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    Fonts from PC to Mac?

    Discussion in 'Apple and Mac OS X' started by bcom77, May 8, 2008.

  1. bcom77

    bcom77 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Hi guys, quick question. Can you transfer fonts from a pc to a mac? I'm a graphic designer and just bought a MBP but my work computer is a pc. I want to be able to do work from home but need the same fonts as my work computer.
     
    bcom77, May 8, 2008
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  2. Budding

    Budding Notebook Virtuoso

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    Mac OS X is compatible with most popular font types (TrueType, PostScript, etc.) so importing fonts from Windows into OS X would be a matter of importing it into Font Book.
     
    Budding, May 8, 2008
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  3. Raymond Luxury-Yacht

    Raymond Luxury-Yacht Notebook Consultant

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    Just drag the font files onto Font Book.
     
    Raymond Luxury-Yacht, May 8, 2008
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  4. bcom77

    bcom77 Notebook Enthusiast

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    Thanks guys.
     
    bcom77, May 8, 2008
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  5. Sam

    Sam Notebook Virtuoso

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    Yeah, its interchangeable, basically. Just drag it into Font Book, and click Install! :)
     
    Sam, May 8, 2008
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  6. Team

    Team Notebook Enthusiast

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    It depends.

    If the fonts have a .ttf (TrueType Font) extension, then they should work under OSX without a hitch. If they have a .pfb or .pfm (Windows Postscript) extension, however, you'll need to use conversion software like Fontlab's Transtype, to convert them to TrueType or Mac Postscript. Otherwise, you won't be able to use them under OSX. I personally don't recommend converting fonts (unless you absolutely have to), since you tend to lose important data such as kerning pairs.

    Now, to stray slightly off-topic...

    Since you're a graphic designer odds are, you probably use more fonts than the average person, and you're picky about how you manage/use them. Apple's Fontbook is alright for basic stuff, but I'd highly recommend going with Linotype's FontExplorer. It's easier to use, more stable, and can manage far more fonts than Apple's Fontbook (30,000+ on my own MBP). It has an iTunes-like interface, it allows you to group/categorize/keyword your fonts, and will auto-activate fonts. I use it to keep all but my essential (5 or so) system fonts de-activated, which makes programs like Word and the Adobe Creative Suite start up much faster. Best of all, FontExplorer is free.

    http://www.linotype.com/2631/freedownload.html
     
    Team, May 9, 2008
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