An Adobe Systems announcement recently distributed online by Dov Isaacs about new versions and packaging of the Adobe PostScript drivers for Windows -- now available for download from the company's Web site -- explains the features of the Version 1.0.2 Universal Installer.

Isaacs also says that Adobe will be rolling out the "first wave" of OpenType fonts for online purchase in the near future.

Product: Printer Drivers
Platform: Windows
Version: 1.0.2 Universal Installer (AdobePS 4.4.1 for Win 95/98; AdobePS 5.1.2 for Win NT 4.0; PScript 5 for Win 2000)

INFORMATION: v.1.0.2 Universal Installer

Available in 15 different language packagings (including Japanese, Korean, Chinese simplified, and Chinese traditional), it installs AdobePS 4.4.1 under Windows 95/98, AdobePS 5.1.2 under Windows NT 4.0, and an updated PSCRIPT.DLL driver under Windows 2000 (this is the driver that was the result of the joint Adobe / Microsoft development effort and with the update, is functionally equivalent to AdobePS 5.1.2+). This installer provides the means of both updating the driver and creating new printer instances based upon PPD. (This provides the first such capability under Windows 2000).

Compared to Version 1.0 of the Universal Installer, 1.0.2 contains AdobePS 4.4.1 instead of AdobePS 4.4 for Windows 95/98 as well as installer fixes.

Users of Windows NT 4 and Windows 2000 who have already installed version 1.0 will find no new functionality for their systems. However, they are encouraged to install version 1.0.2 to provide the ability of Windows 95/98 clients to properly "remotely" install the correct version AdobePS 4.4.1 driver when accessing print queues on their Windows NT 4 and Windows 2000 systems.

AdobePS 4.4.1 in conjunction with ATM 4.1.1 (see below) fixes critical problems associated with use of "base 35" Type 1 fonts, especially when the PostScript is destined for distillation with Acrobat Distiller 4.0x.

A new version of Adobe Type Manager Lite for Windows, ATM Lite 4.1.1, is also available. (NOTE: It is labelled externally as 4.1 ... this is really the 4.1.1 version!)

For users of FrameMaker 6.0 who received ATM Lite 4.1 bundled with FrameMaker and are running under Windows 95/98, this is a mandatory upgrade, along with AdobePS 4.4.1.

For all other users of AdobePS 4.4.1 for Windows 95/98, ATM Lite 4.1.1 or ATM Deluxe 4.1.1 is REQUIRED for printing of Type 1 fonts!!! If you are not currently using Adobe Type Manager or are using a previous version of ATM Lite, download ATM Lite 4.1.1 from the above URL and install it prior to installing AdobePS 4.4.1. ATM Lite is now provided by Adobe at no charge.

If you are currently using ATM Deluxe 4.0, you may install ATM Lite 4.1.1, although you will lose the "Deluxe" features. Otherwise, registered users of ATM Deluxe 4.0 (for either Windows 95/98 or Windows NT 4) may purchase an upgrade to Adobe Type Manager Deluxe 4.1.1 Upgrade for Windows for US $29.00 by calling 1-800-445-8787. The upgrade is currently shipped by mail, but further information about Adobe Type Manager Deluxe 4.1.1 is available online.

FEATURES: AdobePS 4.4.1

For Windows'95/98 users, AdobePS 4.4.1 has the following new features and differences over AdobePS 4.3.1:

1. A "true gray" feature for text and line art. Under Windows' imaging model, black and shades of gray are expressed as colors with equal percentage of red, green, and blue. The generated PostScript for such black and gray shades has been done with RGB PostScript instead of grayscale PostScript. This is not particularly efficient and for some color PostScript printers, resulted not in black or gray being printed, but in "rich black" or "rich gray" being printed ... equal parts of cyan, magenta, and yellow, possibly mixed with black. The "true gray" feature, if selected (default is NOT selected), causes the driver to replace all situations with R=G=B (equal parts of red, green, and blue) with the equivalent grayscale value. Use of this new feature with color printers (and with generation of PDF files) is most highly recommended.

2. This driver REQUIRES Adobe Type Manager 4.1.1 if you are printing any Type 1 fonts. ATM is not required if you are only using TrueType fonts.

3. The "substitution table" and "always use TrueType" font options have been replaced by two options ... "Substitute printer fonts for TrueType fonts when applicable" and "Do not use printer fonts."

   When selected, the first of these options causes TrueType fonts that are known to have exact matching metric and style printer equivalents to be replaced by use of the printer font ("Times Roman" in the printer substitutes for "Times New Roman" in the document; "Helvetica" in the printer substitutes for "Arial" in the document; etc.). When unselected, no font substitution occurs.

   The second of these options, "Do not use printer fonts" when selected allows you to effectively bypass any printer-resident font. All text is printed with fonts downloaded from the user's computer. This option is useful when you have any doubt as to what fonts and/or versions of same are actually resident on the printer and you must exactly match what you have on the host.

FEATURES: Adobe Type Manager 4.1.1

Adobe Type Manager 4.1.1 adds support for OpenType fonts as well as Type 1 font support under Windows 95/98 and Windows NT 4. It is required for use of the AdobePS 4.4.1 PostScript driver under Windows'95/98 if any Type 1 fonts are used in user documents. Fully Windows 2000- compatible, ATM 4.1.1 provides support for Type 1 Multiple Master font instances under Windows 2000. Although Windows 2000 natively supports TrueType, Type 1 and OpenType fonts, it does NOT natively support Multiple Master font instances!

ATM Lite and ATM Deluxe differ in that ATM Deluxe provides font management functions (creation of font sets, temporary disabling/enabling of individual typefaces or font sets, etc.).