How to Upload/Import Font

[rgadon]

A client specified the use of two particular OpenType fonts for a project (Adobe Garamond BoldOsF and Adobe Garamond SemiboldSC).  They are small cap and old style figure fonts respectively.  There is an Adobe Garamond Pro font included in AD, and typography control to create small caps and old style figures with any installed font.  I could probably go with that.

 

However, the client may insist on using the two OTF fonts listed above.  They are available as free *.otf downloads .  Can they be imported into AD?  I couldn't see a way to do that, and the documentation doesn't address how to import OpenType fonts.

[Dave Harris]

If you open them and install them using Font Book, Affinity should see them and use them. You might need to reset fonts (in Preferences) or restart Affinity after the change.

[benwiggy]

Something here doesn't add up. Fonts marked OsF (Old Style Figures) and SC (Small Caps) are Type 1 PostScript fonts, which needed another set for these features to get around the limitation of glyph numbers in T1 fonts (256). 

Adobe's OpenType Garamond fonts have OsF and SC built into to them. There is no Adobe OpenType font file just for Small Caps. Also, both the OTF and T1 PostScript versions of Adobe Garamond are not free downloads -- you pay for them, (or some come bundled with Adobe's software).

 

So either the client wants you to use the old Type 1 Adobe fonts, or they want you to use some dodgy free download, or .. something else!

 

And generally, you don't import fonts into a program, just into the OS, where they are available for all.

[rgadon]

Dave Harris - I was entirely unaware of the Font Book application until you mentioned it.  Sure enough, it's sitting in my Applications folder.  [i'm running Mac OS X 10.9.5, 'Mavericks'.]  Will have to upload the Garamond *.otf fonts and see if AD will recognize them. 

 

benwiggy - Thank you for turning on your BS detector, and thinking through the issues I raised in my post.  My client uses an old version of Adobe Illustrator to occasionally do graphics work (I think it's version from 2007 or 2008).  I didn't realize that Adobe Garamond BoldOsF and Adobe Garamond SemiboldSC were Type 1 PostScript fonts, and preceded the Adobe TypeKit fonts.  

 

The OpenType versions of the Garamond fonts (with *.otf extension ) are available as a free download from a number of sites.  If Adobe is selling a Garamond font package for $169.00 USD, how do others get away with giving them away from free?  Are those files compromised in some way? Would they work with AD? Are they simply undercutting Adobe?

[benwiggy]

The OpenType versions of the Garamond fonts (with *.otf extension ) are available as a free download from a number of sites.  If Adobe is selling a Garamond font package for $169.00 USD, how do others get away with giving them away from free?  Are those files compromised in some way? Would they work with AD? Are they simply undercutting Adobe?

 

Without knowing more about which sites are giving them away, I would suspect that they are illegal downloads. While fonts are not executable files, I would still be wary of what the "payload" of such downloads contained. 

[rgadon]

benwiggy --  You're absolutely right; with off-branded websites offering free font packages, I have no idea what extraneous code they might package in.  At least with an established font foundry (like Adobe) and a purchase made through a credit card, there's some recourse in the event I'm dissatisfied with the purchase.  Thank you for the reminder to 'buyer beware'.  Or as people who write code for a living remind others, "Trust No One" (at least on the internet).  I think for now (to play it safe), I'll just go with the Adobe Garamond Pro (TypeKit) font packaged in with AD.  Cheers!