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Adobe Type Manager (ATM) is the name of four different computer programs created and marketed by Adobe Systems.
Macintosh The original ATM was created around 1991 for the Apple Macintosh computer platform to scale PostScript Type 1 fonts for the computer monitor, and for printing to non PostScript printers. Mac Type 1 fonts come with screen fonts set to display at certain point sizes only. In Macintosh operating systems prior to Mac OS X, Type 1 fonts set at other sizes would appear jagged on the monitor. ATM allowed Type 1 fonts to appear smooth at any point size, and to print well to non PostScript devices. A couple of years later, a Windows version came out as well. Around 1996, Adobe had expanded ATM into a font-management program called ATM Deluxe; the original ATM was rechristened ATM Lite. ATM Deluxe performed the same font-smoothing function as ATM Lite, but performed a variety of other functions: activation and deactivation of fonts; creating sets of fonts that could be activated or deactivated simultaneously; viewing and printing font samples; and scanning for duplicate fonts, font format conflicts, and PostScript fonts missing screen or printer files. Around 2001, with Apple's Mac OS X (and Microsoft's Windows 2000 and XP), support for Type 1 fonts was built into the operating system using ATM Light code contributed by Adobe. ATM for Mac was then no longer necessary for font imaging or printing. Adobe discontinued development of ATM Deluxe for Macintosh after Apple moved to Mac OS X. Adobe in 2005 ceased selling ATM Deluxe. ATM Deluxe does not work reliably under OS X (even under Classic). ATM Light is still helpful to Type 1 font users under Classic, however. Windows Adobe ported these products to the Microsoft Windows operating system platform, where they managed font display by patching into Windows (3.0, 95, 98, Me) at a very low level. The design of Windows NT made this kind of patching unviable, and Microsoft initially responded by allowing Type 1 fonts to be converted to TrueType on install, but in Windows NT 4.0, Microsoft added "font driver" support to allow ATM to provide Type 1 support (and in theory other font drivers for other types). As with ATM Lite for Macintosh, Adobe licensed to Microsoft the core code, which was integrated into Windows 2000 and Windows XP, making ATM Lite for Windows obsolete, except for the special case of support for "multiple master" fonts, which Microsoft did not include in Windows, and for which ATM Lite still acts as a font driver. ATM Light is still available for Windows users, but ATM Deluxe is no longer developed or sold. Note that users of ATM 4.0 (Light or Deluxe) on Windows 95/98/ME who upgrade to Windows 2000/XP may encounter problems, and it is vital not to install version 4.0 into Windows 2000 or later; affected users should visit the Adobe web site for technical information and patches. Version 4.1.2 is fully compatible with Windows 2000 and XP (but not 64-bit Windows XP). | ||||||||
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