CompuServe Messages

Adobe type 1 fonts can contain two or more versions, so they could provide separate masters for different size ranges (with the obvious restriction that the widths would have to be the same–the computer doesn't know about size ranges or alternate font metrics). I was surprised to learn about this when I encountered a flaw in the "S" character in Optima Bold on a high-res imagesetter that didn't appear on a LaserWriter (set at 600 point on both machines). Adobe tech support found that there are two versions of Optima in the basic font, selected according to the printer's resolution. I feel certain that separate versions could be chosen for different size ranges, or even based on some combination of size and resolution. Furthermore, the sort of continuous optical scaling promised (and shown on paper) by Monotype holds great promise for creating a continuously scaled type face that would look good at all sizes. I agree that present Adobe PostScript fonts don't look their best at extreme sizes (too large or too small), and look forward to seeing this scaling approach implemented by Adobe as well as its competitors.