t1mac

t1mac [<options>] <input_font_file> [<output_file_prefix>]

-v, --verbose
    Prints detailed information about the processing steps during execution.

-q, --quiet
    Suppresses all informational output, printing only error messages.

-o <prefix>, --output <prefix>
    Specifies the base name for all generated output files (e.g., .tfm, .vf, .pl). If not provided, the base name of the input font file is used.

-p, --pl
    Generates a property list (PL) file for the font. This human-readable file describes the font's metrics and character mapping.

-k, --tfm
    Generates a TeX Font Metric (TFM) file. This file contains the essential metric information required by TeX for typesetting with the font.

-V, --vf
    Generates a Virtual Font (VF) file. This file provides instructions for typesetting engines on how to handle the font's characters, particularly for Type 1 fonts.

-e <file>, --enc <file>
    Specifies an encoding file (.enc) to be used for the font. This file defines the mapping between character codes and glyphs.

-u, --unenc
    Processes the font as unencoded, which can be useful for fonts where a specific encoding isn't necessary or desired.

-s, --no-synthesize
    Prevents the synthesis of missing characters. By default, t1mac might attempt to generate approximations for characters not explicitly present in the font.

-h, --help
    Displays a help message with usage information and exits.

--version
    Displays the version information of t1mac and exits.

t1mac is a utility from the lcdf-typetools suite, designed to integrate PostScript Type 1 fonts into the TeX typesetting system. Its primary function is to process raw Type 1 font files, typically in .pfb (binary) or .pfa (ASCII) format, and generate the necessary font metric files (.tfm) and virtual font files (.vf) that TeX and its related tools, like dvips, require for correct font rendering. Additionally, it can produce property list files (.pl) for inspection or further manipulation.

By automating the conversion of PostScript font data into TeX-compatible formats, t1mac simplifies the process of using a wide range of commercially available or custom Type 1 fonts within TeX documents, ensuring proper character sizing, spacing, and ligature information is available to the typesetter. It plays a crucial role in the TeX font workflow, bridging the gap between raw font data and the highly specific requirements of TeX's font system.

t1mac is specifically designed for PostScript Type 1 fonts and will not work directly with other modern font formats such as TrueType or OpenType.
Its primary output files (.tfm, .vf) are specific to the TeX/LaTeX typesetting ecosystem.
Correct font encoding is crucial; incorrect or missing encoding files (.enc) can lead to improper character display.
The tool relies on well-formed input font files; corrupted or malformed Type 1 fonts can cause processing errors.

t1mac processes PostScript Type 1 font files, which can be either binary (.pfb) or ASCII (.pfa) format. Its primary outputs are TeX Font Metric (.tfm) files, essential for TeX's understanding of font dimensions, and Virtual Font (.vf) files, which handle character mapping and transformations. Optionally, it can generate human-readable property list (.pl) files for detailed inspection of font metrics.

t1mac is a component of the lcdf-typetools suite, developed by Eddie Kohler, primarily for the LaTeX Project. These tools were created to provide robust and flexible methods for integrating PostScript Type 1 fonts into the TeX environment. Its development reflects the evolution of TeX usage from relying heavily on Metafont-generated bitmap fonts towards wider adoption of commercially available and open-source Type 1 fonts. t1mac plays a key role in bridging the gap between raw font data and the specific requirements of TeX's font system, significantly enhancing typographic capabilities within TeX documents. The suite has been consistently maintained and is a standard inclusion in modern TeX distributions like TeX Live.

afm2tfm(1), pfbtopfa(1), fontinst(1), dvips(1)