The History of Linguist’s Software's Greek and Hebrew Fonts

Greek

All of our currently-shipping standard ancient Greek fonts in LaserGreek and LaserGreek II are interchangeable. Every character has the identical ASCII position in both Macintosh and Windows versions. In all versions all standard lowercase Greek characters are interchangeable and are in lower ASCII positions. The uppercase accents were in different positions in old versions of LaserGreek for Windows, but these are used comparatively infrequently in typing classical Greek. There are only 6 or 8 conversions that must be made with global search and replace operations to convert to the new arrangement. All current versions of our LaserGreek  and LaserGreek II fonts have identical ASCII positions for both Mac and Windows. (This is also true of the fonts in Archaic Alphabets, which includes an archaic Greek font.) Files may be transferred cross-platform as text files or in Rich Text Format (RTF). Instructions for these operations are included in the User's Manuals with each product.

SuperGreek
Originally a bitmap-only font on the Macintosh, SuperGreek was later released in Type 3 (PostScript) format . It later was replaced by Graeca for both Macintosh and Windows. Macintosh users wanting to edit old SuperGreek files should convert the files to one of the fonts in LaserGreek or LaserGreek II with the instructions included in the User's Manual. Windows users who receive Macintosh files that include SuperGreek may request special instructions to convert these files into the similarly-arranged fonts in the current LaserGreek and LaserGreek II for Windows.

SSuperGreek
This font was a Type 3 (PostScript) font tagged to the Symbol printer font and available for Macintosh only. The Macintosh System font called Symbol does not have all Greek characters. SSuperGreek took that font and any time someone typed a character that was in Symbol, it directed the keystroke to the Symbol printer font. That is, SSuperGreek contained all the bitmaps, but outline fonts only for those characters not in Symbol. SSuperGreek was replaced by SymbolGreek. Macintosh users who wish to edit SSuperGreek files should convert the files to one of the fonts in LaserGreek or LaserGreek II with the instructions for converting SuperGreek (which has the same sequence of characters) included in the User's Manual. To print files containing SSuperGreek you will need to have the Macintosh Symbol system font installed in the printer. (Some printers, such as Inkjet printers, may not have this font installed.) SSuperGreek will not work in Mac OS X. Windows users who receive Macintosh files that include SSuperGreek may request special instructions to convert these files into the similarly-arranged fonts in the current LaserGreek and LaserGreek II for Windows.

Graeca
Graeca is the SuperGreek font converted to Type 1 (PostScript) and to TrueType and available both for Macintosh and Windows. The two platform versions had different ASCII arrangements, as noted above. Graeca was later replaced by Graeca II, which has identical ASCII positions for both Mac and Windows, as noted above.

SuperGreekUBS
This font, originally only a Type 3 font, was an italic version of Graeca. When it was later converted to Type 1 and TrueType, it was renamed Graeca Oblique. The current version is Graeca II Italic. An elegant new font, GraecaUBS, has been designed along with OdysseaUBS for the next edition of the UBS Greek New Testament. These are two of the seven gorgeous new fonts in LaserGreek II.

SymbolGreek
This font replaces SSuperGreek, and was released in Type 1 and TrueType formats for both Macintosh and Windows. The original versions had different ASCII arrangements between the Mac and Windows platforms, as described above. The current version is called SymbolGreek II and has identical ASCII positions for both Mac and Windows. SymbolGreek II, rearranged and with the addition of English in the lower ASCII, became Olympus, part of Modern Greek, available for both Mac and Windows.

GreekSans
This font has the same arrangement as SymbolGreek, but is in a Helvetica (sans serif) style. The current version is GreekSansLS. This font, rearranged, and with the addition of English in the lower ASCII, became Philippi, part of Modern Greek, available for both Mac and Windows.

Hebrew

SuperHebrew
This font, originally a bitmap-only font available for the Macintosh, was later released as a Type 3 (PostScript) font for the Macintosh. When it was converted to Type 1 (PostScript) and to TrueType, the name was changed to Hebraica (which is part of LaserHebrew) and was made available for both Mac and Windows. Macintosh users who wish to edit old SuperHebrew files should convert the files to one of the fonts in LaserHebrew or LaserHebrew II using the instructions included in the User's Manual. The SuperHebrew font will be included free at the time of purchase of either LaserHebrew or LaserHebrew II for the Macintosh if specifically requested, but its use is strongly discouraged because of differences in its character positions. Windows users who receive Macintosh files that include SuperHebrew may request special instructions to convert these files into the similarly-arranged fonts in the current LaserHebrew or LaserHebrew II for Windows.

Hebraica
This was the Type 1 and TrueType version of the SuperHebrew font and was produced for both Windows and Macintosh, but the two platforms had different ASCII arrangements. Several years ago Hebraica was replaced by Hebraica II, which has identical ASCII positions for both Mac and Windows.

Bethel
This font had the same arrangement as Hebraica, and was replaced by Bethel II, which has the same arrangement as Hebraica II. Bethel II has modern-style consonants popular in newspapers.

ScriptHebrew
This font is a modern, informal, handwritten-style font. The current version is ScriptHebrew II.

Arad Level VI
Pronounced ah-rad'. This is an inscriptional-style font following the representation of Hebrew characters in level VI of the Arad excavations. The current version is AradLevelVILS.

NewSuperHebrew
This font is the same as SuperHebrew, a Type 3 font, but is a Hebrew system font only. Originally available only for the Mac, this font is no longer available.

Hebron
This font is the same as Hebraica, a Type 1 and TrueType font, but is a Hebrew system font only. Originally available only for the Mac, this font is no longer available.