TrueType or PostScript?

[eyeon]

I am a fairly recent switcher and am involved heavily in graphic and motion design, and so use a lot of fonts every day. It seems that whenever I find downloadable fonts online, they pretty much always give Mac users a choice between TrueType and PostScript, as both seem to work the same. In some cases I have downloaded both and loaded them both into my fonts folder (because I can't decide which to use), which obviously results in the font showing up twice in any program I use it in. I guess I am just wondering if there is one font type anyone recommends over the other.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Blue Velvet]

It depends...

Truetype is OK for most things but older RIPs may choke on them if you're sending a job to press. Postscript is the preferred choice in those instances.

However, if you're making PDFs for press then either is OK if the PDF can meet PDF-X1a standards.

Some would argue that Truetype is a superior font technology but some printers hate them (printers as in printing firms).

I never use Truetype, but I'm stuck in my ways (it still has the whiff of PC about it, and yes I know, it was originally Apple technology...)

Opentype is probably the future but that means purchasing new font libraries. There certainly aren't many Opentype fonts around for free download...

 

[callmesideburns]

I always learned truetype for screen use and postscript for print but with printers adapting to both types of math I don't see why you would still need to use postscript. I would say keep it handy but don't load it onto your computer unless you run into a problem with the truetype when outputting.

Here an article that explains it far too indepth. enjoy.

http://www.truetype.demon.co.uk/articles/ttvst1.htm

 

[MisterMe]

I always learned truetype for screen use and postscript for print but with printers adapting to both types of math I don't see why you would still need to use postscript. I would say keep it handy but don't load it onto your computer unless you run into a problem with the truetype when outputting.

Here an article that explains it far too indepth. enjoy.

http://www.truetype.demon.co.uk/articles/ttvst1.htm

The linked article is good, but contains some factual errors as well as misimpressions. Just a couple:

Apple asked Adobe to make Type 1 more compatible with computer monitors and laser printers. Adobe refused, citing its core market as the professional printing market. Adobe's refusal to honor a request from its largest customer, Apple, motivated Apple to develop TrueType and to form alliance with Microsoft.

Microsoft did not develop TrueImage, it bought the PostScript clone from its original developer. TrueImage was never ready for primetime and was eventually forgotten, for the most part.

 

[Macky-Mac]

... In some cases I have downloaded both and loaded them both into my fonts folder (because I can't decide which to use), which obviously results in the font showing up twice in any program I use it in....

I think you should pick one or the other......a friend has just had to deal with problems that he's convinced were the result of having multiple versions of the same font loaded on his machine....in his case Illustrator would try to load a file and then crash.....over and over and over.......after he removed the fonts and reinstalled only one version, the problem stopped