Volume 2, Issue 5 • May 2005
|
Volume 2, Issue 5 • May 2005 |
Stop Using Type 1 Fonts!This month's tip comes from Hal Hinderliter I'll admit to using an inflammatory title on this month's Tip just to catch your attention, but it's really not far from the truth. The case against Type 1 fonts is growing every day - not because these stalwart veterans of desktop publishing are going bad, but because the advantages of competing formats are growing larger in comparison. Most graphic designers and prepress technicians are familiar with Type 1 fonts; often called "PostScript fonts," they consist of two components: a screen font and a printer font. On the Windows platform, these parts are often identified as a PFM file and a PFB file (depending on who manufactured the font). Today, Windows users have virtually given up on their use of Type 1 fonts in favor of two newer formats: TrueType and OpenType. While TrueType fonts (represented below by the double-T icon) have been available since 1991, the more recently introduced OpenType font format (marked with an italic O icon) now comprises the majority of fonts on a typical Windows XP workstation.
"Why should I care what PC users do?" you're probably saying, "I do all my work on a Mac!" Perhaps, but don't you occasionally receive files that were created on a PC? If so, your first reaction may have been to substitute the document's PC fonts with your trusted Mac Type 1 fonts - and by doing so, you're missing out on the benefits of Unicode! What's Unicode, and why should you care? Unicode is the modern replacement for ASCII. These are both methods for tracking the position of characters within a font, but ASCII is limited to only 95 printable characters (including "space") while Unicode's flexible tables can track a virtually endless number of different glyphs. All OpenType fonts and most recent TrueType fonts are based on Unicode, but Type 1 fonts are always limited to ASCII. This means that using OpenType fonts on your Mac will assure that the correct characters show up even after you replace the fonts - no more unexpected appearances of Yen symbols, paragraph marks or empty boxes! Next month, we'll explore even more benefits of using OpenType fonts in the second installment of this two-part tip. Bring Hal's experience and expertise to bear on your problems by scheduling a GrCI Prepress Workflow Consultation. Call 805-756-5170 for more info on our consulting services. May's full moon is now waning, but for a few brief nights this week that infamous orb truly put on a show. Fortunately, my girlfriend Alice and I were able to enjoy this display from nearby Avila Beach - and believe me, no better vantage point can be found for studying the full moon than standing at the end of an ocean pier, the crashing waves iridescent under the glow of that giant "pie in the sky." While enjoying this wondrous sight, I was reminded of a story recounted by a friend who recently visited Cal Poly... It was her first trip to San Luis Obispo, yet she wisely arranged for a hotel room along Avila Beach. After visiting the GrCI offices and taking a tour of Cal Poly's Graphic Communication department, she returned to her seaside hotel for dinner. Following the meal, the incessant crashing of waves on the rocky shore drew her down to the beach for a closer look. An evening stroll along the beach, a few moments spent in reverie under the moonglow - she certainly wasn't the first Central Coast visitor to be captivated by such sights. And just as many others have done, she found herself contemplating the unsolvable mysteries of life and love, of uncertainty and hope. Eventually, her meditation came to an end - and just in time, for high tide had arrived! Water swept in to shore like a dark blanket, covering the rocks and sand she had traversed just an hour earlier. Fortunately, she managed to wade through hip-deep ocean currents without slipping off the unseen rocks beneath her feet, finally reaching the safety of higher ground... Who among us hasn't been distracted by thoughts of that shiny new 6-color press, CTP system or inkjet barcoding system? Dream on, but keep in mind that the competition may be looking to exploit your state of distraction. As my friend recently discovered during her perilous adventure: the landscape around you can change suddenly, especially while you're focused on that pie in the sky! Hal
|
GrCI Announces Fall 2005 Workshop Calendar
New to GrCI's Fall 2005 schedule are Kevin Cooper's Lean Manufacturing for Lower Costs, Ken Macro's Growing Your In-Plant Printshop, Brian Lawler's Virtual Proofing and Hal Hinderliter's Prepress Workflows. These great new titles are joined by seven returning titles proven to be of interest to the printing, publishing and graphic design industries. Each workshop is designed to improve skills and increase effectiveness through superior hands-on training using the most up-to-date hardware, software and workflows. Our instructors are incredibly knowledgeable, and eager to share what they know with you! Please see the Coming Attractions section below for links to more information on our Fall 2005 workshops. Breaking Waves Reaches First Anniversary
Since that time, we've expanded our content with additional monthly columns such as Kevin Cooper's The Bottom Line and a "live" weather report for San Luis Obispo. We've also featured great profiles of things to do and see in the SLO Spotlight, as reported by our Managing Editor (and Cal Poly GrC student) Christine Gibbons. To celebrate the past 12 issues of Breaking Waves, we've created a new compilation PDF featuring every Tip of the Month from the past 12 issues. It's our gift to all our loyal readers; just click here to download The Year in Tips in PDF format - and stay tuned for more great tips throughout the upcoming year!
