Embedding of TTF OpenType / fsType

Martin Wenzel

Hi,

I have some reports that enabled embedding, fsType, Bits 0–3, “Value 8: Editable embedding” in TTF OpenType (https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/typography/opentype/spec/os2#fstype) works fine in Powerpoint 2010 on Windows 7 while PowerPoint 2016 on Windows 10 might complain about “Licence Limitations” when saving.

Is it wiser to not set a value at all like Google likes it for their fonts?

Thanks

Thomas Phinney

You should set the value you want for the behavior you want. 
What you describe sounds like a bug in PowerPoint 2016.

Is it wiser to not set a value at all like Google likes it for their fonts?

What Google likes is to not flip any of bits of the fsType setting. But that IS a value! Or more accurately, a set of values: installable embedding, NOT no subsetting, NOT bitmap embedding only.

Not flipping any of fsType bits 1-3 (a value of zero for this portion of the fsType field) means “installable embedding.”
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/typography/opentype/spec/os2#fstype

“Installable embedding: the font may be embedded, and may be permanently installed for use on a remote systems, or for use by other users. The user of the remote system acquires the identical rights, obligations and licenses for that font as the original purchaser of the font, and is subject to the same end-user license agreement, copyright, design patent, and/or trademark as was the original purchaser.”

In other words, this setting is appropriate for fonts that can be redistributed. If the font is open source, it is almost certainly the most logical choice. On the other hand, for most proprietary fonts, I would think that setting does not make sense.