Trying to use a Private Character I’ve made!

Topic

New Reply

(Edited by skitterbug on 07-Oct-05 12:07. I spotted an error so I corrected it! What’s new – seems I always mess something up and have to go back to fix it! Sorry!)

Okay, I’ve read the thread starting with post 438243, checked the links, etc. and now I give up! So here’s my question! I’ve created a “character” (my initials for one item) and saved it and linked it to all fonts using the app Eudcedit. I can insert what I made into my word document and can see it just fine (although I haven’t tried printing it yet). But what I wanted to do was send this document to another person to view my work! Alas, he cannot see my initials but only a black bar. I tried embedding it (Word 2000) but that doesn’t do it either. It seems that I need to create a font file? Can this be done using Eudcedit? I didn’t see any way to save it as a file and then be able to export it with my document. Is buying an expensive font creation program, the only option?

ps: I tried saving the character with a name so I could hunt for it on my computer but it didn’t turn up even with hidden files and folders checked for viewing? I think I need one more

Reply | Quote

Replies

Hi Skitterbug

I’ve not used Eudcedit but I believe that the recipient of any document (email, text file etc.) relying on a font to be able to display the contents will not be able to see your ‘Private Character’ unless he/she has the font, including the character, installed on his/her computer.

Have a Great day!!!
Ken

Reply | Quote

Perhaps the link below might help.

Private Character Editor- Eudcedit

Have a Great day!!!
Ken

Reply | Quote

Hi Ken,

Thanks for the link and the interest. Unfortunately, I’ve been to this site already and it didn’t seem to help my efforts. I have to agree that the recipient of my message needs to have the font on his computer before he can see my creation. I guess I was thinking that after I had created this private character, I could just find the file it was contained in and send it along with my document. Unfortunately, I can’t find the original character in a file and apparently I can’t create a file for it with this application. I thought it was interesting that at the bottom of the page you linked to, it showed the created character being added to an outlook or outlook express message. I can bet that the person receiving that message probably won’t see that character so why is it used as an illustration without telling how it can be done? Frustrating, isn’t it?

If you come up with any other ideas, I will definitely appreciate hearing about them!

You have a great day too! And thanks again!

Reply | Quote

Hi Skitter

I have managed to achieve this kind of thing before, mainly for use in Word documents, but by contorted weird & wonderful means. If you want to post your squiggle, I can try to make you something. Questions though:

1. Do you need to be able to set attributes (Size, color etc.) as you would for a normal fonted character?
2. Do you need to use it in HTML pages?

If you want to try it yourself, my method involves using a program to “trace” an outline of the graphic, to produce “vector primitives” (arcs, lines, polygons etc.). After smoothing, adjusting etc. save this as a (vector NOT raster) .WMF file. This can then be embedded (using Autotext if you like) in your documents, and (some) attributes changed as desired. No need to ship the squiggle file with the doc, since it’s embedded within. Sample below.

Alan

Reply | Quote

Hi Alan,

I appreciate your offer of help! I guess what I was trying to do was more of an experiment than anything. I had created a treble clef sign to begin with that I thought might come in handy if I wanted to use it in my word document. And then I got the bright idea to create my initials and thought it would be neat to use them in a word document. So to answer your questions:

1. Yes, I would want to be able to format them the same as any other font character.
2. I hadn’t thought about using them in HTML but the possibilities of creating characters and using them that way seems like a fun idea!

You are right in surmising that I would rather accomplish this myself. So if I can’t create them using the font application, but can by using your method, can you say which programs you use to do this? I have a feeling that I don’t have the capability to “trace” using my current set up but am intrigued by the idea.

It is interesting to me how something like my original project which seems like it should be so simple become so complicated to achieve?

Thanks for your offer however. Perhaps I should just pursue a decent and relative inexpensive font creation program?

Reply | Quote

I doubt you’d even find the vintage DOS steam-driven stuff I use but if you decide to go that path, there are several ware raster -> vector programs I could point you to. Just to illustrate, I found a (.GIF raster) image of a treble clef on the web. I used my software to “trace” it, then tidied it up and broke it down into 3 vector “primitives” (simple outlines). When this is saved as a .WMF or .EMF file, it is a truly scalable graphic, which can be manipulated much like a font character. Let me know if you decide on going this route.

Alan

Reply | Quote

Hi Alan,

I am thinking about your offer and trying to decide if I could figure out how to do it with the programs you may suggest? I keep thinking, “How difficult can it be?” but I know that sometimes I can get into things that end up being “over my head”! What you have done, looks very interesting and if you “think” I can accomplish this, I would be a game student! So I guess what I am saying is, point the way and I will try and follow.

Thank you for your assistance with this new experience for me!

