To install this font on a Macintosh you need only two of the files in this archive:
1. The PostScript file should be dropped into your System Folder. The PostScript file is the one named “GoodCitMod”.
2. The contents of the bitmap file should be installed into your System file with the Font/DA Mover version 3.8 or later. Use the standard procedure for installing a bitmap font file. The bitmap file is the one named “GoodCityModern.bmap”. If you have trouble doing this, double check that you are using Font/DA Mover version 3.8 or above. When Font/DA Mover is running, you will see a number in the top left corner of the menu bar. If this number is 3.8 or greater, then you have a version of Font/DA Mover that will install GoodCityModern. If you are using System 7, drop the bitmap file into your System folder.
•••Macintosh Truetype version•••
To install this font on a system 7 equipped Macintosh you need only one file:
The TrueType font file should be dropped into your System Folder. The TrueType font
file is the one named “GoodCityModern.suit”.
Andrew Meit’s commentary on GoodCityModern:
Naturally, you may be asking yourself, ‘How did he create this font?’. Locating a full character set was not easy. After searching in many libraries, I found the set at C.W. Post College (which has an excellent typography reference section). The reproduction was small and the copier worse, but I managed.
Studying the page, I quickly realized several key points. One, Gutenberg designed the font with a deep understanding of Latin grammar and spelling. He had kerning pairs based on repeated letter usage throughout the Bible and kerned small words into tight units (i.e. our ‘of’ and ‘and’). Second, that he posited key geometric guidelines to aid in creating the font. He was doing more than just capturing the scribe-like strokes of his day, but in addition had a respect for the metal and ink to be used in printing his Bible. This second point made it possible to actually create the font; because of the smallness of the reproduced letters, I had to re-create (for techies, ‘reverse - engineer’) them. (My loupe and the page became very close friends!)
After some hand drawings to ‘feel’ the letter forms, I scanned the page at 150 dpi and made a bitmap font using Fontastic Plus. Sometimes, I felt another hand on my mouse while fat-bitting away late at night... Then, I typed Latin text to see the typeface in actual context.
Next, using the bitmap font, I printed samples at 200% enlargement with smoothing on to get a larger size to scan and clean up in MacPaint. Did preliminary versions in Fontographer 3.0.5 thru 3.1, but was not satisfied with the outlines or control of the outlines – threw away about nine months work. While testing Freehand 3.0, I noticed that its new features would at last give me the tools and control I wanted. So, I placed the scanned images into Freehand 3.0 to trace and refine – using all its features to accomplish the task. Yes, bcp by bcp, The font came alive. There were days I felt a presence in the room...
Once the letter forms were done, I simply option-copied the FreeHand paths into Fontographer 3.2. Did further refinements using remove overlap and decompose composites; then created kerning pairs. Based on the same careful study Gutenberg did on Latin letters, I needed to create 800 pairs! Now, as of 5:15 June 18 1991, using Fontographer 3.3, I was finished.
A few historical notes. The original typeface was created for Latin, not for modern English; hence, the ‘modern’ in the name of my translation. I had to create a full Roman set everyone can use. However, there is an exact Latin version which is not done; which will be used for an involved multi-media work some time in the future. The ‘goodcity’ part of its name comes from German: guten - good, burg - city. (actually, Earl Allen, a fellow Altsysian coined the term - thanks!)
