Font Weirdness--not eBook related, thought I'd ask, anyway.

[Hitch]

Hey, Guys:

I know that this isn't directly eBook related, but I know some of you are very font-handy.

I purchased a font bundle, which had some fonts I wanted. Even ignoring those I didn't, it was a fair bargain. ANYWAY, included in this package is a font from an experienced font designer. The font had 5 faces: regular, medium, bold, shortened, and "roughened."

Here's the weird stuff: I can't use the roughened. More than that, I can't even PREVIEW the style. I can't "select" the font in Windows File Explorer. I mean, simply, left-clicking it in the Dir. I can't even run Font Doctor on it. Nada, zip, zein zilch. When I try to click the face, to preview it--it FREEZES Windows File Explorer, and then crashes it.

I wrote to the designer. He wrote back, very nice about it, but says that other ppl are having this issue, too. (I suspect he works on a Mac; I'm a PC user, and I would guess that the others having this problem are also PC users. I don't know the "why" of that--it's just my intuition.). Specifically, he said this:

Some people seem to have no problem and some seem to experience just what your experiencing. The issue seems to lie within the "roughened" version of the font. If you don't install that font it seems to work great for most people. I don't understand why it does this. I've looked over it and looked over it and it doesn't seem to make any sense. It's a high detail font so it could just be that your computer crashes trying to read all the details involved. Hope that helps at all.

Well...maybe. But the computer I'm trying to view/see/use this file on has 18gigs of RAM, i7, 64-bit, with terabyte RAIDS. I just can't see how on earth my computer could be crashing, trying to read all the details. My laptop, sure, maybe. But the main computer? I mean, I have literally thousands of font families. Many of them have swashes, etc, as "extras." I've never had a font style that would crash my computer just trying to move it TO my font manager. And that's not opening it--it's just trying to SELECT it. (n.b.: I do have the file preview window open, in File Explorer. Again, however, thousands of other font files have never had an issue with that.).

Anyone have any ideas? I'm a bit loath to sit here and waste time trying to get it in Font Forge, given the peculiar behavior.

It's just...peculiar. FWIW, the font is ADRIFT, by Flycatcher Design. All the faces work fine, except the roughened, which is the one I'm discussing here.

Hitch

[Doitsu]

Most likely the distributor of the font bundle included corrupted fonts or the OSX versions of the font.

Try the following:

1. Generate MD5 checksum of the font(s) and ask the font designer and the font reseller to send you the checksums for the font files. Also ask the font designer whether he released separate OSX and Windows versions of the font.
(If you don't have an MD5 GUI tool try MD5-Checksum.)

2. Try to convert the fonts with the free 15-day trial version of CrossFont. If that generates useful fonts, the font bundle definitely included the OSX fonts.
(If CrossFont doesn't like the input files they're most likely corrupted.)

3. Open the font files with FontForge and resave them. (If FontForge can't open the fonts they're definitely corrupted.)

[PeterT]

I wonder if this Microsoft tool would show anything? Microsoft Font Validator

[Tex2002ans]

Originally Posted by Doitsu

1. Generate MD5 checksum of the font(s) and ask the font designer and the font reseller to send you the checksums for the font files.

[...]

3. Open the font files with FontForge and resave them. (If FontForge can't open the fonts they're definitely corrupted.)

I second this... could be when the site packaged the collection, they accidentally stored a corrupt file.

Originally Posted by Hitch

I can't "select" the font in Windows File Explorer. I mean, simply, left-clicking it in the Dir. I can't even run Font Doctor on it. Nada, zip, zein zilch. When I try to click the face, to preview it--it FREEZES Windows File Explorer, and then crashes it.

[...]

And that's not opening it--it's just trying to SELECT it. (n.b.: I do have the file preview window open, in File Explorer. Again, however, thousands of other font files have never had an issue with that.).

I am also thinking it could potentially be at the Windows level instead.

1. Is it even crashing if you use a different View (Details, List, Large Icon, [...])?

Maybe Windows is trying to generate a thumbnail and that is causing the issue. (I know sometimes this occurs when you have a corrupt/not properly built video file for instance).

Side Note: I have run across this problem with Windows Explorer not liking some video files... but the way Windows generates thumbnails for Fonts is probably a different beast.

2. What about the good ol' commandline?

What happens if you cd to the directory and dir to get a list of files? Maybe there are funky non-visible characters in the filename?

I know that Windows explodes if there is a reserved character in there (like a colon).

Maybe you would be able to install it via commandline (although if the font itself is corrupt, I probably wouldn't want to do that... if Windows Explorer explodes just CLICKING on it, who knows what that would do if it was sitting in your Font folder. )

3. Do you have access to a Linux machine (or a Live USB)? If you could install the font there and use it, then you know it might not be the font file itself.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Doitsu

Most likely the distributor of the font bundle included corrupted fonts or the OSX versions of the font.

