I designed a symbol font with FC on Win 98, and it has two or three very wide characters – like three times as wide as the average character. Well, the font works fine on my Windows 98 platform, but I sent it to a friend who has Windows 2000, and it installed okay, but the X3 wide symbols do not show up in her applications, like Microsoft Word. I asked her to look at the Fonts->Preview window in her Windows control panel, and they do show up there on the keyboard layout. Another friend had the same problem with Windows XP.
I’m not too familiar with XP and 2000 (I’ve used Win98 since forever). Can someone out there tell me how I should either: 1-reset the properties of my symbol font so that the XP/2000 applications recognize the xtra-wide symbols; or 2-advise my XP/2000 users how to tell their OS applications to recognize the xtra-wide symbols.
This has been baffling. Unfortunately, my buddies are quite distant, so I can’t play with their systems to solve the problem. And on this end, as they say, “y’can’t fix something that ain’t broke.” The symbol font characters all work just fine on my Win98.
I hate symbol fonts – got a million of them, but there are several ways to specify letters in symbols whereas there’s only one right way in non-symbol fonts. You can specify a symbol character set as non-symbol and get away with it, but you can’t specify a symbol font as “sorta symbol” – it’s all got to be aligned for it to work.
The convention in symbol fonts is to make sure the platform is Microsoft Symbol, that Mapping begins at 61472 (for space glyph) on up, that Format/Classificaton Panose setting “Family Kind” says “Pictorial” and that Format/Ranges shows “Symbol Character Set”. These 4 have to be in sync for everything to work correctly.
Because the font shows up you probably have these settings right.
Other more generic things to review for character width are:
White space before and after the character. These define the width of the character relative to other letters – or the margin between letters. Right click on glyph to bring up Properties. Check that there is “sufficient” space before the character.
Use Tools/AutoMetrics to fix the entire font. The amount of space giving depends on what looks right to you. In a symbol font it is not critical AFAIK, but should not be negative. AutoMetrics will set all letters to the same distance which can correct any “hidden” values.
The character should be aligned beginning at around 0. If spaced too far left some programs won’t work correctly.
Review Format/Settings/Header/Font Header Flags. Checkmark the first 2 items: Baseline for font at y=0 and Left side bearing at x=0. When saved and reopened the glyphs will be so aligned. (I think that’s how it works).
If none of this works, I’ve seen Erwin say “Send me the font”. So if you still have your problem, send Erwin your font.
In the interim, I sent the font to another friend who has XP, and asked him specifically to try the wide characters (he’s a bit more computer-savvy). They worked fine for him.
I’m going to file your suggestions and recheck those parameters. Right now I’m thinking that it really has something to do with the user’s Windows settings – like whether or not they have Multilingual support enabled (I know my guy friend does), or whether or not they have the current OS updates installed. It’s not that big a deal – just puzzling.
Also, in the next few months, I’m going to have to upgrade to XP myself (she says with a tear in her eye). Too bad. I really love Win 98, but it’s gotten to the point where I can’t upgrade any of my other software (most require at least 98SE). I can’t even buy music online because the licensing software requires 98SE or better.
Such is life.
Thanks for all of your help. Have a prosperous 2006!
— susan