Open-source typefaces

[hrant]

My biases against poorly-made (and often plagiarized) junk, which is the lion's share of free fonts? Thanks for noticing.

hhp

[Té Rowan]

You are a pro fontographer and a commercial developer so I'm not surprised that you have biases against free fonts at all. Still, doing nowt but rant and rave and rail against them and their quality (or lack of same) leads the FOSS guys to thinking you're either bouncing twixt hill and dale or gulping some big-corp's kool-aid, and they will then proceed to ignore you.

[hrant]

My bias isn't against the pricing - that would be weak. If somebody makes a high-quality product and benefits by giving it away, more power to him*, and to hell with the old farts who don't want to adapt to new realities. The problem isn't the pricing, the problem is pretending the quality is good enough; the problem is dreaming that quality and price are completely detached.

* I myself made very little money from Arasan, but the prestige -I mean within the Armenian community- is still going strong after 14 years.

And I totally don't mind being ignored by ignorants. Ignoring things -like what actually constitutes quality type- is the ignorer's loss. If you can't tell a good font from a bad one -free or not- you pay for that first and foremost.

hhp

[Té Rowan]

And if that knowledge is kept within a priesthood, less power to everybody. Inquiring minds want to know.

With Arasan you clearly did something to improve life, and that is the FOSS world's measure of worth.

[hrant]

Are you accusing people on Typophile of not sharing knowledge? But nobody is going to gift you power - you will have to work for that. And most people who make free fonts don't want to work very hard at making fonts. Hmmm, human nature perhaps?

The fact that Arasan helped Armenians become more able to communicate and publish websites was awesome, and was the reason I did it for cheap. But the truth is nobody's life improved more than my own.

And what does not really help Armenian culture is publishing yet more horrible free fonts. Crappy fonts in any script don't really improve life, so they are not worth much.

hhp

[Renaissance Man]

@ hrant: "And most people who make free fonts don't want to work very hard at making fonts."

I agree with most of what you've said, but let's not intertwine effort and results too much.

It often takes as much effort to produce a bad novel -- or font -- in unskilled hands as it does for a skilled writer or type designer to produce a good novel -- or font. As you said, it's important to "tell a good font from a bad one -- free or not."

Since your posts are often met with Reynir's wrath or scorn, I feel that I'm in good company.

@ Chris: "Good one, Té!!!" For sophomoric toilet humor?

@ Reynir: "There is still a lot of un- and badly-documented slang and jargon out there." You are the only one on this thread that used the term "FOSS" and you never explained what it was.

[dezcom]

" For sophomoric toilet humor?"

Yes!

[altsan]

As a relative newcomer I can't say I see anything hrant has said here (or in any other thread) to qualify as "ranting and raving"; indeed, his comments generally seem quite fair, if blunt.

I've put out a couple of open source fonts, or attempts at fonts, in my time, and I'd be the first to say that they're not up to standard. (I haven't listed them in this thread for good reason!) They were initially designed for my own purposes, at a time when I was totally blundering about blind in terms of design know-how (especially Workplace) - and boy, does it show. I didn't even know what a counter was, let alone understand the first thing about proportion and colour. I've been slowly trying to improve them through constant revision, but looking back at earlier versions makes me want to bang my head against the wall.

Suzuran, which has a modest thread going in the serif Critique forum, is my first serious attempt to design a font that I wouldn't be embarrassed to let real designers see. I have no idea if I could ever get it to a stage where it would be worth a commercial release, but profit isn't my motivation at the moment anyway.

I guess my point is that a commercial (i.e. cost-money) font is automatically more likely to be competently designed, because if it wasn't it wouldn't be able to sustain itself as a product. Hobbyists designing for fun and education, as I've been, will by default tend to release their work for free if at all.

[Té Rowan]

@Renaissance Man – FOSS is neither undocumented nor badly documented.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_and_open-source_software

@Hrant – Do you really think you're the world's only priesthood? And, yes, I noted on re-reading my last that I was saying so. Mea culpa. (That means 'my fault', @Renaissance Man.)

