Re: PostScript

>>> Jon Elson wrote:
>>> <snip>Unfortunately, PostScript and many other systems use bitmaps
>>> createthe printed fonts.
>>> Postscript IS a vector based description language, including fonts.
>>> The vectors are TRANSLATED into raster bitmaps for output.
>
> How did you determine this? Have you ever written a PostScript file?
> I have done several of them (or written programs that output
> PostScript). I am (painfully) familiar with the internals of PostScript
> font definition. Almost all standard fonts are bitmapped, and either
> specified by name and called up from the printer itself, or downloaded
> as long strings of hexadecimal values in the PostScript file itself,
> and added to the font list in the printer.
>
> Now, it is true that GRAPHICS can be described by vectors, and that is
> the best way, as the graphic can be scaled arbitrarily without losing
> detail. You COULD define a font as a set of graphic images, and then
> set them on the page to form text, but I've NEVER seen this done for
> text.

Jumping in here to hopefully add some clarity and not confuse matters more.
I used to do a bit of PostScript programming as well (I took the driver
programming classes from Dr. Glenn Reid at ADOBE in 1986).

PostScript Fons are "vector based" (actually they're based on Bezier curves
http://www.moshplant.com/direct-or/bezier/index.html). I sat at ADOBE in
'86 and watched a young lady named Cloee design the Treble Clef for the
Sonata font, it turn her nearly the whole day to do just that character.

A font "package" consists of a bit mapped (pre-rasterized) version used for
screen display (this contains rasterized versions for some set font sizes,
others are extrapolated from these ... hence the need for programs like ATM
ADOBE TYPE MANAGER), and a matching vector/bezier defined version for
output to devices which is non-resolution dependent (except in the
case of Display Postscript which uses the vector map directly for screen
display ... ala the ill-fated NEXT computer).

There are a number of programs on the Mac side which allow you to extract
the character "paths" or "outlines" as vectors and save them. Illustrator
will do this for example. Then you can save the file as an EPS and go on
about your merry way translating the EPS into a DXF or whatever.