Re: PDF (was Re: mailing list)

Erik:
>A FontSucker would only be a helper, not an enabler. Fonts can be extracted 
>from pdf with simple texteditors under unix or NT, and save with a new 
>extension. On mac it can be done even easier, using something like resedit, and 
>some fontapp. Anyone with some mac experience can do it if you know where to 
>look. Please forgive me for not telling you where in an open forum, it's bad as 
>it is already. Other people on this list (Lee, Clive?) will be able to confirm 
>this without explaining exactly how.

I agree with everything Erik says (most of the time).

Getting a font or subset froma PDF is relatively simple for anyone who knows a 
little about Macs and a little about fonts. The process is similar on both Win 
and Unix.

>Acrobat 3 apparently is better and lets users determine how much of the font 
>needs to be used in order to be fully embedded, but chances are users won't 
>care much. Of course you can have the font subsetted. But if it is a popular 
>one I can find other docs with the rest. 

I haven't had a chance to really look at Distiller 3.0 and what it does with 
fonts, at the present time I don't believe that any of the open doors have been 
closed. There is a small light at the end of the tunnel, but not having explored 
it I cannot yet comment.

>Subsetting is a compression method, 
>not a protection scheme.

As far as Acrobat is concerned, yes.

I'd also like to follow-up Erik's point about TruDoc, just as easy to get into, 
and by default illegal in many states outside the US. In fact illegal with some 
fonts within the US.


-- Clive

Received on Monday, 11 November 1996 18:25:21 UTC