Get Ready for the Fall 2005 Workshop CalendarSeptember 21-23: Printing Industry Overview September 28-30: Digital Prepress for Flexography October 3-7:
Goss/Cal Poly Newspaper Production Workshops October 12–14: Color Management October 19–21: Prepress Workflows October 26–28: Basic Flexographer Level 1 November 2–4: Growing Your In-Plant Printshop November 16–18: Lean Manufacturing for Lower Costs Nov 30–Dec 2: Mac OS X: Making It Work December 7-9: Implementing CTP December 14–16: Virtual Proofing High-quality hands-on training, fully-equipped facilities, and the most knowledgeable instructors in the printing industry - but wait, there's more! Workshops at the Graphic Arts Institute are modular, so you can attend only the days that interest you. More details about accommodations, transportation and cancellations are available on the Workshops page of our web site: http://www.grci.calpoly.edu/workshops.html
Water and Summits and Sights, Oh My!San Luis Obispo hiking trails offer some of the most rewarding views in California. The Central Coast is ripe with hiking opportunities, so grab your boots and pick an adventure! The Bishops Peak hike is a favorite among locals. If you are willing to make the 1,200-foot climb over 2.2 miles of trail, Bishops Peak offers spectacular 360° views of San Luis Obispo. Panoramic views also include nearby coastal communities Morro Bay and Pismo Beach, as well as the vineyards of the Edna and San Luis valleys. If the 4.4-mile round-trip trek is a bit too intimidating, the Felsman Loop trail, rated easy to moderate, is also quite enjoyable. The Felsman Loop explores the low hills, oak patches, and grasslands in the Bishops Peak area.
The hike to Big Falls in the Santa Lucia Wilderness, east of San Luis Obispo, offers a memorable, water-filled adventure. The drive to the trailhead requires dozens of crossings of Lopez Creek, and oftentimes the stream simply becomes the road.
For more information about great hikes in the San Luis Obispo area, or for more information about planning a memorable visit to the Central Coast, simply send your questions to grci@calpoly.edu. _
by Kevin Cooper, Cal Poly GrC ProfessorAccording to recent PIA/GATF Ratios studies, printer profitability is on the upswing. Larger printers consistently tend to have higher returns than smaller printers. How are you focused on growing your business? _ | |||||||||||
|
Breaking
Waves is the monthly newsletter of the Graphic Communication Institute at Cal Poly (GrCI), 1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo CA 93407. Information published in Breaking
Waves may be freely reproduced, with proper attribution. Our Privacy Policy is posted online at http://grci.calpoly.edu/privacy.html If you do not wish to receive future editions of Breaking Waves, simply send an email message to |
||||||||||||
Renovations are well underway, and soon our new RR Donnelly Learning Center will welcome the first workshop participants of our Fall 2005 schedule! These attendees will be the first to experience engaging workshops in the GrCI's new classroom, where the scheduled programs include exciting new topics as well as many returning favorites...
Believe it or not, you're looking at the thirteenth edition of the Graphic Communication Institute's monthly newsletter! The first edition of Breaking Waves appeared in May 2004, featuring a news report on the successful debut of our Printing Industry Overview workshop.
The Cerro Alto Summit trail climbs 1,600 feet over 2 miles, but the views from the top are worth the effort. Enjoy unobstructed panorama views of the Pacific Ocean, Whale Rock Reservoir, Morro Bay, Piedras Blancas Lighthouse, and the Santa Lucia Mountains. At 2,620 feet, Cerro Alto is one of the tallest peaks in the county and is located north of San Luis Obispo.
The 3-mile round-trip hike winds through a fern-filled oak and sycamore forest to the first waterfall and is relatively easy. The first waterfall is about 30 feet high, and both hikers and trout enjoy the many swimming holes. Continue another mile to arrive at Big Falls, an impressive 80-foot cascade.