The latest version of Apple's tools generally require Mac OS 8.5 or later. Many of these tools are also available in pre-Mac OS 8.5 versions. Some of the older tools require QuickDraw GX or the "GXGraphics" extension to operate. The GXGraphics system extension is available from Apple by anonymous ftp and QuickDraw GX is also available on your system installation CD as an optional install.

Apple continues to provide some obsolete tools which are no longer supported or under active development. Users may continue to download these tools, but Apple will not fix bugs with them.

The first three columns in the tables below are used to indicate if a pre-Mac OS 8.5 version is available, if GX is required, and if a tool is no longer under active development.

• A green dot () in the first column means a tool will run on pre-8.5 versions of the Mac OS or a version is still available that will.
• A red dot () in the second column means a tool requires QuickDraw GX or the GXGraphics extension.
• A reds dot () in the third column means a tool is no longer supported.

Problems should be reported to applefonts@apple.com.

These tools are periodically updated and new versions made available; please check this site often.

Nota bene! Some users have reported problems with getting the tools to open fonts. As a rule, this problem can be fixed by rebuilding your desktop. Hold down tbe Option and Command keys while restarting your Macintosh until the Finder starts up. You'll be asked if you want to rebuild your desktop. Answer, "Yes."

Apple provides tools in seven categories:

• Converters
• Diagnostic tools
• Dump/Fuse tools
• Editors
• Font enhancers
• Libraries
• Miscellaneous tools

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Converters

These tools have as their primary function conversion of fonts from one format to another.

Pre-8.5?	GX?	Dead?		Icon	Description
	-	-		fbit Enabler	Converts 'fbit' bitmap data to sbit's, and embeds the data into an 'sfnt'. Primarily used for two-byte (Chinese, Japanese, and Korean) fonts. Current version is CT1.1.1, posted 14 January 1997.
-	-	-		Font Updater	Converts 'fbit' bitmap data to sbit's, and embeds the data into an 'sfnt'. Primarily used for two-byte (Chinese, Japanese, and Korean) fonts; an updated version of fbitEnabler for Mac OS 8.5 or later. Current version is 1.0, posted 7 May 1999.
	-			Newton Font Tool	The Newton Font Tool is a primitive tool for making fonts for the Newton OS. It is recommended that you not use this tool but follow the procedure found in "Making Newton OS Fonts". Note that SbitEditor can also be used to convert Macintosh NFNT fonts to sbits. Current version is 1.0b3, posted 7th April 1999.

Diagnostic tools

These tools provide data on a font's behavior which can be used to determine if there are any problems with the font.

Pre-8.5?	GX?	Dead?		Icon	Description
-	-	-		FontRuler	Provides a text dump of text metrics as actually measured in real-life situations. This tool is useful for comparing different versions of the same font to make sure changes won't cause document reflow. Current version is 1.1b, posted 7 May 1999.
-	-	-		FontSummarizer	The FontSummarizer tool is used to create a text summary of some of the more important tables in a TrueType font for diagnostic purposes. These include the 'cmap', 'post', 'name' and metrics tables. You can control which tables are output through menu commands. Current version is 1.0b1, posted 9 May 1999.
-	-	-		FontValidator	Apple's automatic font functional testing tool. It will automatically check all instructions and tables in a font. Current version is 2.0b1, posted 7 May 1999.
		-		GXWaterfall	An aesthetic test tool that allows the designer to quickly generate waterfalls and metrics comparisons between fonts. The tool also provides glyph repertoire lists. Current version is 2.2b, posted 19 September 1997.

Dump/Fuse tools

These tools interchange data in a font with data in some other format’Äîusually text. The dumpers will take data from a font and turn it into the other format for easier editing. The fusers will take data from the other format and merge it into the font.

