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The current guides online and in texdoc that I could find did not deal with the problem I have.

  1. How to generate font metrics for system installed TrueType and OpenType fonts?
  2. How to generate font maps? What is a difference between font maps for regular T1, TrueType and OpenType fonts?
  3. Where to place those things and what "databases" do I need to update to make latex and friends "see" those fonts?
  4. How to generate raster fonts for TrueType and OpenType fonts and how to install them?

The current documentation I could find didn't answer quickly and straight to the point about it. I don't want "programmers" guide to fonts. I want "user's and packaging" guide to fonts. Please point to existing resource or provided references to pages / section from texdoc.

EDIT

Dead-end or not deadend, in the end of the day I need to generate PDF/A documents with embedded metadata. The PDF/A metadata is only possible with pdfTeX engine and pdf-x package. And I want embedded custom ttf fonts in those PDF/A documents.

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  • 3
    Just some pedantry: can you fix the two obvious typos in the title? There should be an apostrophe after friends and a 'd' in handling. Thanks. Oh, and good question, btw. Once upon a time I found some guide and followed it. But I haven't been able to find it again. So I'm curious as to the answer too.
    – Willie Wong
    Commented Jul 28, 2010 at 16:02
  • this seems to relate to tex.stackexchange.com/questions/226/…
    – Suresh
    Commented Jul 30, 2010 at 4:42
  • @Suresh: Yes it does. That questions says "use XeLaTeX" =) but I really really want to use pdfTeX engine.
    – Dima
    Commented Jul 30, 2010 at 9:05

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I think one of the issues here is that font installation is very complicated, and so there is only really a 'programmers' solution. (That is to say there is no simple answer, so you have to be prepared to learn a lot of low-level stuff to get it to work.) One of the clearest descriptions, at least for Type 1 fonts, is written by Lehmann. Other than that, I'm afraid you have to read the fontinst stuff, but from your question I guess you already have and found it to be wanting.

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  • I'm Ubuntu developer and have access to the new Ubuntu TTF font. And I really want to package it with latex-ready fonts such that when it goes public everyone and me including can use it with latex (any type/engine). Type1 fonts are easy, and those generally already come repackaged for latex, I did read both of these font guides, and yes they weren't a helpful tutorial for distribution packager to package ttf font from source for latex.
    – Dima
    Commented Jul 31, 2010 at 13:09
  • Anything to be packaged needs to go to CTAN, so the TeX Live and MiKTeX people, surely.
    – Joseph Wright ♦
    Commented Jul 31, 2010 at 14:37
  • Obviously, but when the font is publicly released in october.
    – Dima
    Commented Aug 2, 2010 at 11:52
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+50

Use LuaTeX + luaotfload + fontspec. Don't waste your time trying to learn a dead end technology. I have been doing a lot of font installation (also for money). This is awful.

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  • Or XeLaTeX plus fontspec, for the same general reasons.
    – Joseph Wright ♦
    Commented Aug 3, 2010 at 15:22
  • @Joseph The author states "but I really really want to use pdfTeX engine", and LuaTeX comes close. For most purposes (98%) XeLaTeX is suitable as well.
    – topskip
    Commented Aug 3, 2010 at 15:30
  • Sorry, must have missed that. I was simply noting, as you say, that for most purposes XeLaTeX and LuaLaTeX have a lot of 'overlap'.
    – Joseph Wright ♦
    Commented Aug 3, 2010 at 15:38
  • Can I embed PDF/A metadata streams in the pdf similar to what pdfTeX engine does?
    – Dima
    Commented Aug 3, 2010 at 16:13
  • Yes, you should be able to do that, because LuaTeX is an enhanced PDFTeX engine. I don't know the commands you should use, though.
    – topskip
    Commented Aug 3, 2010 at 16:23
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simplefonts module provides fontspec-like functionality in ConTeXt (MkIV).

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