If you use windows to design it won't work with a mac...

[Locals Find!]

I honestly just had a graphics company tell me that. They said they were looking for a designer but, they had to have their own Mac. So, I asked why do they need a Mac?? I know plenty of really good designers that don't use macs at all, and Illustrator, Photoshop, and Indesign are the same regardless of the OS.

They actually replied and told me files done on a Windows machine using Indesign won't look the same on a Mac using identical software. The fonts would be all different.

Anyone ever hear of this? BTW, this person also claims to have 25 years experience as a designer.

Is there some reason fonts sets can't be swapped between a Mac vs. Windows? I don't own a Mac so maybe this is something new. Sounds a bit far fetched to me what are your thoughts?

 

[Techman]

This is the answer they use to avoid any possible conflicts with less than capable designers. Tons of designers use PC's 95% of them are not compatible with the company. So they screen users via the tools they use.

 

[Fred Weiss]

The guy is correct to a limited degree. Fonts for a Mac are not compatible for a PC and vice versa. The same font for either platform will, however, look the same as far as the glyphs go. You will see differences in the spacing and kerning though. In addition, simply having the font of the same name installed on a PC will not necessarily result it a Mac version of an InDesign file using those fonts when opened on the PC.

Also, unless it has changed, unlike Illustrator, InDesign doesn't have a command to convert fonts to outlines. If one saves in the native format, the fonts needed must be there the next time one opens the file. The primary way of exporting a file out of InDesign is either as a PDF or and EPS.

 

[Pat Whatley]

You want PC/Mac ignorance? I lost a MAJOR account that had been happy with my work for 15 years because I use Windows. The owner's son went and got himself a marketing degree and apparently all he "learned" was that "PROFESSIONAL" designers use Macs and if I was using Windows I was a hack. That's his exact statement.

 

[Locals Find!]

The guy is correct to a limited degree. Fonts for a Mac are not compatible for a PC and vice versa. The same font for either platform will, however, look the same as far as the glyphs go. You will see differences in the spacing and kerning though. In addition, simply having the font of the same name installed on a PC will not necessarily result it a Mac version of an InDesign file using those fonts when opened on the PC.

Also, unless it has changed, unlike Illustrator, InDesign doesn't have a command to convert fonts to outlines. If one saves in the native format, the fonts needed must be there the next time one opens the file. The primary way of exporting a file out of InDesign is either as a PDF or and EPS.

Really?? Wow, never knew that. I figured if you had the same Adobe fonts loaded on both machines they would work exactly the same. Very interesting to know that now.

 

[Fred Weiss]

Really?? Wow, never knew that. I figured if you had the same Adobe fonts loaded on both machines they would work exactly the same. Very interesting to know that now.

The irony is that Apple developed and owns the TrueType standard which was most fully utilized by Microsoft.

 

[UPSSByTheSea]

InDesign Outlines fonts!

InDesign does in deed Outline fonts and has for several generations!

The guy is correct to a limited degree. Fonts for a Mac are not compatible for a PC and vice versa. The same font for either platform will, however, look the same as far as the glyphs go. You will see differences in the spacing and kerning though. In addition, simply having the font of the same name installed on a PC will not necessarily result it a Mac version of an InDesign file using those fonts when opened on the PC.

Also, unless it has changed, unlike Illustrator, InDesign doesn't have a command to convert fonts to outlines. If one saves in the native format, the fonts needed must be there the next time one opens the file. The primary way of exporting a file out of InDesign is either as a PDF or and EPS.

 

[Mainframe]

It would be the mix of the 2 systems that would be the hassle, if a designer on a pc opened a file that was created on a mac, just a few things could be different and they might not catch it until it went to print. This could involve 5000 copies of headache. Also, creating outlines in a file is usually not an option, it eliminates future editing which would be a whole other level of hassle.

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

 

[Fred Weiss]

InDesign does in deed Outline fonts and has for several generations!

I stand corrected. Indesign isn't used much around here in a while.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

It would be the mix of the 2 systems that would be the hassle, if a designer on a pc opened a file that was created on a mac, just a few things could be different and they might not catch it until it went to print.

I've never had an adobe file (thus far) that was created on a Mac not look exactly like it did on that Mac on a PC. As long as it wasn't a newer version of Adobe that I don't have. But that could be an issue no matter if it was Mac to Mac or Mac to PC. Part of the selling point of using Adobe programs is that cross platform "communication", especially if they want to hock their stuff as the designing standard of the industry. Typically when it hasn't worked, it's usually the person on the front end not embedding, converting to outlines or something along those lines.