PS: to Jezza! Actually, I did just that with the treble clef I made since I converted it to a pic so I could show the person I was emailing what the symbol was suppose to look like that wasn’t showing up properly in his email with the “embedded options”, etc. Thanks for the suggestion however!

Reply | Quote

Hi Skitter

Of course you can do it! (I was going to say that an 8 year old could do it… then I remembered that there’s a ton of things an 8 year old can do, that I can’t! ) There are various utility-type programs to help with the process, but some of it comes down to manual (womanual?) fine adjustments and tweaking. To begin with, I could put a few screengrabs up on a website, so you can get the general idea of the steps involved in the process.

You could actually do (nearly) the whole thing using the drawing tools in Word, but it’s longwinded and fiddly and a “tracing” utility takes a lot of the initial work out of it. What is the nature of your graphic(s)? Is it a symbol, like the treble clef? Are there just a few, or is it a whole “family” of Skitterdings?

Alan

Reply | Quote

> manual (womanual?) fine adjustments and tweaking

No… manual derives from the root word for “hand” rather than the one for male person.

Reply | Quote

Just goes to show how the persondatory use of gender-neutral terms can overcomplicate things.
So automatic is not the feminine form of manual either?

Alan

Reply | Quote

Hi Alan,

Well since this started as an experiment using Eudcedit and me being disappointed that the recipient can

Reply | Quote

womanual? Surely the “gender neutral” word would be personual…

John

Reply | Quote

Sounds reasonable. But I’m also unsure of the politically correct protocol. Is it to go to the gender-neutral terminology straight away? Or is it to “score 2 for the females for each 1 transgression favouring the males… then revert to the gender-neutral”? It’s such an unnecessarily complicated world nowadays!

Alan

Reply | Quote

Skitter

I have managed to hunt down some free music fonts that maybe useful in the future from http://www.hindsom.com

I hope these will be of use to you?

Reply | Quote

Wow! Thank you Jezza. I shall “play” with them and see what I can do! Hopefully no squeaks and squawks from this side of the pond will bother you!!?? Thanks again!!

John, I am definitely not “gender neutral”!

Reply | Quote

OK Skitter. I think I see what you’re up to now. I’ll try to post up some shots to illustrate the general process, using your clef as the target symbol. I don’t use anything too sophisticated myself for the graphics. That won’t be a problem I’d think. I’ll post back when something materializes.

Alan

Reply | Quote

Thanks Alan. Golf season is about over so I have all winter to learn new things and play lots on my computer! So no big hurry. I appreciate the help!

Reply | Quote

[indent]

---

Perhaps I should just pursue a decent and relative inexpensive font creation program?

---

[/indent] Easier said that done, Ma’am! As I’ve mentioned, I used to use Fontographer from Macromedia when I was still working, but it ain’t cheap. I know you’ve probably already been out shopping, but here’s a couple of links I dug up via C/NET. As you can see from this one (Fontlab typography tools) the prices can get WAY up the scale. This one is more affordable but I’ve not used it yet (High-Logic Font Editor). I’ve downloaded a trial copy but don’t know when I’ll get to try it out. Good luck…

Reply | Quote

Answer to original post:

If it is Word document, open it in Microsoft Word, then from Tools menu select Options, click Save tab and check “Embed True Type fonts”(you can also check “Embed characters in use only” and “Do not embed common system fonts” to decrease the size of the document). Click OK, save the document and send it to your party.

If it is PDF document, open Adobe Distiller and from Settings menu choose “Edit Adobe PDF Settings” and click Fonts tab. Make sure that “Embed all fonts” option is checked. Then create your PDF from the original document.

Reply | Quote

click Save tab and check “Embed True Type fonts”(you can also check “Embed characters in use only” and “Do not embed common system fonts” to decrease the size of the document)

Thanks for your reply. I did try this although maybe I did something incorrectly? I have Word 2000. This method didn’t work for me and yes, I thought it should by doing it this way? Have you successfully created a character using MS Eudcedit application, then inserted it and sent it to someone in this manner and had it work? As I said, it seems like this should be the solution but for some reason, I didn’t have any success doing it this way. If you have, I would appreciate your help and knowing exactly how you did it!

Reply | Quote

Does the following help?

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?…en-us;97397#top%5B/url%5D
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?…=kb;en-us;87817%5B/url%5D

Reply | Quote

OK Skitter, totally out of the box thinking (as usual)

I used to have to loads of mail merges sent to 100’s of people in a past job and got fed up signing them all the time. Although this is not a font answer, I scanned in my signature and saved the file to my clipart folder and then filed it under a suitable name in my categories within the clipart folder.

I have to admit this was fine for printing as I owned the file but not good for emailing as people could steal it and have a world of fun!!!

Reply | Quote