Fonts What Why and How

If you've purchased or downloaded fonts lately, you've probably noticed that what was one single file has become a multitude of various files and file types. So which one does your Mac need? When the Mac needs to display a font on the screen, it first looks for an exact size bitmap file. If one isn't available, it then attempts to locate a scaled TrueType font or, if you have Adobe Type Manager installed, it scales a fixed-size font. If there isn't an exact-sized font or TrueType font available, the Mac finally resorts to scaling the fixed-sized font, resulting in the infamous jaggies. When you're printing, your Mac first searches the ROM-resident PostScript fonts in the printer. If the font's not there, it then checks for the downloadable PostScript font on either a hard drive attached to the printer or the computer's own hard drive. If the font still isn't there, it looks for a TrueType font and finally, if all else fails, it prints the letter as a bitmapped image. 

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