Latex --> PDF with Type 1 Fonts

NSF requires all grant proposals be submitted electronically (through ``FastLane'') as .pdf files using only ``embedded type 1 fonts.''

Such PDF files (and the PostScript files they are related to or derived from) are somewhat larger than the bitmapped versions, but include font definitions which give the fonts ``infinite'' precision. By default, dvips produces PostScript font output appropriate for 600dpi printers.

Shown at right at very high magnification is an example of characters of a PDF document generated by dvipdf; normally, with a 600dpi bitmap font definition (above), and using Type 1 font definition (below).

To force dvips (or dvipdf) to use embedded Type 1 font definitions, create a file .dvipsrc in your home directory, inserting the following as line #1:

p +/usr/local/tex/texmf/fontname/psfonts.map

This way, when you run dvips (dvipdf) on your LaTeX-generated DVI file, the PostScript (PDF) file produced will use the Type 1 font definitions.

(You can comment out that line -- insert a # before the p -- when you are only creating ordinary PostScript/PDF files. The ``ordinary'' PostScript files are smaller and use the full resolution of a normal 600 dpi printer.)

You can create the PDF file in these ways.

(1) pdflatex

The best quality PDF is produced this way. However, if you have PostScript images that you are importing, you must first convert them to PDF images and then include them using the graphicx package. 
newton>  pdflatex mydoc.tex

(2) dvips followed by ps2pdf

If you use dvips to produce a printable PostScript version of your document, then you can run that file through ps2pdf* to get a PDF file as well. 
newton>  latex mydoc.tex
newton>  dvips mydoc.dvi -o mydoc.ps
newton>  ps2pdf mydoc.ps mydoc.pdf

(3) dvipdf

You can create a DVI file and then a PDF file without creating a separate PostScript file, by using dvipdf. This actually creates the same product as method (2) above, but involves one fewer step and leaves no PostScript document behind. 
newton>  latex mydoc.tex
newton>  dvipdf mydoc.dvi mydoc.pdf

*ps2pdf -- A FastLane document suggests that one use lots of options with the ps2pdf command, to wit,
newton>  ps2pdf -dMaxSubsetPct=100 -dCompatibilityLevel=1.2 -dSubsetFonts=true -dEmbedAllFonts=true mydoc.ps mydoc.pdf
Experimentation on our system has not shown that the options are necessary; however, what can it hurt?