fork' or two part mac fonts? these sound similar.

You are confusing concepts. Two-part fonts appear to the user as two separate and distinct files. Traditional PostScript Type 1 fonts composed of one font which holds the bitmap and a second file which contains the PostScript outlines for each character. The bitmap file is dual-fork with a data fork and a resource fork. Virtually all Classic Macintosh applications are structured this way--a data fork and a resource fork. The resource fork contains such resources as all icons assorted with the application, custom widgets, graphics, fonts, etc. Documents may have a small resource fork, but they are mostly data forks. Nisus Writer documents hold their text in the data fork and their formatting in the resource fork.

And how about this HFS file format? I just formated a usb flash drive to Unix File System. All of my other choices in formating Started with OS X (then said extended, or extended with case sensitive etc) So, Ill try here again in a little. Thanks again for the input.

HFS is the Macintosh hierarchical file system. Beginning with MacOS 8.1, HFS was upgraded to HFS+. Recently, Apple added journaling to HFS+. Unless you have a very good reason to choose another file system, you should use HFS+. It is an excellent file system and ensures the greatest compatibility with the universe of Macintosh files. The Unix file system ensures maximum compatibility with other Unix systems. For the vast majority of veteran Mac users and recent switchers, UFS is not your best option.

 

[wPod]

Ok, so HFS+ is what OS X calls Mac OS Extended. I couldn't figure out what HFS+ was b/c in disk utility it never says HFS+ it only says Mac OS Extended. So i presume the iPod shuffle is formated in FAT32 so it can be read by windows machines, since apple these days seems to be catering so much to the windows market. So, I didnt have time yesterday to stop by and try this out, but i think i will go right now and try the new HFS+ formated flash drive.

As for the 2 part fonts as long as i copy the entire fonts folder then both parts of every font should be there, there arent any hidden places where the 2nd part is i hope!!!

 

[wPod]

haha, it worked! sure enough it was the HFS formating that did the trick! i then went and looked at some other files that had been transfered to the computer using the FAT formated flash drive and i would say about half of the documents and other types of files had the same problem where they appeared as 0 kb unix files. but transfering them using HFS worked fine! Thanks a lot!!!