Difference between revisions of "Fonts"

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(Reorganised into different methods and added brief outline of using MS fontinst.exe)
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Always be sure to be entitled to use the fonts you are distributing.
 
Always be sure to be entitled to use the fonts you are distributing.
  
 
+
= Batch File Method =
 
== Basic info ==
 
== Basic info ==
  
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</source>
 
</source>
  
 +
= VBScript Method =
 
== Example using a VBscript ==
 
== Example using a VBscript ==
 
The Microsoft Scripting Guys provide a .vbs solution that does not require a restart, as it copies the fonts using the shell object
 
The Microsoft Scripting Guys provide a .vbs solution that does not require a restart, as it copies the fonts using the shell object
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</source>
 
</source>
  
 +
= Inno Method =
 
== Example Inno Setup Script ==
 
== Example Inno Setup Script ==
 
Because I had problems with the registry setting I found another way to install fonts by writing an installer. [[Inno Setup]] makes this easy and a script like the following will package a number of fonts into a pseudo-application.
 
Because I had problems with the registry setting I found another way to install fonts by writing an installer. [[Inno Setup]] makes this easy and a script like the following will package a number of fonts into a pseudo-application.
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Root: HKLM; Subkey: "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Type 1 Installer\Type 1 Fonts"; ValueType: multisz; ValueName: "BentonSansCond Black"; ValueData: "T{break}BENSCNBL.pfm{break}BENSCNBL.PFB"; Flags: uninsdeletevalue
 
Root: HKLM; Subkey: "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Type 1 Installer\Type 1 Fonts"; ValueType: multisz; ValueName: "BentonSansCond Black"; ValueData: "T{break}BENSCNBL.pfm{break}BENSCNBL.PFB"; Flags: uninsdeletevalue
 
</source>
 
</source>
 +
 +
= MS fontinst.exe Method =
 +
 +
Microsoft has a very underused app called [ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/Softlib/MSLFILES/fontinst.exe fontinst.exe].
 +
You can pass a .inf file as parameter to fontinst.exe and it will install a list of fonts for you.
 +
 +
The .inf file is formatted like:
 +
<pre>
 +
[fonts]
 +
font01.TTF
 +
font02.TTF
 +
font03.TTF
 +
</pre>
 +
 +
Just pop the exe, ttf's and the inf in a folder and call it like this:
 +
<pre>
 +
fontinst.exe /F MyFontName.inf
 +
</pre>
 +
 +
  
 
[[category:Silent Installers]]
 
[[category:Silent Installers]]
 
[[Category: Changing Windows settings]]
 
[[Category: Changing Windows settings]]

Revision as of 15:42, 24 February 2011

This is a silent installer for distributing additional fonts. Always be sure to be entitled to use the fonts you are distributing.

Batch File Method

Basic info

To install new fonts on a Windows machine, you have to do two things:

  • copy the font file to %WINDIR%\Fonts\ directory,
  • add a registry entry.

Example Batch file

An example.bat file would look like this:

%COMSPEC% /c copy /Y "%SOFTWARE%\Fonts\*.TTF" "%WINDIR%\Fonts\"
regedit /s "%SOFTWARE%\Fonts\add-fonts.reg"


Example Registry file

An example registry file would look like this:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Fonts]
"Frankfurt Gothic (TrueType)"="FRANKGON.TTF"


Example XML install file for WPKG

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<packages>
<package id="additional-fonts" name="Additional fonts" revision="1" reboot="false" priority="950" execute="once">

  <install cmd='"%SOFTWARE%\Fonts\add-fonts.bat"' />

</package>
</packages>

VBScript Method

Example using a VBscript

The Microsoft Scripting Guys provide a .vbs solution that does not require a restart, as it copies the fonts using the shell object so windows automatically installs the new fonts.

<package id="additional-fonts" name="Additional fonts" revision="1" reboot="false" priority="950" execute="once">
  <install cmd='wscript.exe "%SOFTWARE%\Packages\Fonts\FontInstall.vbs"' />
</package>

FontInstall.vbs:

Const FONTS = &H14&

Set objShell = CreateObject("Shell.Application")
Set objFolder = objShell.Namespace(FONTS)
MyDir = left(Wscript.ScriptFullName,len(Wscript.ScriptFullName)- len(Wscript.ScriptName)-1)

objFolder.CopyHere MyDir &"\MyNewFont.ttf"

Inno Method

Example Inno Setup Script

Because I had problems with the registry setting I found another way to install fonts by writing an installer. Inno Setup makes this easy and a script like the following will package a number of fonts into a pseudo-application.

[Files]
Source: C:\WINDOWS\Fonts\CALIBRI.TTF; DestDir: {fonts}; FontInstall: Calibri; Flags: onlyifdoesntexist uninsneveruninstall
Source: C:\WINDOWS\Fonts\FuturaStd-Book.otf; DestDir: {fonts}; FontInstall: FuturaStd-Book (OpenType); Flags: onlyifdoesntexist uninsneveruninstall fontisnttruetype
...

[Setup]
AppName=Font Installer
AppVerName=Font Installer 1.0
CreateAppDir=false
DisableProgramGroupPage=true
ShowLanguageDialog=no

The package definition would be

<package id="additional-fonts" name="Additional fonts" revision="10" reboot="false" priority="950">
  <check type="uninstall" condition="exists" path="Font Installer 1.0" />
  <install cmd='%SOFTWARE%\font-setup.exe /sp- /silent /norestart' />
  <upgrade cmd='%SOFTWARE%\font-setup.exe /sp- /silent /norestart' />
</package>

Example Inno Setup Script PS Type 1 Fonts

I tested this with success on Windows XP Machines with PS Type 1 Fonts. Copy the font and add the registry entry in the right section. After a reboot the font is fully installed. Adopt the silent install script for WPKG from above.

[Setup]
AppName=Font Installer
AppVerName=Font Installer 1.0
CreateAppDir=false
DisableProgramGroupPage=true
ShowLanguageDialog=no

[Files]
; FontInstall does not work with my SP3
Source: "BENSCNBL.PFB"; DestDir: "{fonts}"; Flags: onlyifdoesntexist
Source: "BENSCNBL.pfm"; DestDir: "{fonts}"; Flags: onlyifdoesntexist

[Registry]
; Create Registry entrys for the fonts
Root: HKLM; Subkey: "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Type 1 Installer\Type 1 Fonts"; ValueType: multisz; ValueName: "BentonSansCond Black"; ValueData: "T{break}BENSCNBL.pfm{break}BENSCNBL.PFB"; Flags: uninsdeletevalue

MS fontinst.exe Method

Microsoft has a very underused app called fontinst.exe. You can pass a .inf file as parameter to fontinst.exe and it will install a list of fonts for you.

The .inf file is formatted like:

[fonts]
font01.TTF
font02.TTF
font03.TTF

Just pop the exe, ttf's and the inf in a folder and call it like this:

fontinst.exe /F MyFontName.inf