16.1 Additional fonts

The original purpose of these programs was to create fonts for Ghostscript, the GNU PostScript-compatible interpreter written by Peter Deutsch. Adobe and many other vendors sell fonts which Ghostscript can use, but they place many restrictions on the use of those fonts. These restrictions certainly include modification and copying; in some cases, they even include using the font on more than one printer or display! These restrictions are contrary to the aims of the GNU project.

Obviously we cannot compete in volume with Adobe, Bitstream, or other vendors, all of whom probably have dozens if not hundreds of people working on nothing but font production, and additional people hired as programmers in support. The present authors (both working half-time) are the entire FSF "font production" department, both for design and for programming.

Fortunately, we do not need to compete in volume (certainly we haven't needed the thousands of Adobe fonts in our practice as typographers). Our aim is to produce the basic typefaces for typography: Garamond, Bodoni, Gill Sans, Univers, Baskerville, and perhaps a few others. If someone wants some other typeface, they could use our programs to make it, and, we hope, contribute it back to GNU for others to use.

We do need volunteers to help create fonts for the GNU project. You do not need to be an expert type designer to help, but you do need to know enough about TeX and/or PostScript to be able to install and test new fonts. Example: if you know neither (1) the purpose of TeX utility program gftopk nor (2) what the PostScript scalefont command does, you probably need more experience before you can help.

If you can volunteer, the first step is to compile the font utilities (see section 2. Installation). After that, contact us at `karl@gnu.ai.mit.edu'. I will get you a scanned type specimen image. See section 3.2 Creating fonts, for how to use these utilities to turn that into a font you can use in TeX or PostScript.

16.1.1 Legal issues

Legality (and illegality) differ by country.