NewsBeat

September 2022 NewsBeat 14 By RUSSELL VIERS Is it finally time to say "goodbye" to Type 1 fonts? Y es, yes; it is time to say "goodbye" to Type 1 fonts, also referred to as PostScript fonts, or PS. And it's not by choice, either. Effective January, 2023, Adobe will no longer sup- port Type 1 fonts in any of its applications, except Acrobat, and we'll get to that. They don't give a specific day in January, but let's just assume you'll be on deadline. If you're using Adobe's Creative Cloud 2022, by now you may have encountered the warning "Type 1 fonts will no longer be supported starting January 2023. Your document contains XX fonts. Learn More." If you've not seen this message, it doesn't mean this won't affect you. The clock is ticking. I have several solutions to suggest, but first, let's talk about what's really happen- ing here, and just how much it may, or may not, affect your current workflow. Depending on when you read this, between now and this change, Adobe will introduce a new Creative Cloud version which, I'm assuming, will be named CC 2023. This usually happens at the start of Adobe MAX, which is scheduled for October 18. These changes will only affect that ver- sion, and only after an update in January. You will notice these changes immedi- ately if you are using any of the applica- tions and try to select an installed Type 1 font from the menus. Nope…they won't be there, even though they are installed on your computer. If you open a previously created file that uses a Type 1 font, you will get a missing font warning, but the installed Type 1 font won't show as a replacement option. You will have to choose a suitable replacement. EPS, PDF, and Illustrator files with em- bedded fonts won't be affected. As long as those files are placed on a page, then out- put, they will behave just as they do now. An example would be an old ad that's a PDF that you run week after week. If you try to edit a PDF in Acrobat, it will also behave as it does now. Adobe has no plans to change Acrobat. However, if you try to open the EPS, PDF or Illustrator file for editing, per- haps in Illustrator, you will get a missing font warning. So now we're back to the big question: "What do I do with these Type 1 fonts I use to publish?" or "Yikes! So if Adobe is killing off Type 1 fonts in January, what are we going to do?" Well, here is a list of options. If you pre- fer viewing to reading, watch the episode at: https://digiversity.tv/series/checkin- the-mail/1136 Don't upgrade to CC 2023 Cost: $0 Albeit a short term solution, it is a solu- tion. Simply stay on CC 2022 for any ap- plications where you may need to use your Type 1 font. Note that Photoshop stopped support for Type 1 in 2021, so if you've lived without it this long, you can go ahead and upgrade that one. InDesign would be a logical candidate to keep on CC 2022, if you need to buy more time. Depending on how you use Illustra- tor, maybe that one, too. If you use Illustra- tor to create new ads, logos, and graphics, and can choose whatever fonts to use, you probably don't need to keep the old version around. Of course, you'll be missing out on any new features of the upgrade, and it's still a band-aid to the problem, not a long-term solution, but, if necessary, it would take the pressure off of solving this in the next five months. Keep in mind that you can have multiple versions of the same software loaded on your computer at the same time. On my Mac, I have InDesign 2020, 2021, and 2022 as well as Bridge 2021 and 2022. Create outlines Cost: $0 This is only a solution for limited use of your soon-to-die Type 1 font. I would only use this for things that are static, which will never need to be edited, like standing heads/furniture, and your flag, etc. Maybe even certain ads and special section art could use this trick. So let's say the flag of your paper is the only place using a particular Type 1 font. You just need the flag to look the same. Using InDesign or Illustrator, you can select the type and go to Type> Create Outlines. It's even the same shortcut in both applica- tions: Cmmd / Ctrl + Shift + O. Now the text isn't a font anymore, it's a vector illustration of the type. Look at all of the uses of the Type 1 font in question and see if it's for news, or just standing heads, etc. If it's just used for the Obits, Editorial, Sports furniture, and the like, you can get this fixed in short order. Choose a different face Cost: $0 to ?? If I'm ever in a situation where I can't use the supplied font, or don't have it, my first place to look is the free library included in the Creative Cloud subscription. I'll mosey on over to www.fonts.adobe.com and snoop around for a viable replacement. This is a library of fonts that you are allowed to use as part of your monthly sub- scription. It's a sizable library and easy to use. It's great in a workspace with multiple computers, as installation of the fonts is as easy as activating them, not the traditional installation. As you wander around fonts.adobe.com, if you see one you want to use, activate it, and within a short tick, you'll have it avail- able in all of your applications, including the device applications like Illustrator iPad, etc. One reason I try to design with Adobe Fonts is that if I ever need to send a file to a client or collaborator, I don't have to collect and send the fonts…then tell them how to install. When they open the file, if they don't already have the fonts activated, a window pops up giving them that oppor- tunity. It's so easy. Power Tip: Instead of snooping around Adobe Fonts looking for a replacement of Nimrod MT that you've used for 30 years, open a file that is using it, or create a new file and type a word using the Type 1 font you need to find a replacement for. Make it nice and big. It can be any word. Select that text frame with the Selection Tool then go to Object> Extract From Image> Type. Drag the blue box handles until it covers the ex- ample type then select Find Similar Fonts. If you find one you like, and want to activate it, just click Save to CC Libraries. Even if you have no intent of using CC Libraries, maybe you don't even know what they are, Adobe Fonts will activate the font for you and when you get back to your document, the newly selected fonts will be available

• Cover