Typophile

Mac name: Bill Gates Rocks

Ray Larabie

In Fontlab Studio, under OpenType Specific Names there's a third field called Mac Name. I usually leave it blank. When I hit Build Open Type Names it fills Mac Name with the contents of Full Name on the previous page.

If I enter "Bill Gates Rocks" in this field, where will it show up in an OTF or a Win TTF? Who will see it? Are there advantages to leaving it blank or not leaving it blank?

I have to generate a few hundred OpenType fonts and was wondering if I need to blank out that field a few hundred times or not.

Theunis de Jong

For a discussion, read this older thread and Adam Twardoch's note mentioned therein.

As I remember it, it has to do with backwards compatibility towards older Mac OSes.

Ray Larabie

I read both of those threads again. I still don't understand what should go in the Mac Names field or which applications on which OS it will appear. Unilinear suggested:

The Open Type Mac name should be The two other opentype names combined, seperated by a space, correct? Then why does Fontlab put the FOND name in there in stead when you hit the 'diamond' (auto-generate names) field?

As far as I can see, nobody answered his question. Is he correct? The two other opentype names combined, seperated by a space. Or leave it blank?

twardoch

It is described in the OpenType "name" table specification. Scroll down to the "Name IDs" section and read the description for ID 18: Compatible Full (Macintosh only). This is the entry that the "Mac Name" field represents.

Regards,
Adam

Ray Larabie

Thanks Adam. Fontlab should have two Build Names buttons: the current semi-useful one with the green jewel and one with your avatar. Clicking on the Adam button would fill in all the name fields properly.

Captured from web.archive.org on 16 Feb 2013. view this capture