[Té Rowan]

Version 1.1 of the font list key coming up:

Legend:

  Fonts:
    Hr       Hair-thin weight
    UL       Ultra-light weight
    XL       Extra-light weight
    Lt       Light weight
    Th       Thin weight
    Rg       Regular weight
    Bk       Book weight
    Md       Medium weight
    SB       Semi-bold (demi-bold) weight
    Bd       Bold weight
    XB       Extra-bold weight
    UB       Ultra-bold weight
    Hv       Heavy weight
    Bl       Black weight
    I        Italic style
    O        Oblique style
    Cond     Condensed width
    SCond    Semi-Condensed width
    Norm     Normal width
    SExp     Semi-Expanded width
    Exp      Expanded width

  Format:
    FON      Windows bitmap font
    T1       PostScript Type 1 (ATM font)
    OTF      CFF-flavoured OpenType
    TTF      TrueType or TT-flavoured OpenType
    WOFF     Web Open Font Format (web-only font format)
    SFD      Work file format used by FontForge
    SFDir    Work directory format used by FontForge
    UFO      Work directory format used by RoboFont and others
    VFB      Work file format used by Fontlab

  Licensing:
    AFPL     The Aladdin Free Public License (Aladdin GhostScript)
    Apache   The Apache License
    BSDL     The BSD License, any version
    GPL      The Free Software Foundation's General Public License
    GPL2+    Ditto, version 2 or later
    LPPL     The LaTeX Project Public License
    MITL     The MIT License
    OFL      SIL's Open Font License
    Utopia   Adobe's and TUG's collective Utopia licensing
    Vera     Bitstream's licence for the typeface Bitstream Vera

Version 1.1 (and hopefully stable) of the ADF font/face list:

Noted peculiarities in ADF fonts/faces:

1. AE, Ae, ae, OE, Oe and oe are ligated globally via 'rlig'.

- - 8< - -

Typeface:    Accanthis ADF
Fonts:       4: Rg/RgI/Bd/BdI
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.008
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   GPL2+ with font exception
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Light, airy serif; resembles Cloister OldStyle

Typeface:    Accanthis ADF No2
Fonts:       4: Rg/RgI/Bd/BdI
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.008
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   GPL2+ with font exception
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Light, airy serif; quite garaldish

Typeface:    Accanthis ADF No3
Fonts:       4: Rg/RgI/Bd/BdI
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.008
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   GPL2+ with font exception
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Blend of Accanthis and Accanthis No2

Typeface:    Aurelis ADF No2
Fonts:       7: Rg/RgI/Bd/BdI, script I in Cond,Norm,Exp
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.008
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   GPL2+ with font exception
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Calligraphic feel

Typeface:    Baskervald ADF
Fonts:       6: Rg/RgI/Bd/BdI/Hv/HvO
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.018
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   GPL2+ with font exception
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Serif, designed as a Baskerville

Typeface:    Berenis ADF Pro
Fonts:       4: Rg/RgI/Bd/BdI
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.005
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   GPL2+ with font exception
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Serif, didone-style

Typeface:    Electrum ADF Exp
Fonts:       8: Lt/LtO/Rg/RgO/SB/SBO/Bd/BdO
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.005
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   GPL2+ with font exception
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Square, monoline slab-serif; City-like

Typeface:    Garamond No 8 OSSC
Fonts:       4: Rg/RgI/SB/SBI
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.001
Format:      T1
Licensing:   AFPL
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: OSF/SC supplement for URW Garamond No 8

Typeface:    Gillius ADF
Fonts:       8: Rg/RgI/Bd/BdI in Cond,Norm
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.009
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   GPL2+ with font exception
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Sans-serif, heavily based on Gill Sans

Typeface:    Gillius ADF No2
Fonts:       8: Rg/RgI/Bd/BdI in Cond,Norm
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.009
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   GPL2+ with font exception
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Sans-serif, heavily based on Gill Sans

