Designer :: Post Script Type 1 Support

[influxx]

Is it safe to assume Type 1 fonts are not supported in Affinity apps?

I'm opening an older project and certain fonts are missing. From what I can tell the differentiating factor is that they are all Type 1 fonts. I'm seeing this more and more across other apps too.

 

[influxx]

Does anyone own FontLab or similar and is willing to convert a couple of PS T1 fonts to OTF for me?

[Bound by Beans]

4 minutes ago, influxx said:

Is it safe to assume Type 1 fonts are not supported in Affinity apps?

I'm opening an older project and certain fonts are missing. From what I can tell the differentiating factor is that they are all Type 1 fonts. I'm seeing this more and more across other apps too.

Yes, Type 1 fonts are no longer supported in Affinity apps on macOS, as macOS 13 removed system support.

[influxx]

Just now, Bound by Beans said:

Yes, Type 1 fonts are no longer supported in Affinity apps on macOS, as macOS 13 removed system support.

Gotcha. Thanks for confirming

[NotMyFault]

Older discussion, still valid.

[influxx]

Well this is wierd. Upon further investigation and experimentation SOME type 1 fonts work in some apps, including Designer. No rhyme or reason, other than they may be corrupt. I was able to crash Davinci Resolve with some T1 fonts that were available to it.

In Designer I have a number of T1 fonts that just wont show up.

I really hate it when theres no consistency with errors. Impossible to nail down what the actual problem is.

[Bound by Beans]

It’s perhaps because some programs include their own font support, but not for all Type 1 variants—and they’re likely phasing that out themselves soon. In any case, Type 1 is being phased out of macOS, so the endgame has begun either way. You’re standing on a crumbling platform that's about to start cracking. 

Can you make use of https://fontforge.org/? I haven’t used it myself, but it seems like it can convert to OTF or TTF and with good precision.

If I remember correctly, the complexity continues: OTF is the best format on macOS, TTF on iPadOS, and both are usually equally good on Windows.

[R C-R]

46 minutes ago, Bound by Beans said:

In any case, Type 1 is being phased out of macOS

FWIW, Adobe officially ended support for Type 1 fonts in January of 2023 so for future use it pretty much boils down to convering any that you have & want to use to a newer font type.

[Bad_Wolf]

Hello Influxx,

I have Font Creator but do not use it much. Here is what I asked ChatGPT about converting Type 1 fonts to TrueType:

"Can Font Creator convert Postscript Typ 1 fonts to TrueType or open font type"

 

This is the reply:

 

Yes, FontCreator can convert PostScript Type 1 fonts to TrueType (TTF) or OpenType (OTF)—but there are a few caveats:

---

🔍 Here's the breakdown:

1. FontCreator (from High-Logic) supports importing PostScript Type 1 fonts, including .pfb and .afm files.

2. Once imported, you can rebuild or re-export the font as:

   • TrueType (.ttf)

   • OpenType with TrueType outlines (.otf)

   • OpenType with PostScript outlines (depending on edition)

3. 🔐 You’ll need the Professional or higher edition of FontCreator to get full access to these features, especially advanced import/export tools.

4. 🧩 Some PostScript fonts may not import perfectly—especially if they're older or proprietary. You might have to manually adjust metrics, kerning, or glyph mappings after conversion.

---

💡 Pro Tip:

If your PostScript font only comes as .pfm (no .pfb), conversion gets trickier. You'll need both .pfb and .afm or .pfm files to properly convert.

 

If you wish, we can try to see if we can convert the fonts you need. The question is, how are we gonna communicate and exchange the files with each other? It seems this forum has no private messaging. Somebody any suggestions about this?

[Bad_Wolf]

Bad_Wolf again here,

I just found out that we can sent a private message to each other. So when you are interested, just sent me a private message.

[Alfred]

8 minutes ago, Bad_Wolf said:

The question is, how are we gonna communicate and exchange the files with each other? It seems this forum has no private messaging.

 

7 minutes ago, Bad_Wolf said:

I just found out that we can sent a private message to each other.

Moderators can send files to us via the PM system, but ordinary forum members can only send messages without attachments unless they’ve been granted special privileges, so you would have to exchange email addresses or use a third-party file exchange system.

[R C-R]

11 minutes ago, Alfred said:

... ordinary forum members can only send messages without attachments unless they’ve been granted special privileges...

Any idea about how users get those privileges? I ask because I can attach files to PM's & I do not recall ever asking for that privilege.

[Alfred]

1 minute ago, R C-R said:

Any idea about how users get those privileges? I ask because I can attach files to PM's & I do not recall ever asking for that privilege.

The most likely explanation is that you are (or have been) a member of a group that needs/needed to be able to exchange files freely with Serif staff and/or other group members.

[Bad_Wolf]

Thank you Alfred for your information.

I looked up if High Logic Font Creator (Professional) can open/import Type 1 fonts, but still didn't find anything about it. However, according to ChatGPT, it should be possible.

I want to make clear that I have no experience in this but do my best to help.

 

[Old Bruce]

@R C-R and @Alfred

I am going try something.

[Bad_Wolf]

I just looked up if there is another option to convert type 1 fonts and I found FontForge. Here is the link:

Download Fontforge for Free

I hope this helps.

 

 

[R C-R]

11 minutes ago, Old Bruce said:

@R C-R and @Alfred

I am going try something.

PM's with attachments sent & received? I guess we are "special"? 😀

[Bad_Wolf]

Why am I not special?

 

[jmwellborn]

22 hours ago, influxx said:

Does anyone own FontLab or similar and is willing to convert a couple of PS T1 fonts to OTF for me?

I have already converted about 75 Postscript Type 1 fonts to OTF fonts for my MAC, so if the fonts you need to be converted are any of my 75, you could let let me know and I could send them to you by private mail.  It wouldn't be cheating, because we have both paid for these in years of yore.

I use FontXChange, and if you have lots of fonts to convert, I can highly recommend this company.  It isn't free, but "you get what you pay for," and I have had wonderful results and excellent LIVE customer support when I have been stymied — a rare occurrence.

[David in Яuislip]

Fontforge can certainly convert .pfa/b files with or without the .afm's
I don't know how accurate the conversions are as I have no way of installing Type 1's
It's pretty quick, if using the GUI it takes about 10s per font
If using the command line in a batch file whole folders can be converted at about 3 fonts/second
Definitely worth trying as long as the licence permits conversion

[David in Яuislip]

33 minutes ago, jmwellborn said:

It wouldn't be cheating, because we have both paid for these in years of yore.

Whilst I agree with your statement from an ethical standpoint, I would not like to be in a courtroom against Adobe or Monotype

[jmwellborn]

1 hour ago, David in Яuislip said:

Whilst I agree with your statement from an ethical standpoint, I would not like to be in a courtroom against Adobe or Monotype

Do you mean that if I have converted a Postscript Type 1 font which I purchased from Adobe to an OTF font they could sue me in a courtroom?  And if @influxx and I have independently purchased the same Postscript Type 1 font, I could not send a conversion by private email without being sued?

[R C-R]

I think the chances that you would be sued are almost zero, & even you you were it seems extremely unlikely that they would win.

[Alfred]

16 minutes ago, R C-R said:

I think the chances that you would be sued are almost zero, & even [if] you were it seems extremely unlikely that they would win.

It seems extremely unlikely that they would sue in the first place unless they were confident that they would win.

[jmwellborn]

@R C-R and @Alfred  By the time they had completed the lawsuit I would probably be a pile of ashes anyway. 🫠