Try the following:

1. Generate MD5 checksum of the font(s) and ask the font designer and the font reseller to send you the checksums for the font files. Also ask the font designer whether he released separate OSX and Windows versions of the font.
(If you don't have an MD5 GUI tool try MD5-Checksum.)

2. Try to convert the fonts with the free 15-day trial version of CrossFont. If that generates useful fonts, the font bundle definitely included the OSX fonts.
(If CrossFont doesn't like the input files they're most likely corrupted.)

3. Open the font files with FontForge and resave them. (If FontForge can't open the fonts they're definitely corrupted.)

Howdy:

See? I knew I could count on you guys. This is terrific info. Will follow all your advice, Doits. Will conduct these tests just as soon as I get done with the bloody (*&^%$#@! taxes this weekend.

We have FF on Barb's machine. If nothing else works, we'll give it a go.

Originally Posted by PeterT

I wonder if this Microsoft tool would show anything? Microsoft Font Validator

DAMN, Peter! I completely spaced FV. I have it here, even though it was only supposed to work through Vista. I've got it running now.

Originally Posted by Tex2002ans

I second this... could be when the site packaged the collection, they accidentally stored a corrupt file.

Well, yabbut, he's sent the other faces to me directly, now. He obviously doesn't think that the roughened is corrupt, because he didn't even TRY to resend that one. <sigh> (Of course, THAT was the one I bloody wanted...). I mean, logically, if he thought it was a file corruption issue, wouldn't he have tried to resend his source? Right? (I know I'll regret saying something stupid like, "logically..."). Y'know, it's not the $$$; I just want to use the freaking font.

I'm leaning toward Doits' theory that it could be as simple as he develops on a Mac, and I'm on a PC.

I am also thinking it could potentially be at the Windows level instead.

1. Is it even crashing if you use a different View (Details, List, Large Icon, [...])?

I've tried all the "views." That's an excellent question, Tex. I'll check it again, as soon as the Font Validator is done doing its thing.

Maybe Windows is trying to generate a thumbnail and that is causing the issue. (I know sometimes this occurs when you have a corrupt/not properly built video file for instance).

Yup, I thought about that, too. Another excellent thought.

Side Note: I have run across this problem with Windows Explorer not liking some video files... but the way Windows generates thumbnails for Fonts is probably a different beast.

Ditto. I've recently started having all kinds of goofy issues with Windows File Explorer--are you sitting down?--CRASHING on me. I'm like...What? Since when has the bloody file explorer started crashing? I can only think it's caused by running in the Preview mode. But, to quote The Wire, Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeit, when you have to open, view, review, refer to, blabbety-blah, as many Word, txt, PDF and image files over the course of a day that I do (new manuscripts, the analysis thereof, cover images, other images, text files of all kinds, PDFs we're quoting, PDFs we've made ourselves for clients...), it's SO fast to get a quick look! It's one of my favorite MS Stupid Pet Tricks!

2. What about the good ol' commandline?

What happens if you cd to the directory and dir to get a list of files? Maybe there are funky non-visible characters in the filename?

Hmmm. Drat, that's an excellent question that I didn't think of! I'll check--again, post the Tax Turmoil!

I know that Windows explodes if there is a reserved character in there (like a colon).

Oh, yes, it damn sure does. We get a LOT of files from Mac users, and that happens...oh, hell, once a week, at least?

Maybe you would be able to install it via commandline (although if the font itself is corrupt, I probably wouldn't want to do that... if Windows Explorer explodes just CLICKING on it, who knows what that would do if it was sitting in your Font folder. )

Hell, I didn't even CLICK on the freaking thing, I left-clicked on it! I was getting ready to drag it to my Suitcase Fusion panel, as an "in place" font install (doesn't xfer to the Suitcase Fusion font folder; it's just a pointer/shortcut from a to b) Sheesh! Can you imagine what would happen if I'd installed the bloody thing? KaBLAMMO!

3. Do you have access to a Linux machine (or a Live USB)? If you could install the font there and use it, then you know it might not be the font file itself.

Hmph. Another good idea. Yes, we have 2 linux boxes here that are still puttering along quite nicely. And I do, of course, have a MacMini that's sitting here (holds down the right-most corner of my desk) upon which I may try it, after I've run through the other tests and suggestions in this thread.

You guys are the best. Thanks for the ideas. I really DO appreciate all of them.

Hitch

[PeterT]

I know it's off topic but thought you might be interested in A Canadian designer’s typeface has its New York premiere

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by PeterT

I know it's off topic but thought you might be interested in A Canadian designer’s typeface has its New York premiere

The absolute best line in that story:

“Fonts don’t just appear out of Microsoft Word,” he told the Guardian. “There are human beings and huge stories behind them.”

...lovely. And you know--I really like that Grotesque font he's updated. It's pretty damned lovely, too. It's hard, sometimes, to find a strong sans-serif that isn't just blocky. That has the finesse that his does. I appreciate the niceties of that font.

Thanks for the article, Peter--you're right. I did enjoy it.

Hitch