Transfering My Signature True Type Font from Windows to Mac

[mediclips]

After 22 years in Windows I moved to Mac a few weeks ago.

I have my signature as True Type Font in Windows so I can sign documents from any application (Word, Outlook, etc...) just by choosing MySignature font from the list of fonts and typing the preselected keyboard strokes: Capital A.

Since is a True Type Font, I installed it in Font Book, activated and validated. I even can see my actual signature in the preview windows, so the file is fine. So far, so good.

But when I choose MySignature Font from the list of Fonts in Microsoft Office Word for Mac and try to sign any document with Capital A (preselected keyboard strokes), it immediately changes to any other font and writes the actual Capital A in that font instead of my signature.

I have tried all the letters and nothing works. I also tried the same MySignature Font in Windows 8.1 running on Parallels 9 in the same MacBook Pro and works just fine, so the file is not corrupted.

Is there any way I can get around this? Any trick to actually get my signature in my Mac apps? Remember, I can see my actual signature in the preview window in the Font Book, so the problem seems to be the preselected keyboard strokes or something else...

I would appreciate any help and thanks.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Interesting idea!

What happens if you type a capital A, then select it and change the font to your signature font?

Does it behave differently in a built-in OS X app like Notes or Wordpad?

Maybe convert the TTF to OTF and see if that makes a difference?

I use an app called TextExpander that lets me automatically convert a certain key sequence (e.g. ;sign) into something else, complete with formatting. I wouldn't say buy it just for this purpose but it's a handy app and would save you some mouse clicks if you get this working.

 

[mediclips]

Interesting idea!

What happens if you type a capital A, then select it and change the font to your signature font?

It just types a rectangle.

Does it behave differently in a built-in OS X app like Notes or Wordpad?

I tried to use My Signature Font in other apps but it does not show in the list of fonts in Textedit, Mail, Pages, Numbers or Keynote. It DOES show as installed, active and validated in FontBook and in Library/Fonts.

On the other hand, it also shows in the list of fonts in Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Outlook. The behavior changes according to the app. In Word, when I choose My Signature from the list of fonts and even without typing the preselected keyboard strokes (Capital A), it types a rectangle instead of my signature. If I do type Capital A, it immediately changes to Times New Roman and writes an "A" in Times New Roman. in the other 3 MS Office apps, it just types "A" in Verdana. No rectangle here.

As an experiment, I typed my signature in Wordpad in Windows 8.1 running in Parallels 9 in the same MacBook Pro. It typed fine in Windows. I opened that document in Word for Mac and instead of My Signature I found the rectangle.

I wonder if this True Type Font needs some type of conversion to Mac or if the preselected keyboard strokes have changed or does not work in Mac.

Maybe convert the TTF to OTF and see if that makes a difference?

I did yesterday and it types the same rectangle as the True Type Font.

 

[MisterMe]

...

I tried to use My Signature Font in other apps but it does not show in the list of fonts in Textedit, Mail, Pages, Numbers or Keynote. It DOES show as installed, active and validated in FontBook and in Library/Fonts.

On the other hand, it also shows in the list of fonts in Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Outlook.

...

I wonder if this True Type Font needs some type of conversion to Mac or if the preselected keyboard strokes have changed or does not work in Mac.

Maybe convert the TTF to OTF and see if that makes a difference?

I did yesterday and it types the same rectangle as the True Type Font.

It sounds like you installed your signature font in the Microsoft subfolder of your Fonts folder. This is /Library/Fonts/Microsoft/ rather than /Library/Fonts/.

Understand that every Mac user has access to fonts in three locations: /Library/Fonts/, /System/Library/Fonts/, and ~/Library/Fonts/. This includes Mac users who use Microsoft applications. Microsoft Office installs a fonts subfolder, /Library/Fonts/Microsoft/. Only Office can see the Microsoft subfolder. It is completely and totally unnecessary. There is no need for you to put any font there because it hides your fonts from every other application.

 

[mediclips]

It sounds like you installed your signature font in the Microsoft subfolder of your Fonts folder. This is /Library/Fonts/Microsoft/ rather than /Library/Fonts/.

Understand that every Mac user has access to fonts in three locations: /Library/Fonts/, /System/Library/Fonts/, and ~/Library/Fonts/. This includes Mac users who use Microsoft applications. Microsoft Office installs a fonts subfolder, /Library/Fonts/Microsoft/. Only Office can see the Microsoft subfolder. It is completely and totally unnecessary. There is no need for you to put any font there because it hides your fonts from every other application.

Thanks MisterMe. My Signature Font is installed in User/Library/Fonts and I can see it also in /Library/Fonts. It is not in /Library/Fonts/Microsoft.

I don´t know why it just shows in the Fonts List of Office apps and not in Mail, Textedit or iWorks apps.

I tried run it by conversion apps to OTF and TTF outputs and the results are the same: a rectangle.

Since I am not ready yet to change my signature to a rectangle, I am more than open to any other suggestions.

 

[MisterMe]

...

I tried run it by conversion apps to OTF and TTF outputs and the results are the same: a rectangle.

Since I am not ready yet to change my signature to a rectangle, I am more than open to any other suggestions.

There is no need for conversion. The OS X font engine handles a plethora of font formats. This includes .otf and .ttf of both Windows and Mac flavors.

There may be an entirely different cause for your inability to access your My Signature font. It is my understanding that the font has a single glyph or character that is accessed by a single keystroke. Use the Keyboard Viewer or Character Palette to identify the required keystroke.