Typeface:    Ikarius ADF
Fonts:       4: Rg/RgI/Bd/BdI
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.006
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   GPL2+ with font exception
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Vestigial serif, inspired by Hypatia Sans

Typeface:    Ikarius ADF No2
Fonts:       4: Rg/RgI/Bd/BdI
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.006
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   GPL2+ with font exception
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Vestigial serif, var. on Ikarius ADF

Typeface:    Irianis ADF
Fonts:       4(TTC),8(OTF): Rg/RgI/Bd/BdI with separate OSF/SC fonts in OTF
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.006
Format:      TTC,OTF
Licensing:   GPL2+ with font exception
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: A Caslon-like serif

Typeface:    Irianis ADF Math
Fonts:       1: Rg
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.006
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   GPL2+ with font exception
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Irialis ADF with math supplement

Typeface:    Keypad ADF, Keypad ADF No2
Fonts:       2
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.001
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   GPL2+ with font exception
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Pi fonts with keycaps, white and black

Typeface:    Libris ADF
Fonts:       4: Rg/RgI/Bd/BdI
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.007
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   GPL2+ with font exception
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Calligraphic sans-serif, resembles Lydian a lot

Typeface:    Mekanus ADF
Fonts:       4: Rg/RgI/Bd/BdI
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.005
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   GPL2+ with font exception
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Slab serif with a typewriter feel

Typeface:    Mekanus ADF Titling
Fonts:       4: Rg/RgI/Bd/BdI
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.005
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   GPL2+ with font exception
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Slab serif with a typewriter feel

Typeface:    MintSpirit ADF
Fonts:       4: Rg/RgI/Bd/BdI
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.004
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   OFL 1.1
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Sans-serif, blends Ubuntu with Gill Sans

Typeface:    MintSpirit ADF No2
Fonts:       4: Rg/RgI/Bd/BdI
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.004
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   OFL 1.1
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Sans-serif, blends Ubuntu with Gill Sans

Typeface:    Mintysis ADF
Fonts:       6: Rg/RgI/Md/MdI/Bd/BdI
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.002
Format:      TTF
Licensing:   OFL 1.1
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: TrueType version of MintSpirit ADF

Typeface:    Neogothis ADF
Fonts:       12: Lt/LtI/Rg/RgI/Md/MdI/SB/SBI/Bd/BdI/Hv/HvI
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.005
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   GPL2+ with font exception
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Monoline sans-serif, Bauhaus/Kabel feel

Typeface:    Oldania ADF
Fonts:       4: Rg/RgI/Bd/BdI
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.006
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   GPL2+ with font exception
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Medieval, scribe-like

Typeface:    Ornements ADF
Fonts:       2: One for each format
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.001
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   GPL2+ with font exception
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Pi font with clefs, hederae and other ornaments

Typeface:    Romande ADF
Fonts:       7: Rg/RgI/SB/SBI, with Script in I and OSF/SC in Rg/SB
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.010
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   GPL2+ with font exception
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Serif with elements of Tiffany and Caslon

Typeface:    Romande ADF No2
Fonts:       4: Rg/RgI/SB/SBI
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.010
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   GPL2+ with font exception
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Serif with elements of Tiffany and Caslon

Typeface:    Solothurn ADF
Fonts:       6: Rg/RgO/Md/MdO/Bd/BdO
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.004
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   GPL2+ with font exception
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Monoline sans-serif novelty face

Typeface:    Switzera ADF
Fonts:       24: Lt/LtI/Rg/RgI/Md/MdI/SB/SBI/Bd/BdI/XB/XBI, Cond(Lt/LtI/Rg/RgI/SB/SBI/Bd/BdI), Exp(Rg/RgI/Bd/BdI)
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.005
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   Vera
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Variations on Bitstream Vera Sans: Cond,Norm,Exp

Typeface:    Symbol ADF
Fonts:       4: Arrows/Bullets in either format
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.001
Format:      TTF,OTF
Licensing:   GPL2+ with font exception
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Pi face of arrows and bullets

