Typophile

Font ".zip" Archives - Unix Executable Files & other font files

Jojo Blöndal0 votes

Hello all,

I have been given a font (.zip) archive from a client, and I am having a problem deciphering some of the files once it has been decompressed.

I have tried both StuffIt Expander AND BOMArchiveHelper. I get the same thing with both extracting processes.

Once the archive is decompressed, I get Font Suitcase files and PostScript Type 1 outline font files (both of which I am familiar with).

What I am NOT familiar with and the files that STUMP me are:
Unix Executable Files(s) - some of which are Zero KB in size
Stuffit Expander.app Document(s) - some of which have "afm" suffixes after the file name(s)

Can anyone shed some light on what I am supposed to do with these files?
Are they corrupt files?
Am I supposed to import them into FontAgentPro?
Has my client archived them improperly?
Should I Trash the Zero KB files?

Please help! Thank you in advance!

Mark Simonson0 votes

Often times, files that are identified as UNIX executable are simply files that OS X doesn't know what to do with (i.e., there is no application associated). AFM files are normally not needed on Macs.

If the files have are empty (i.e., zero kb), it probably means that the files are corrupt due to being transfered through a non-Mac file system (Windows, UNIX, Linux). Some Mac files (including suitcase files) have have a component called a resource fork. This is a special part of a file that is not visible to non-Mac file systems, such as Windows. If you move such a file to Windows and back, the resource fork will be lost, resulting in an empty file if all the data was in the resource fork, which is the case with font suitcases.

If you want to transfer font files from one Mac to another over the internet or via a Windows PC, you need to make sure the font files are placed into a zip or StuffIt file on the originating Mac before transfer and never opened on a PC at any point during transit.

George Thomas0 votes

At this url is some detailed information as to how to solve the problem. I have had the same problem but it was always something I could work around. I'll be trying this solution as well the next time I encounter it.

http://

George

George Thomas0 votes

At this url is some detailed information as to how to solve the problem. I have had the same problem but it was always something I could work around. I'll be trying this solution as well the next time I encounter it.

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=7401999&#7401999

George

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