For the typical LaTeX user trying to use the
PSNFSS
package, three questions often arise.
First, you have to declare to the DVI driver that you are using
PostScript fonts; in the case of dvips, this means adding
lines to the psfonts.map file. Otherwise, dvips will try
to find PK
files. If the font isn't built into the printer, you have to acquire
it (in many cases this means buying it from a commercial supplier!).
You then have to instruct the driver to download it with each job (the
mechanism depends on your driver). So it's no
good just installing the metrics for Optima and expecting it to
work. You have to pay hard cash for the font itself, which will come
(for Unix and MS-DOS users) in pfb (Printer Font Binary) form.
Second, you cannot expect your previewer to suddenly start displaying
PostScript fonts; most of them only know about PK bitmap fonts
such as Computer Modern. ps2pk (fonts/utilities/ps2pk) can create
these from the pfb file you have bought; this would also let you use
the fonts with non-PostScript device drivers such as the emTeX
ones. You are responsible for making sure you are not breaking the
licence restrictions on font you bought.
Third, the stretch and shrink between words is a function of the font metric; it is not specified in AFM files, so different converters choose different values. The PostScript metrics that come with PSNFSS used to produce quite tight setting, but they were revised in mid 1995 to produce a compromise between American and European practice. Really sophisticated users may not find even the new the values to their taste, and want to override them. Even the casual user may find more hyphenation or overfull boxes than CMR produces; but CMR is extremely generous.