Typeface:    Tribun ADF
Fonts:       12: Rg/RgI/Bd/BdI/XB/XBI, Cond(Rg/RgI/Bd/BdI), Exp(Rg/RgI)
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.017
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   GPL2+ with font exception
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Serif, very similar to Times New Roman

Typeface:    Universalis ADF
Fonts:       8: Rg/RgI/Bd/BdI in Cond,Norm
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.009
Format:      OTF,WOFF
Licensing:   GPL2+ with font exception
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Geometric sans-serif, inspired by Futura

Typeface:    URW Classico OSSC
Fonts:       4: Rg/RgI/Bd/BdI
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.001
Format:      T1
Licensing:   AFPL
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: OSF/SC supplement for URW Classico

Typeface:    URW Palladio OSSC
Fonts:       4: Rg/RgI/Bd/BdI
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.001
Format:      T1
Licensing:   AFPL
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: OSF/SC supplement for URW Palladio

Typeface:    Venturis ADF
Fonts:       18: Rg/RgI/Bd/BdI for all, plus Hv/HvI for Norm
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.005
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   Utopia
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Variations on Adobe Utopia: Norm,Cond,Style,Cond Style

Typeface:    Venturis ADF Math
Fonts:       1: Rg
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.001
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   Utopia
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Venturis with math supplement

Typeface:    Venturis ADF No2
Fonts:       12: Rg/RgI/Bd/BdI for all
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.005
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   Utopia
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Variations on Adobe Utopia: Cond, Norm, Medium weight

Typeface:    Venturis ADF Old
Fonts:       4: Rg/RgI/Bd/BdI
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.005
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   Utopia
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Variations on Adobe Utopia: Garalde cues

Typeface:    Venturis ADF Sans
Fonts:       18: Rg/RgI/Bd/BdI for all, plus Hv/HvI for Norm
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.005
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   Utopia
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Vestigial serif variations on Adobe Utopia: Cond,Norm,Exp and Light weight

Typeface:    Venturis ADF Sans No2
Fonts:       12: Rg/RgI/Bd/BdI for each width
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.005
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   Utopia
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Vestigial serif variations on Adobe Utopia: Cond,Norm,Exp

Typeface:    Venturis ADF Titling
Fonts:       5: Varying widths and decoration
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.005
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   Utopia
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Variations on Adobe Utopia: Cap/smallcap titling fonts

Typeface:    Verana
Fonts:       4: Rg/RgI/Bd/BdI
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.002
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   Vera
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Bitstream Vera variant

Typeface:    Verana Sans
Fonts:       8: Rg/RgO/Md/MdO/SB/SBO/Bd/BdO
Foundry:     Arkandis Digital Foundry (ADF)
Home:        http://arkandis.tuxfamily.org/
Version:     1.002
Format:      OTF
Licensing:   Vera
Designer:    Hirwen Harendal
Description: Bitstream Vera Sans variant

[Chris Dean]

Awesome. Some questions.

Is there a logic to the pattern of some acronyms using a capital and lowercase (Lr) , and some using two capital letters (UL)?

Instincts tell me V1.1 won’t be the last time we see this (hopefully ever-growing) list :).

[Karl Stange]

Format:
FON Windows bitmap font
T1 PostScript Type 1 (ATM font)
OTF CFF-flavoured OpenType
TTF TrueType or TT-flavoured OpenType
WOFF Web Open Font Format (web-only font format)
SFD Work file format used by FontForge
SFDir Work directory format used by FontForge
UFO Work directory format used by RoboFont and others
VFB Work file format used by Fontlab

You could consider adding:

TTC TrueType Collection
MM/MMM Multiple Master
EOT Embedded OpenType
SVG Scalable Vector Graphics

[Karl Stange]

Is there a logic to the pattern of some acronyms using a capital and lowercase (Lr) , and some using two capital letters (UL)?

This distinguishes between abbreviations for single word descriptions of weight/style, such as Hairline (Hr) and multiple word or part descriptions, such as Ultra Light (UL).

[Té Rowan]

@Karl – *blink* *blink* Aiyah! I b4y forgot TTC! And there is a set of TTCs in the list! Major bug!

