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Registering foundry code with Microsoft

AbrahamLeeAbrahamLee Posts: 262
in Type Business
I've been contemplating whether or not this is useful and/or necessary, but I'm thinking that I ought to register a 4-char ID my foundry with Microsoft so it appears on their vendor list. Any thoughts on the matter? Is there any point in doing that?
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    Dave CrosslandDave Crossland Posts: 1,391
    I recommend it for people contributing fonts to Google Fonts, but honestly I don't know how useful it really is... 

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    Thomas PhinneyThomas Phinney Posts: 2,748
    In theory, it allows for things like font management apps to display the foundry for a font very easily. How many real world things are actually using it, is another question.
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    Hrant Հրանդ Փափազեան PapazianHrant Հրանդ Փափազեան Papazian Posts: 2,044
    Mine is three characters. Does that make me special?
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    AbrahamLeeAbrahamLee Posts: 262
    @Dave Crossland”, why do you recommend doing it to contributors to Google Fonts?

    @Thomas Phinney”, that’s exactly why I thought to ask the question. I was wondering what purpose, legal or otherwise, it really has.

    @Hrant H. Papazian, it makes you very special ;) The one I would prefer to use is also three letters, but someone on Microsoft’s vendor list is already using it, so I’ll have to pick a new one. And if you didn’t know, I did notice at least one vendor with a 2-letter ID lol
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    Belleve InvisBelleve Invis Posts: 269
    I think maybe you should contact @Peter Constable...
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    John HudsonJohn Hudson Posts: 2,977
    edited October 2017
    @SiDaniels used to look after registering vendor codes, but he's in a different team now, so I'm not sure who is currently responsible.
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    Peter ConstablePeter Constable Posts: 161
    See this page: https://www.microsoft.com/typography/links/vendorlist.aspx

    Now, the page mentions an email address that is missing. I'll follow up on that.
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    AbrahamLeeAbrahamLee Posts: 262
    @Peter Constable, I’m aware of the page and couldn’t find the email it said would be on the other page. Do you think that registering my foundry is a good idea, useful, or the like? Thanks for fielding my questions.
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    Jeff KellemJeff Kellem Posts: 65
    edited October 2017
    Peter Constable said:
    See this page: https://www.microsoft.com/typography/links/vendorlist.aspx

    Now, the page mentions an email address that is missing. I'll follow up on that.
    The mention of an email address links to the following page:
    https://www.microsoft.com/typography/AboutMST.mspx
    The email address is listed at the bottom, in the How to contact Microsoft Typography section, though not as a link.
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    Oliver Weiss (Walden Font Co.)Oliver Weiss (Walden Font Co.) Posts: 213
    Well, I registered just now. We'll see what happens. 

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    SiDanielsSiDaniels Posts: 277
    There are no 3 letter codes, for vendor IDs a space is a letter. 
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    SiDanielsSiDaniels Posts: 277
    I think the vendor IDs made more sense in the pre-Internet era, and before vendor URL fields were added to the format. Ali on the Windows font team maintains the list now. If you have trouble contacting him let me know. 
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    Hrant Հրանդ Փափազեան PapazianHrant Հրանդ Փափազեան Papazian Posts: 2,044
    edited October 2017
    SiDaniels said:
    There are no 3 letter codes, for vendor IDs a space is a letter. 
    Now changing my foundry name to:
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    AbrahamLeeAbrahamLee Posts: 262
    Thanks for the insight @SiDaniels. So the email address on the other page (not the vendor list page) is the correct one to send information to?
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    Deleted AccountDeleted Account Posts: 739
    Well yes, I see the problem we missed... thanks. With traditional Fonts, if 10 foundries supplied individual styles of one family, each one could easily be credited per style. 

    So we will add this to our proposal for variations, as that is No longer possible. Should we call it the variable foundry tag, or what?
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    James PuckettJames Puckett Posts: 1,970
    I’ve been using a three letter code (DTF) for years. Does the FDK just add a space when fonts are compiled?
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    Dave CrosslandDave Crossland Posts: 1,391
    D. Epar ted said:
    Well yes, I see the problem we missed... thanks. With traditional Fonts, if 10 foundries supplied individual styles of one family, each one could easily be credited per style. 
    What families have done that?
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    Thomas PhinneyThomas Phinney Posts: 2,748
    I can't remember the family, but there is one family in the Adobe type library where the two different styles in the same family are from different (original metal) foundries! Weird but true.

    I am not sure that would result in different ultimate foundry codes in the digital version, since I think they were both issued by the same digital foundry.

    This would of course be easier if I could remember the family. German, early 20th century, I think?
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    André G. IsaakAndré G. Isaak Posts: 626
    edited October 2017
    Akzidenz Grotesk would be an example, though that hasn't been part of the Adobe library for some time. Some of the styles were from Theinhardt (which Berthold had acquired), some by Schelter & Giesecke, and others by Berthold.

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    Kent LewKent Lew Posts: 905
    Does the FDK just add a space when fonts are compiled?
    Yes: "makeotfexe [WARNING] <TestFont-Regular> Vendor name too short. Padded automatically to 4 characters. [features 2955]"


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    Oliver Weiss (Walden Font Co.)Oliver Weiss (Walden Font Co.) Posts: 213
    Wow, same day service!

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    AbrahamLeeAbrahamLee Posts: 262
    Got mine registered, too (MTFO)! I'm official now ;)
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    Shahab SiavashShahab Siavash Posts: 141
    I did this a few months ago and mine is also a 3 letter one, also with 2 S in it (SHS). So I think I'm very special! Less than 2 letter codes of course :smiley:
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    Hrant Հրանդ Փափազեան PapazianHrant Հրանդ Փափազեան Papazian Posts: 2,044
    You mean SHS␢.
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    Shahab SiavashShahab Siavash Posts: 141
    Is this happening to you or is it just me? Sometimes all the typography/font vendor section goes like this:
    (This link right now: https://www.microsoft.com/typography/links/vendorlist.aspx)



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    George ThomasGeorge Thomas Posts: 633
    It is down right now. I tried several different ways.
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    Shahab SiavashShahab Siavash Posts: 141
    George Thomas said:
    It is down right now. I tried several different ways.
    Thanks. I had seen this before a couple of times. Back then I thought they moved or removed the links, but apparently it is going to be like this forever! 
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    AbrahamLeeAbrahamLee Posts: 262
    Thats very interesting, @GregHitchcock! Thank you for sharing that. 
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    Aaron BellAaron Bell Posts: 90
    BTW, FYI for anyone trying to access the page, it has been restored. 
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