How do I tell if a given .otf file is TT or PS-flavored?

Ori Ben-Dor

I'm using Windows 10 (I've also got access to FL5, if comes to that).

Ramiro Espinoza

I would just open the font in FL, then open a glyph and see if the contours are TTF or PS contours.

Ori Ben-Dor

Wouldn't FL convert TT to PS automatically?

Ramiro Espinoza

Nope.

Ori Ben-Dor

Great, thanks!

Erwin Denissen

You can use a font editor or a hex editor, but you can also use a font manager.

Malcolm Wooden

...or FontLoad for either Mac or Win, which is free.

Ori Ben-Dor

Thanks, guys!

David Vereschagin

FontExplorer also gives you this info on the Mac. I assume it's the same on Windows.

Ori Ben-Dor

So many options

Khaled Hosny

I just use file:

$ file Mada-Regular.otf <br>Mada-Regular.otf: OpenType font data<br>$ file Mada-Regular.ttf <br>Mada-Regular.ttf: TrueType font data

Ori Ben-Dor

What's file? Where does this command/application come from?

Ramiro Espinoza

Mac's terminal

Ori Ben-Dor

A built-in Mac command that given an OTF file tells you its flavor? Nice. I'm a Windows user, anyhow

LeMo aka PatternMan aka Frank E Blokland

Ramiro Espinoza

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_(command)

Benedikt Bramböck

Is there no Preview option when right-clicking on a font in Windows 10 anymore?

Previous versions would supply you with something like this:

Bhikkhu Pesala

Yes. Windows Font Viewer still does this. It is still worth installing the free version of MainType though if you're using Windows, as it's a useful font manager for home users.

Thomas Phinney

It is probably worth mentioning that although technically an .otf file can have either TrueType or PostScript style (CFF) outlines, in general use .otf fonts with PS outlines are pretty nearly nonexistent. I am not sure I have ever seen one, other than fonts specifically intended as test cases for software and operating systems.

Ori Ben-Dor

Did you mean .otf fonts with *TT* outlines are nearly nonexistent?

LeMo aka PatternMan aka Frank E Blokland

Thomas Phinney

Ori Ben-Dor said:

Did you mean .otf fonts with *TT* outlines are nearly nonexistent?

Gah! Yes that is indeed what I meant!

I hate the 4-hour limit on editing. Also I hate that I can’t disagree with my own post.  

Can some helpful moderator just delete that post? Its very existence is confusing. OR, better still, change the PS to TT in the key bit. Sigh.

Belleve Invis

Ori Ben-Dor said:

A built-in Mac command that given an OTF file tells you its flavor? Nice. I'm a Windows user, anyhow

Double-click your font, in the preview window you can see "TrueType Outlines" vs "PostScript Outlines".

Ori Ben-Dor

Oh, that's right. Silly of me to have missed this. Thanks!

LeMo aka PatternMan aka Frank E Blokland