Adobe Offers Own Plan on Desktop Publishing Fonts
Adobe Systems Inc. struck back Wednesday in an emerging desktop publishing battle over how type is displayed on personal computer screens and printers.
One day after Apple Computer Inc. and Microsoft Corp. announced an unusual alliance to set the standard for computer fonts, which define the shape and size of letters, Adobe said it would open up its own proprietary font technology so anybody could use it.
That step, while helping Adobe’s competitors, should confirm the Adobe system as an industry standard and deal a blow to the joint effort by Apple and Microsoft.
The seemingly obscure battle will affect the course of desktop publishing, which makes it possible for personal computer owners to create professional-looking documents and publications using special software and laser printers.
John E. Warnock, Adobe’s chairman, chief executive and co-founder, announced the decision to publish PostScript specifications in an emotional speech at a conference in San Francisco.
He said he feared Apple’s unspecific plans for new software amounted to “vaporware” that could jeopardize a valuable existing standard.
An agreed-upon standard makes things easier for makers of computers, printers and new typefaces as well as computer users. With Adobe’s announcement, companies that already use its PostScript computer language may decide to stick with it instead of spending their efforts on the Apple-Microsoft plans, analysts said.
“A lot of people think this is a very good move,” said David Nelson, an analyst at Shearson Lehman Hutton Inc. He said customers attending the conference “overwhelmingly” indicated in a show of hands that they would stick with Adobe.
Stock Hurt
Adobe’s stock was hurt Wednesday by the Apple-Microsoft combination, which came after the close of trading Tuesday, but helped by Adobe’s counterploy. It closed the day off 37.5 cents at $19.75 in over-the-counter trading.
Adobe, which is based in Palo Alto, rose rapidly in recent years to dominate the software that goes into laser printers and controls their output.
Apple, which had been Adobe’s biggest customer, signalled its intention to go its own way earlier this year when it sold its 16% stake in Adobe.
Apple and Microsoft, which are battling each other in an unrelated copyright suit, set aside their differences Tuesday to announce they would swap technology on advanced printer fonts.