Pre-8.5?	GX?	Dead?		Icon	Description
	-	-		Dump CMAP	The DumpCMAP tool allows you to dump the contents of a font's 'cmap' table into a text file, which you can then edit. The edited file can subsequently be used as input to the FuseCMAP tool. Current version is 1.2b1, posted 7th April 1999.
	-	-		Dump CMAPPost	The DumpCMAPPost tool allows you to dump the contents of a font's 'cmap' table into a text file with the 'post' tables names, which you can then edit. The edited file can subsequently be used as input to the FuseCMAP tool. Current version is 1.0, posted 1st July 1998.
	-	-		DumpFOND	The DumpFOND tool allows you to dump the contents of the FOND resource into a text file, which you can then edit. The edited file can subsequently be used as input to the FuseFOND Font Tool. Current version is 1.0, posted 1st July 1998.
-	-	-		DumpKERN	The DumpKERN tool allows you to dump the contents of a font's 'kern' table into a text file, which you can then edit. The edited file can subsequently be used as input to the FuseKERN tool. Current version is 1.0a1, posted 7 May 1999.
	-	-		DumpMetrics	The DumpMetrics tool allows you to dump the metrics from a font into a text file, which you can then edit. This tool is intended to provide diagnostic information and does not currently have a corresponding "fuse" tool. Current version is 1.0, posted 1st July 1998.
-	-	-		DumpNFNT	The DumpNFNT tool allows you to dump the contents of a font's NFNT (Macintosh bitmap) resources. The edited file can subsequently be viewed and edited. This tool is intended to provide diagnostic information and does not currently have a corresponding "fuse" tool. Current version is 1.0b1, posted 7 May 1999.
	-	-		DumpPOST	The DumpPOST tool allows you to dump the set of names defined in a font's 'post' table into a text file, which you can then edit. The edited file can subsequently be used as input to the AAT Font Tool or FusePOST. Current version is 1.2b1, posted 7 May 1999.
-	-	-		DumpVMTX	The DumpVMTX tool allows you to dump the contents of a font's 'vmtx' (vertical metrics) table. The edited file can subsequently be viewed and edited, and used as the input for FuseVMTX. Current version is 1.0d3, posted 12 May 2000.
	-	-		Fissioner	Fissioner automatically generates ("fissions") bitmaps from an outline font. It can be used in conjunction with Fuser, or can generate new bitmap fonts on its own. Current version is 1.2b2, posted 1 October 1999.
	-	-		Fuse CMAP	The FuseCMAP tool allows you to replace one of the mapping tables in a font's 'cmap' table with new contents, which you specify via a text file. To create this text file, you can use the DumpCMAP tool. Current version is 1.1, posted 1st July 1998.
	-	-		FuseFOND	The FuseFOND tool allows you to replace the contents of the FOND resource with new contents, which you specify via a text file. To create this text file, you can use the DumpFOND tool. Current version is 1.1, posted 1st July 1998.
-	-	-		FuseKERN	The FuseKERN tool allows you to replace one of the mapping tables in a font's 'kern' table with new contents, which you specify via a text file. To create this text file, you can use the DumpKERN tool. Current version is 1.0a1, posted 7 May 1999.
-	-	-		FusePOST	The FusePOST tool allows you to replace the set of names defined in a font's 'post' table from a text file generated by DumpPOST. Current version is 1.1b1, posted 7 May 1999.
	-	-		Fuser	Fuser generates outline fonts from bitmaps, "fusing" the bitmaps into an 'sfnt' as sbit's. The designer has the option of editing the bitmaps prior to fusing if desired, using any standard bitmap editing tool. Can be used in conjunction with Fissioner. Current version is 1.2b1, posted 7 May 1999.
-	-	-		FuseVMTX	The FuseVMTX tool allows you to replace the contents of a font's 'vmtx' (vertical metrics) tablefrom a text file generated by DumpVMTX. Current version is 1.0d1, posted 12 May 2000.
-	-	-		TypeWriter	A generic TrueType table dumper; future versions will also be able to fuse tables. Current version is 1.1b1, posted 12 October 1999.

Editors

These tools can do general editing of fonts.

Pre-8.5?	GX?	Dead?		Icon	Description
	-			RoyalT	Apple's outline editing tool. The designer can use it to add or modify outlines, instructions, etc. Note, this tool will not run on Mac OS 8.5 or later. Current versions are: RoyalT v3.1.1 (68k only), posted 14 January 1997. RoyalT v3.2d4 (PPC only), posted 28 October 1997.
-	-	-		Sbit Editor	Sbit Editor is a tool for visually editing font sbit data. It also handles 'NFNT' to sbit conversion. Current version is 1.2b1, posted 7 May 1999.
	-	-		TrueEdit	A generic TrueType tables editor. Current version is 2.2b2 (1Mb), posted 3 September 1999.

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Font enhancers

These tools make it possible to add exciting new capabilities to your font.

Pre-8.5?	GX?	Dead?		Icon	Description
-	-	-		AAT Font Tool	Automatically adds all the additional glyphs and tables necessary to make a font AAT-savvy. Stand-alone version. Current version is 2.0a8, posted 2 April 1999.
		-		Mutator	Allows the designer to create, modify and edit AAT Variations fonts and associated tables. Current versions are 1.01, posted 14 January 1997, and 2.0d, posted 19 September 1997.
		-		Slider	Slider is used on an AAT-savvy font (a font processed by the AAT Font Tool) to fine-tune the positions of accents in compound glyphs. Current version is 1.2, posted 1st July 1998.
-	-	-		UniMIFfer	Generates "add" and "MIF" files to use with AAT Font Tool. These provide better Unicode support in a font by making sure that every Unicode character covered by the font in a fully precomposed form can also be covered by the font in a fully decomposed form. Current version is 1.0b1, posted 7 May 1999.

Libraries

Use these to build your own font tools.

Pre-8.5?	GX?	Dead?		Icon	Description
	-	-		FontImaging library	A shared library to use by font tool developers to image arbitrary glyphs from TrueType fonts. Current version is 1.0b2, posted 1 October 1999.

Miscellaneous tools

Tools which are generally uncategorizable.

Pre-8.5?	GX?	Dead?		Icon	Description
-	-	-		ChecksumFixer	The ChecksumFixer santizes the checksums in a TrueType font's directory and udpates them appropriately to match the contents of tables. It also reorders the tables in the directory to be in the proper order. Current version is 1.1b1, posted 7 May 1999.
	-	-		Dehinter	Automatically strips all instructions from a font. Current version is 1.1, posted 1 July 1998.
	-	-		Merger	Merger is a tool which allows you to create new fonts by selecting ranges of glyphs from existing fonts and putting them together. It works even on fonts built to different em-squares, and it works on large CJK and Unicode fonts as well as any other TrueType font. Current version is 1.1b1, posted 3 May 1999.