Embedded Fonts
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Imagine being able to distribute a signed word processing document to your staff or clients without fear of the logo or signature being copied...
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Imagine being able to distribute documents that contain your custom fonts so that the end user sees the document exactly as it was intended...
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Imagine creating a web page with special fonts and lettering and that the end user will see the page with these fonts even if they do not have the fonts installed on their system (version 4.0 browsers and later only)...
Recent updates to such popular programs as Microsoft Word and PowerPoint and Corel's WordPerfect Suite now allow you to "save" a font within the application's main file. This process is called embedding and it is a perfect feature for individuals or organizations who routinely transfer/exchange files with others. Note that not all programs support embedding - MS Excel being an example. Also, one can not embed a font into an e-mail.
By embedding the font, you can guarantee that the recipient of the document will be able to view it the way it was intended - without undesirable font substitutions taking place. When purchasing your custom signature or logo font from E-Signature, the order form gives you the choice between four different levels of embedding. These are:
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Restricted license embedding
(No
Embedding). Whether the "embed fonts?" option is checked
or not in your application, the font will not attach itself to the
document. This means that if you use the letter "A" of
your custom font to generate your logo or signature, the person
receiving the document and who does not previously have the font
installed on their computer, will only see the letter
"A" generated with the application's default font (such
as Arial or Times New Roman). The name of your custom font will
however appear in the font pull-down menu when the "A"
is selected. If you have separately sent a copy of the font and
the recipient has installed it on their machine, then your logo or
signature will appear. No embedding is the option most often
selected for signatures as it ensures the highest security - the
signature will only appear on computers that have the font
installed. If you use signature fonts for signing checks, no
embedding is also recommended.
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Print and Preview embedding.
This option
is popular with individuals or organizations who communicate with
outside agencies and send documents (that do not need to be
modified) to other computers. Examples of this include press
releases or product information. The fonts will attach themselves
to the document (you still need to tick off the "embed
fonts?" option box in the application) enabling your
signature or logo to be seen on the recipients computer. The
recipient does not have access to the font to reproduce it in
another document nor can they cut-and-paste the on-screen
signature or logo. They also can not modify the file - all they
can do is look at it and print it. Even if your font has this
feature, it can be "turned off" by not selecting the
"embed fonts?" checkbox in your application. � If you
would like to experiment with three sample fonts set to
"Print and Preview embedding", click here
to download a self-extracting zip file containing the
"P&P Tom", "P&P Dick" and
"P&P Harry" fonts. Click here
for instructions on how to install the fonts. The signatures in
each font are accessible by typing the "1" character.
Remember to go into your application's options section to ensure
that font embedding is set to "on".
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Editable embedding
. This level goes one
step further than the previous one in that it allows someone to
edit the document. They can not however make use of your font or
cut-and-paste it into other documents. They can however edit the
document. This option is not often requested. Even if your font
has this feature, it can be "turned off" by not
selecting the "embed fonts?" checkbox in your
application. If you would like to experiment with three sample
fonts set to "Editable embedding", click here
to download a self-extracting zip file containing the "Edit
Huey", "Edit Dewey" and "Edit Louie"
fonts. Click here for instructions on
how to install the fonts. The signatures in each font are
accessible by typing the "1" character. Remember to go
into your application's options section to ensure that font
embedding is set to "on".
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Installable embedding
. This is the level
that allows the greatest flexibility with respect to distributing
your font. The recipient of your document will actually have your
font installed on their system permanently. In so doing, they will
have access to your font for all other applications. This is a
great way to distribute your font if you want others to make use
of it and ensure they have it installed. Even if your font has
this feature, it can be "turned off" by not selecting
the "embed fonts?" checkbox in your application. If you
would like to experiment with three sample fonts set to
"Installable embedding", click here
to download a self-extracting zip file containing the
"Install Larry", "Install Moe" and
"Install Curly Joe" fonts. Click here
for instructions on how to install the fonts. The signatures in
each font are accessible by typing the "1" character.
Remember to go into your application's options section to ensure
that font embedding is set to "on".
Although your can specify an embedding level for your font, you still need to tell your application to "activate" the embedding. Here is a summary of what happens with the different embedding levels:
Embedding turned "on" in your application
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Restricted license embedding |
Print and preview embedding |
Editable embedding |
Installable embedding |
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User on other computer can see and print your signature or logo |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
User on other computer can edit document containing your signature or logo |
Yes, although the signature or logo will not appear |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
|
User on other computer can generate signature or logo in document you have sent |
No |
No |
Yes, but only in the document in which the font was embedded |
Yes |
|
User on other computer can generate signature or logo in other documents |
No |
No |
No |
Yes. The font is installed on their system as soon as they open a file containing your installable embedded font. |
Embedding turned "off" in your application
|
|
Restricted license embedding |
Print and preview embedding |
Editable embedding |
Installable embedding |
|
User on other computer can see and print your signature or logo |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
User on other computer can edit document containing your signature or logo |
Yes, but signature or logo will not appear |
Yes, but signature or logo will not appear |
Yes, but signature or logo will not appear |
Yes, but signature or logo will not appear |
|
User on other computer can generate signature or logo in document you have sent |
No |
No |
No |
No |
|
User on other computer can generate signature or logo in other documents |
No |
No |
No |
No |
Embedded Fonts for the Web
Your custom fonts created by E-Signature can also be embedded within
html documents for display on the World Wide Web. This feature is
however only available with Version 4.0 and onwards browsers and
requires that you have html editing software that can create the
necessary code.
Embedded fonts will offer you many features that are currently unavailable now with bitmapped images:
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Send a font to a browser so as to display your page exactly the way you want. You are no longer restricted to just Arial/Times New Roman or other generic fonts.
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Only the portions of your font that are required are actually downloaded to the browser. Save lots of memory, bandwidth and see your page develop faster - especially on screens with slow hookups.
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Keep your font proprietary. No one can copy your font because it will reside in an inaccessible cache on the browser. You can display your text the way you want without fear of anyone copying it.
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This is the ideal way to display repetitive or large graphics on a user's browser. Since fonts are essentially vector graphics, you can scale them to any size and they will take up just as much memory. Have a large logo you want repeated often? Embedded fonts are your solution for both the Internet and Intranets.
Ready to order your own custom font? Simply click on the "orders" link in the left column and you are on your way! You can specify the level of embedding you need on all E-Signature font order forms.
