Updated: 07/24/2004 08:55:04 AM               (Broken Link? Report It Here)         

Welcome to Font Train's Hints, Tips and FAQs page.

These pages are provided to help you find answers to your questions or more information about this website and the subject of fonts. If you don't find the information you're looking for or still need help in some way, please feel free to contact me.

Question:  Why do I see boxes instead of characters? - FAQ from Wolverine!

Answer:  First, check to see if this is happening to all of the characters and not just some of them. If it is happening only to some of them then it's not a problem with your PC or the font. Some calligraphic, display and decorative fonts have only upper case characters, some have only lower case characters, and some don't have all the characters in the set. Which is the case depends upon the creator of the font.

If it is happening with all the characters and the problem persists, this is usually an indication that the font is too complex for the memory configuration which you are currently using. This is most likely to happen when using the Postscript versions on a system with a low amount of system memory. However, with more complex fonts it can occur with more powerful systems. It may also be the result of programs which have poor memory management. In some cases assigning additional memory to the application you are using will solve this problem, but remember the more complex the font is, the more memory it demands.

Check to see if anyone else you know has the same problem with this particular font or perhaps visit some forum bulletin boards on the Internet to see if another user has reported the same problem. If someone has then there is a good chance that something may be wrong with the font file itself.

If you have tried the above steps to resolve the problem and the problem continues, then it is possible that your system may not be able to run some of the most complex fonts without some sort of hardware or software upgrade.

Question:  Are you a font creator, and if not, do you plan to be one in the future? - FAQ from a Guest!

Answer:  No, I do not create my own fonts. Someday I hope to be able to find the time to create my own...but right now I have so much on my plate that the thought of creating some is way out in the future.

Question:  Why don't apostrophes show up when I type them in? - FAQ from a Guest!

Answer:  This appears to happen only with certain word processing programs. Some of these programs, such as Microsoft Word, may come configured to use a non-standard apostrophe character in place of the standard apostrophe. You should check your manual to reconfigure the software, or for the key combination necessary to access the correct apostrophe.

Question:  What's the difference between TrueType and Postscript fonts? - FAQ from a Guest!

Answer:  If you don't know the difference between the two types of fonts, you should use TrueType fonts. Postscript is used with Adobe Type Manager to print using Postscript compatible printers. Generally only professional graphic designers need or desire to use Postscript. TrueType in more compatible and more widely used.

Question:  How do I open the file that I downloaded from your website? - FAQ from a Guest!

Answer:  In order to open one of the files you downloaded from my network, you need to have an archive utility program that works with .zip archive files. Personally, I use WinZip but there are several of them out there for you to try. Which one you choose is a matter of personal preference. Once you have installed the program, use it to open the file you downloaded. If you continue to have problems, please contact me.

Question:  Why won't my font show up? - FAQ from BatGirl!

Answer:  If your computer is very old, then your system is not powerful enough to handle the number of points in the font you're trying to use. It's also possible that you are running Windows 3.x. You may be trying to use one of the art type or decorative type font but then again if your system is really old you could be experiencing this problem with less complex fonts as well. Lastly, make sure that you're using a TrueType font instead of a PostScript font. If all else fails then I hate to say it but you will probably solve the problem only after you get a more powerful PC.

Question:  How do I find out more info on the fonts that I download from your website? - FAQ from a Guest!

Answer:  When you open the .zip file a comment box should open and it will provide you more information about where the font came from and how to pay for it if it is a shareware font. If a comment box doesn't open, you can click on "Actions" on the menu and then click "Comment" and the comment box will open. If you want to set your winZip program to always open the comments box when opening a .zip file, then click on "Options" on the menu, select the "Miscellaneous" tab and check the box next to "Show comments when opening Zip files".  Some of the Shareware files also come with a ReadMe file that has ordering information in it. Another way to obtain more information on the creator of a font is to visit the creator's website, if the creator has one. You can find a link to the creator's website (if any) by looking at the footnotes on the Font Train webpage that you downloaded the font from. Each font has a footnote number next to it so you can easily locate the corresponding creator.

Question:  What are is meant by Kerning? - FAQ from Wolverine!

Answer:  Kerning has to do with the spacing in between the letters of variable width fonts. Variable width fonts have different amounts of spacing for different pairs of characters. The font metric files store information regarding the different spacing between pairs of characters. These pairs of characters are called kerning pairs.

Question:  Do you offer MAC fonts for download, and if not, where can I find some? - FAQ from a Guest!

Answer:  No, I apologize, but I don't offer any font downloads for MACs. You can try to find what you are looking for by visiting my MAC fonts links page. If you find a site that I don't list, please share the URL with me so I can add it to my list!

Question:  What are Multiple Master fonts? - FAQ from Wolverine!

Answer:  According to Norman Walsh, "Multiple Master Fonts are an extension to the Adobe font format. They provide the ability to interpolate smoothly between several design axes from a single font. Design axes can include weight, size, and even some notions like serif to sans serif. Multiple Master Fonts can be used on any PostScript printer. Multiple Master Fonts need a new PostScript operator known as makeblendedfont. The current crop of Multiple Master Fonts supply an emulation of this operator so the printer doesn't need this operator." For a more detailed explanation, you may want to visit his FAQ webpage.

Question:  How do you reference or load a font from the server? - FAQ from a Guest!

Answer:  Assuming we are talking about loading the actual font from the server, I believe the help you are looking for can be found at BitStream's Truedoc website. You will be prompted to allow the website to download a program to your website. Click no and visit the website as normal.

Question:  What are the two major types of fonts? - FAQ from Wolverine!

Answer:  The two major types of fonts are bitmapped and outline (or scalable).

Font-related hints, tips and FAQs contributions.

If you have a great hint or tip related to fonts that you would like to share, please let me know! I give credit for all my sources of contributions.