Layout and Fonts

[Dragonmarked DM]

What programs do most e-publishers use for their physical writing process and also for their page layouts?

Also I'm still trying to clearify font use. I understand that using Word allows me certain access to fonts, depending on use and type of product. But at the same time, most font companies I've looked at require an extended licence to use their font in a electronic format like e-books. One company I looked at required you to pay $75 per e-book title for each font used. If I use a font from word, can I use it in a product like e-books if the font licence allows embeding. And if I buy a font from a font company seperatly, I must pay for the font plus the 30 to 75 dollar charge per book title for the extended licence. I'm okay with buying fonts, but it seems kind of steep to also purchase a font extended license for a product that doesn't bring much profit to begin with. Or maybe in the end, does everyone just ignore the extended licence and buy a font and use it how they want (unoffically of course)?

 

[Marius Delphus]

Word processor: Microsoft Word 2002/3

Page layout: Adobe InDesign CS2 (PDF processing in Adobe Acrobat/Distiller)

(If you're looking for free alternatives, I understand OpenOffice.org and Scribus, respectively, are peachy.)

Fonts: I don't use fonts that tell me I must pay extra for e-book use. If Distiller complains, I know to chuck it and try something else.

[EDIT] There are two other solutions to the "can't use this font" problem, but I don't recommend them for anything but one-off pieces of display text: you could remove the font information and leave only the vector outlines (Illustrator and InDesign will do this; I don't know if Scribus or OpenOffice.org will, and I'm pretty sure Word won't), or you could rasterize the text (Photoshop will do this; Word will do this badly unless you "trick" it; I don't think InDesign will do this; I don't know about Scribus or OpenOffice.org).

 

[Dragonmarked DM]

Thanks. I was currently working with Word for for the writing portion. I have MS publisher as well, but wasn't sure if it had the capabilities for e-publishing. I've just downloaded Scribus and will give it a go. I also have Nitro Professional for the pdf side of things.

Font's have been my main concern over the last couple of days. Trying to find font's that are readable on the computer screen and at the same time not cost an arm and leg.

 

[Marius Delphus]

TTBOMK, none of the fonts you're likely to have already installed in Windows come with this "pay more if you use it in a PDF" restriction. I've never even heard of such a thing until now. Can I ask which company is charging this price?

[EDIT] For example, here is Adobe's condition for electronic products (found here: http://www.adobe.com/type/browser/legal/pdfs/EULA5seat_USEnglish02.03.04.html):

14.7. Font Software. If the Software includes font software --
....
14.7.5 You may embed copies of the font software into your electronic documents for the purpose of printing and viewing the document. If the font software you are embedding is identified as "licensed for editable embedding" on Adobe’s website at http://www.adobe.com/type/browser/legal/embeddingeula.html, you may also embed copies of that font software for the additional purpose of editing your electronic documents. No other embedding rights are implied or permitted under this license.

And here is Emigre's (found here: http://www.emigre.com/Embedding.php):

PDFs containing embedded fonts may be exchanged freely between two parties, subject to the following conditions:
1. Both parties must be licensed for the fonts being embedded.
2. Subsetting must be used for any font embedding.
3. The PDF must have security set to allow only printing and viewing; it must prohibit changing, selecting, or adding.

So Emigre fonts are pretty much off-limits unless they came with Windows.

[FURTHER EDIT] You're working in Windows, right? Install this: http://www.microsoft.com/typography/TrueTypeProperty21.mspx

Now you can examine every TrueType and OpenType font you have on your computer for embedding permissions and license information. If the "Embedding" tab says anything other than "Restricted licence embedding. No Embedding allowed" then you're probably good to go, though it's a good idea to check with the License tab as well (as with Emigre, above; that first provision there looks like a show-stopper to me).

 

[Marius Delphus]

On the other topic, technically, anything you can get a PDF out of will "work" for e-publishing. As to how well it'll work, well.....

InDesign is king in the field for a reason, let's put it that way. Lots of spiffy features. I've never worked with Scribus, but I'm biased enough to think it's probably an improvement over MS Publisher, which in turn is vastly better than Word. In fact, I recommend against using Word for serious page layout at all. IMX, you'll spend more time fighting Word's proclivities than you will getting any work done.

 

[Dragonmarked DM]

For sure word is a pain for layout and gave up on it a couple weeks ago. I've been experimenting with physically writing in word, then laying things out in Publisher. It's been working okay, but was curious how the rest of the established industry was doing things.

As to the fonts, Ascender Corp was the company that quoted 75 dollars when I contacted them. Here is a the link that talks about it Font Licensing | Font License | AscenderFonts.com

At Font.com here is what part of their license says

"12. You may electronically distribute Font Software embedded in a “Personal or Internal Business Use” document (that is, a document other than a “Commercial Product” as defined herein) only when the Font Software embedded in such document (i) is in a static graphic image (for example, a “gif”) or an embedded electronic document, and (ii) is distributed in a secure format that permits only the viewing and printing (and not the editing, altering, enhancing, or modifying) of such static graphic image or embedded document. You may not embed Font Software in a Commercial Product without a separate written license from MI, and you may not embed Font Software in an electronic document or data file for any reason other than your own Personal or Internal Business Use."

and here is a link to the page that talks about their e-book products eBook Font Solutions - Fonts.com

 

[Marius Delphus]

Composing text in a word processor, then porting it over to a layout program is, AFAICT, pretty much the industry-standard way of doing things. For my money, this is because, historically, word processors are poor layout tools and layout programs are poor word processing tools. Hopefully you have discovered the joy that is Paragraph Styles; these greatly assist when moving text between programs.

As to the fonts, fair enough. Though I've never run across a license restriction like that one (today was the first time I've checked with Emigre, and it's a good thing I did), I can't say I'm surprised to see one, for several reasons that don't need to be enumerated here. Suffice to say that while I, personally, would probably decline to use a font with that restriction rather than pay for the add-on license, I also think it's a cost/benefit judgment that each designer/publisher needs to make on their own.

 

[Dragonmarked DM]

Thanks for all the information. I also understand as well why the foundries would want to charge the license, though it's seems kind of high for a small publisher with a low profit product. I will try to find some that are free for use in commercial pdf's