Gerber fonts

[Craz]

Hello

I was wondering if its at all possible to convert the gerber fonts (.gsf) into truetype or any format that windows can use. I've done a couple searches and even put a call into Gerber but I still can't find any information on the font format they use.

Does anyone know anything about Gerber fonts and if they can be converted?

 

[Fred Weiss]

There is no automated way to do it. You would need to export out the characters and then import them into a font generator such as FontLab or Fontographer and install a spacing and kerning scheme.

Many, many hours.

 

[Craz]

Thanks Fred,

You just made my decision to buy a font pack that much easier! I should be sending checks to you! I put a call in for that question to my vendor about 2 weeks ago and they still haven't gotten back to me yet. Thanks very much!

 

[SignosaurusRex]

There is no automated way to do it. You would need to export out the characters and then import them into a font generator such as FontLab or Fontographer and install a spacing and kerning scheme.

Many, many hours.

....aside from that... As far as I know, most if not all Gerber fonts are available for purchase at very reasonable prices in TTF and sometimes OTF from various foundries if you search around. The names may be the same or sometimes completely different or sometimes similar. For example: Gerbers "Tinker" can be located as "Stowaway" among other names in ttf format. "Koloss" can be located as a lower quality knock-of font under the name "Coliseum" however it can be found in a top quality form for which the name escapes me at the moment. In any case locating them can also be very time consuming.

 

[Fred Weiss]

....aside from that... As far as I know, most if not all Gerber fonts are available for purchase at very reasonable prices in TTF and sometimes OTF from various foundries if you search around. The names may be the same or sometimes completely different or sometimes similar. For example: Gerbers "Tinker" can be located as "Stowaway" among other names in ttf format. "Koloss" can be located as a lower quality knock-of font under the name "Coliseum" however it can be found in a top quality form for which the name escapes me at the moment. In any case locating them can also be very time consuming.

Depends how fussy you are about matching. Most of them can be matched though through the FontExpert program. Just type a few letters in Omega and copy/paste into FontExpert then run a search. Most of the non-matching fonts are among their script and casual styles.

 

[Craz]

My organization produces highway signs so we can't have any variation of the font because it will become a safety issue for drivers. The thing that irks me is that Gerber has a conversion utility to convert .ttf into .gsf but not the other way around.

 

[TheProfessor]

The thing that irks me is that Gerber has a conversion utility to convert .ttf into .gsf but not the other way around.

hah of course they do, they want you to use THEIR software

 

[cruzacalles]

Hello Craz,

I try to stay away from proprietary software as much as I can. I've worked with many companies as a designer. I've used a laundry list of proprietary software throughout my designing career: AutoCAD, Casmate, Inspire, CorelDRAW!, Gerber Omega, PowerCAD, Designer 2KX, and MonuCAD. I don't like any of them over the other in particular. In my opinion, they're all just as costly and cumbersome to perform a simple task--like planting corn with a bazooka.

Now, I create all my original sign and monument designs in Inkscape--the functionality and ease of use of this free open-source software is so much better. I can run any plotter and cut my designs. I can also run any type of printer. Inkscape natively works with files in many popular vector formats: ai, pdf, eps, cdr, vsd, dwg, dxf, plt; and is also able to import and export many other formats. I only save my files in the universally standard SVG format to ensure interchangeability across platforms and operating systems. Inkscape has a Windows installer, but it works with my Linux PC--goodbye, Windows! Inkscape also comes packaged in a third-party Android app so I can share files and create images across my mobile devices.

I completely abandoned Photoshop and CorelPAINT and replaced them with GIMP to edit photos and images. For 3D illustrations, I use the free version of Sketchup, which works great for the most part at providing 360-degree view of a monument or statue. For those really intricate 3D image renditions, I use Blender.

I only have the one proprietary software to send files to one particular customer, so I export files in .eps format and import them into their application before sending it out until they decide to change their ways. I save all my files in Degoo--which gives me 100GB of free space in the cloud. By following the previous link to Degoo, we both get an extra 3GB on top of the generous 100GB.

That said, for anyone really bent on using those old Vermarco fonts, there is a TTF Vermarco look-alike by Gemrock along with Modified Roman, Monument Block, Goverment, Condensed Roman, and others.

I never particularly enjoyed using these fonts in any proprietary application when working at different monument companies. I felt that all of these applications were cumbersome and that they only continued to copy and use the sub-standard design quality of those old space-rite letters and wonky design patterns--I think all those old fonts are disgusting and terrible.

In some cases, the fonts are the only reason many monument designers needlessly continue to lock themselves in by subscribing to proprietary applications.

Besides, proprietary applications are less about user-friendliness and collaboration among studios as much as they are about locking me into their subscription packages and forced upgrades. So I create all my new monuments with my own standard universally available fonts. Most inscriptions on those old-fashioned monuments only need to have an additional name or date added, anyway; I don't even want to touch them. Better to let the original designer go through the trouble of adding inscriptions; there is enough work to go around.

I'd much rather use freely-available TTF or OTF fonts like Calisto.ttf, Cambria.ttf or even CenturySchoolbook.ttf because they either come with Windows or are included along with many other useful fonts in the installation packages of Inkscape as well as GIMP. I've been reading quietly for many years and decided to speak my peace. I hope this has been helpful to all.

Thanks,
Cruzacalles