PostScript & PDF: Utilities and Information

Discover all of the characters in a font!

SHOWFONT.PS is a brilliantly clever PostScript program written by Dylan McNamee that will display all characters in a font, including full glyph names and width information. You only need to supply the exact name of the font in the /TSTN definition near the top of the code. SHOWFONT.PS may be opened with GhostScript, thereby saving printer paper.

Download SHOWFONT.PS

Trying to obtain the Base35 fonts in Type1 format?

Try the nicely-priced "Adobe Type Basics" package, available at the Adobe store:

http://store.adobe.com/type/browser/P/P_934.html

Want to know which fonts are resident in your printer?

FONTLST1.PS is a PostScript program that will print the names of all fonts resident in your printer using the typefaces of those fonts. It uses only PostScript Level 1 operators.

FONTLST2.PS is also a PostScript program that will print the names of all fonts resident in your printer using the typefaces of those fonts. It uses PostScript Level 1 and Level 2 operators, and will list fonts and procedures that FONTLST1.PS may in fact miss

In either case, you only need to copy the PS file to the printer from a DOS prompt, like this:

copy fontlst2.ps prn

Download FONTLST1.PS or Download FONTLST2.PS

Want to run Distiller from a command line?

Click here for a complete command-line reference for Distiller.

TrueType, PostScript Type 1, & OpenType: What's the Difference?

TrueType, PostScript Type 1, & OpenType: What's the Difference? is Thomas W. Phinney's informative essay on the current state and foreseeable future of font technology. A must-read for all who want to know the difference between the different types of fonts.

Left-click to view, or right-click to download TT_PS_OT.PDF

Combine any number of EPS files into a single PDF file

EPS2PDF.PS is a macro script that can be opened directly in Acrobat Distiller®, causing all EPS files found in a given directory to be concatenated into a single PDF file. The order in which the EPS files were written to the directory in question will determine the order in which the EPS files will be placed into the resulting PDF, so beware!

Download EPS2PDF.PS

Can't find an AFM file?

All of Adobe's AFM files are available for free downloading from this page at their FTP site:

ftp://ftp.adobe.com/pub/adobe/type/win/all/afmfiles/

For unknown reasons, however, many people (myself included) can't access that link, probably because of IE settings (cookies being disabled?) If you can't access the site using that link, the entire site is mirrored and more easily accessed here:

http://www.mirrorservice.org/sites/ftp.adobe.com/pub/adobe/type/win/all/afmfiles/

At these sites there is no index for the AFM files. No problem! You can download an index right here.

AFMLIST1.TXT lists all of the AFM files in the sequence that they occur in the directories and subdirectories of the archive:

Left-click to view, or right-click to download AFMLIST1.TXT

AFMLIST2.TXT lists the AFM files in alphabetical order:

Left-click to view, or right-click to download AFMLIST2.TXT

You can use the "search" or "find" feature in any text editor to locate the AFM file(s) that you're seeking.

Is it legal to supply print bureaus with font files for printing your documents?

Here's what Adobe has to say:

http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/antipiracy/fonts.html

Need a copy of complete PostScript language documentation?

The Third Edition of the PostScript Reference Manual can be downloaded in PDF format (approximately 7 megs) here:

http://www.adobe.com/products/postscript/pdfs/PLRM.pdf

(Left-click to view, or right-click to download)

All programs and essays at this site appear to be public domain or publicly redistributable; if you are the author of any essay or utility and wish your item to be removed from this page, please contact

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