Do multi-master fonts appear in other formats than T1? Or would T1M and/or T1MM cover it all?

v1.2 of key:

Legend:

  Fonts:
    Hr       Hair-thin weight
    UL       Ultra-light weight
    XL       Extra-light weight
    Lt       Light weight
    Th       Thin weight
    Rg       Regular weight
    Bk       Book weight
    Md       Medium weight
    SB       Semi-bold (demi-bold) weight
    Bd       Bold weight
    XB       Extra-bold weight
    UB       Ultra-bold weight
    Hv       Heavy weight
    Bl       Black weight
    I        Italic style
    O        Oblique style
    Cond     Condensed width
    SCond    Semi-Condensed width
    Norm     Normal width
    SExp     Semi-Expanded width
    Exp      Expanded width

  Format:
    EOT      Embedded OpenType (Microsoft's web font format)
    FON      Windows bitmap font
    MF       D. Knuth's Metafont
    T1       PostScript Type 1 (ATM font)
    OTF      CFF-flavoured OpenType
    SVG      Scalable Vector Graphics (useable as a font format as well)
    TTC      TrueType Collection (a TTF library format)
    TTF      TrueType or TT-flavoured OpenType
    WOFF     Web Open Font Format (web-only font format)
    SFD      Work file format used by FontForge
    SFDir    Work directory format used by FontForge
    UFO      Work directory format used by RoboFont and others
    VFB      Work file format used by Fontlab

  Licensing:
    AFPL     The Aladdin Free Public License (Aladdin GhostScript)
    Apache   The Apache License
    BSDL     The BSD License, any version
    GPL      The Free Software Foundation's General Public License
    GPL2+    Ditto, version 2 or later
    LPPL     The LaTeX Project Public License
    MITL     The MIT License
    OFL      SIL's Open Font License
    Utopia   Adobe's and TUG's collective Utopia licensing
    Vera     Bitstream's licence for the typeface Bitstream Vera

[hrant]

Cut the "priesthood" crap. People don't have to come together simply to control others; I'm here to learn and help along the things I love. I can do this better by outing poor logic and bad fonts.

Again: it's about quality, which comes from talent and effort. Don't shoot the messenger.

hhp

[Karl Stange]

Do multi-master fonts appear in other formats than T1? Or would T1M and/or T1MM cover it all?

They are mostly used for production work these days and I have never seen them offered in this context... Probably best to get some other input on that one.

[oldnick]

Don’t shoot the messenger

Sage advice: http://www.typophile.com/node/98032

[Té Rowan]

@Karl – A group called Apostrophic Labs did have some multi-master fonts for public consumption. They were all T1 as far as I can tell.

[Karl Stange]

A group called Apostrophic Labs did have some multi-master fonts for public consumption. They were all T1 as far as I can tell.

Funny you should mention them, I have been looking at some of their stuff today. It is a little patchy trying to find a good source but I have managed to find a combination of sources, with the one below seeming to be the closest thing to a point of origination:

http://apostrophiclab.pedroreina.net/

The links on that page lead to a combination of Windows Type 1, Windows TrueType and Mac Type 1 fonts. I haven't checked all of them but so far no multiple masters.

[hrant]

As an aside, the Apostrophic Labs guy (in effect not really a "group") was a well-known heavy-duty thief back in the day.

hhp

[Karl Stange]

As an aside, the Apostrophic Labs guy (in effect not really a "group") was a well-known heavy-duty thief back in the day.

Of font IP or something more physical?

[hrant]

Nothing physical that I know of. BTW you don't buy a house with anything physical either. :-)

hhp

[Karl Stange]

BTW you don't buy a house with anything physical either. :-)

True, but your description brought to mind the image of someone climbing out of a window with a TV in the middle of the night (and I do realise that this alone does not necessarily imply theft) : )

[hrant]

Somebody please steal my TV!

hhp

[Karl Stange]

Somebody please steal my TV!

Go rock star, throw it out the window! That or subtly break it...