Windows software that can read Mac SUIT font file format?

AbrahamLee
AbrahamLee Posts: 262
in Type Design Software
Does anyone know of a font editor for Windows that can at least read and view fonts in the SUIT format? I don't need to generate fonts in this format, but I have a reference font in that format that seems to behave differently (or at least is configured differently) than its Windows counterpart in TTF format. I'm trying to understand the internal differences so that I can better support my Windows & Mac customers to whom I'd like to supply fonts only in TTF format.

I realize that might not make much sense, but I'm just putting feelers out there since I know many of you have been doing this for a lot longer than I have. I'm grateful for your help.
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Comments

  • Mark Simonson
    Mark Simonson Posts: 1,739
    edited April 2018
    It's not possible to do this directly. Mac suitcase files use the old Classic Mac OS dual-fork file structure. There was a data fork, which is like a normal file on any other platform and is usually empty in font suitcases, and a resource fork, which contains the actual font data. Suitcase files are still readable on modern Macs, but not on other platforms, which are only able to see and read the empty data fork.

    But, if you put them into a zip archive on the Mac side, you can transfer them intact to Windows and convert them to a Windows TTF using TransType for Windows directly from the zip files.

    See also this.

    I don't know if any other Windows software can do this.
  • Sami Artur Mandelbaum
    Sami Artur Mandelbaum Posts: 97
    The best software to convert fonts between PC and Mac, IMHO, are Transmac and Crossfont from acutesystems: https://www.acutesystems.com.
    There is a trial version, maybe this will be enough for You.
    I have used it a long time ago in the postcript fonts age and It was very useful.
  • Thomas Phinney
    Thomas Phinney Posts: 2,896
    Windows versions of FontLab VI and TransType 4 can both read Mac suitcase fonts—either PostScript Type 1, or TrueType.

    They just have to be in a Zip archive, because otherwise you would lose data moving the fonts to a Windows file system, before our apps even get to see them.
  • AbrahamLee
    AbrahamLee Posts: 262
    Thanks for those suggestions. I will explore those options and see how far I get.

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