A Type 1 font is a legacy font-program format made for Adobe PostScript. It describes glyphs in a form a PostScript interpreter can use to render text on a page. The format remains relevant when identifying older design files, but current Adobe apps no longer support Type 1 fonts for ordinary editing.
What is a Type 1 font?
Type 1, also called PostScript Type 1, PS1, T1, or Adobe Type 1, is a font format designed for use with Adobe’s PostScript page-description language. Adobe’s Type 1 specification describes a Type 1 font program as a format accepted by a PostScript interpreter.
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Adobe introduced the format in 1984 for PostScript. It became widely used as desktop-publishing software and PostScript-capable printers spread. Type 1 was not the only font technology used with PostScript, but it became a familiar choice in print and publishing workflows.
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How does Type 1 differ from OpenType?
The main practical difference highlighted by Adobe is glyph capacity: OpenType supports larger glyph sets. Adobe says its products and type development began concentrating on OpenType in 1996, and describes Type 1 as superseded by formats that can handle larger character repertoires. That shift matters when a document uses characters or language support not represented in an older font.
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For someone opening an old project, the distinction is also about software support and whether the font is embedded. An installed Type 1 font may not be available for editing in a current Adobe app, while Type 1 data embedded in certain PDF or EPS workflows can still render.
Can you still use Type 1 fonts in Adobe apps?
Adobe’s updated desktop applications no longer support Type 1 fonts for normal authoring. Its stated release thresholds are Photoshop 23.0, Illustrator 27.3, InDesign 18.2, and Digital Video and Audio 23.2. In those or later versions, an installed Type 1 font may disappear from the font menu, and a document that depends on it may report the font as missing. See Adobe’s PostScript Type 1 fonts end of support FAQ.
This is not a blanket claim that every file containing Type 1 data has stopped working. Adobe distinguishes editing from viewing and printing:
- Editing text with an installed Type 1 font: Updated Adobe authoring apps do not recognize it as a normal selectable font.
- Viewing a PDF with an embedded Type 1 font: Adobe says Acrobat continues to display PDFs with embedded fonts.
- Placing embedded Type 1 content: Embedded Type 1 data in PDF and EPS remains usable in the placement scenarios Adobe identifies.
- Printing: Adobe says PostScript- and Adobe PDF Print Engine-based printing continues to work with embedded Type 1 content. If the font is not embedded, it must be available to the relevant system or printer.
Older software versions may retain support, although operating-system changes can affect whether those versions run. Adobe’s FAQ says Acrobat’s handling of PDFs is unchanged.
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What should you do with a legacy Type 1 font?
- Identify where the font is needed. If you only need to view or print a file with embedded font data, the workflow may still work. If you need to edit text in a current Adobe app, expect the font to be missing.
- Check whether the document embeds the font. Embedded data can support rendering in the PDF, EPS, and print cases Adobe describes; a non-embedded font depends on availability in the system or printer.
- Ask about a licensed OpenType replacement. For Adobe-owned desktop fonts, Adobe describes a discounted OpenType upgrade route through Type Network for owners able to prove the original license. For fonts from other foundries, Adobe advises contacting the original foundry. Availability and eligibility depend on the particular font and license.
- Review the license before converting. Adobe warns that conversion can produce a suboptimal result and may be prohibited by the font license. A replacement from the foundry or an authorized upgrade is safer than assuming conversion is allowed.
Adobe’s Photoshop-specific guidance also covers Type 1 end of life and directs users to foundries for non-Adobe fonts: Type 1 Font support | End of Life.
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