Also, creating outlines in a file is usually not an option, it eliminates future editing which would be a whole other level of hassle.

I always keep a "live" master file just for that purpose. Especially if it's already at the level of being ready for the printer. Easy enough to make sure a master file is saved before everything is embedded, converted to outlines etc to make sure if something is caught that it's easier to get it corrected.

 

[p3]

Indesign does convert to outlines, but everything else Fred said is true. I bounce from mac to pc every day and there are slight variations. It looks close most of the time. I've also tried to take my font library from my pc to install on my mac at work and I can only install about 80% of the fonts I have because my mac won't support them. For this reason, I just recently set up a virtual machine on my computer to run mac OS X and will be setting up a virtual machine on my mac to run windows 7, so I can see both instantaneously. You do get more variations too if the versions of indesign are different between the machines. Make sure you run whatever version on both!

 

[TyrantDesigner]

I see lots of shops that have multiple platforms in their shops. One I did some freelancing for had all their designers on macs, the sales people on pcs one generation old and all the rest (for printing, cutting, and all production work) were all on cutting edge pcs that made me drool ..

To say that one system is more professional than the other is an ignorant and stupid person that says that. Your personal preferences might say one sucks compared to the other ... but that is personal preference. I have to give tutorials to people running on equipment that makes me shudder to think how much they blow on pointless **** they will never fully utilize and I build my own beasts for 1/8th what they spend but I'm the 'guru' to them. I get art from multiple designers and if I get a 'print this exactly how it is' ... i almost always provide an approval proof because of any tiny irregularities that may or may not occur. 99.9% of the time, no one cares or knows about a tiny kerning change or version difference of a typeface ... the .1% of the time they do ... I have them come in and we fix it to their standards of what they know to be accurate.

p.s. the most professional design machine was an ubuntu system that also had partitions to boot to mac and windows. It was amazing. only once have I wanted to rub my nipples on a machine ... and this thing with it's 32 gigs of ram, 48 terabytes of RAID HD's and 37" triple plex monitors ... and kicker ... 24" cintiq ... that got me wanting to molest it.

 

[TyrantDesigner]

I just re-read this ... and noticed an interesting line ...

They said they were looking for a designer but, they had to have their own Mac.

What the **** does having your own mac have anything to do with getting a designer position? I would expect being mac knowledgable to be required in an all mac enviroment ... but it's 3 or 4 different button combos. Please don't tell me they expected the designer to use his own equipment and software.

 

[WildWestDesigns]

Please don't tell me they expected the designer to use his own equipment and software.

I would expect so, since they already expect them to have a Mac to begin with.

 

[TyrantDesigner]

I feel sorry for that p.o.s. graphics shop then, if they do. That is called a deal breaker.

 

[KevSign]

Outline fonts in Indesign will work but if design with effect or shadow will be default or back to original font, accept outline font 1st and set affect.
I work for print shop as Pre-press 20 years, see a lot of changes from adobe.

Over print white either Illustrator or Indesign are killer, sometime not detect with the rip and print out missing.

 

[Locals Find!]

I just re-read this ... and noticed an interesting line ...



What the **** does having your own mac have anything to do with getting a designer position? I would expect being mac knowledgable to be required in an all mac enviroment ... but it's 3 or 4 different button combos. Please don't tell me they expected the designer to use his own equipment and software.

That is exactly what they wanted. I really can't make some of this stuff up. I come across weirdness like this company all the time. Most of the time it's not interesting enough to share.

 

[Techman]

I go in with my MAC.. and have them load up all the software. I walk away with a full boat of goodies. Sure is a good deal for me. Or if they want me to supply a MAC with software they can lease my machine for another 5 bucks an hour, sure why not? Either way I win.

 

[TyrantDesigner]

$5/hour would cover the equipment alone on the equivalent mac book to what my laptop is ($3500) for the mac book with same specs. Adobe suite is now $650, Corel painter (draw would be included too, but not mac compatible ... boo) $349, and flexisign for mac ... $1600? ... either way, I would ask for an additional $10-$15 per hour for equipment rental if I DON'T use my wacom. ... oh and THEN you have all the fonts I've paid for ... yeah ... still a bad deal since a shop like that won't want to pay out for something like that.