TechNote

Font outlines and device fonts

When you publish or export a SWF file containing static text, Flash creates outlines of the text and uses the outlines to display the text in Flash Player.

When you publish or export a SWF file containing dynamic or input text fields, Flash stores the names of the fonts used in creating the text. Flash Player uses the font names to locate identical or similar fonts on the user's system when the Flash application is displayed. You can also export font outlines with dynamic or input text by clicking the Embed option in the Property Inspector and selecting Options.

Device font

For static horizontal text only, you can use special fonts in Flash called device fonts as an alternative to exporting font outline information. Device fonts are not embedded in the Flash SWF file. Instead, Flash Player uses the font on the local computer that most closely resembles the device font. Because device font information is not embedded, using device fonts results in a smaller SWF file. In addition, device fonts can be sharper and more legible than exported font outlines at small point sizes (below 10 points). However, because device fonts are not embedded, text may appear differently than expected in user systems that do not have an installed font corresponding to the device font.

Flash includes three device fonts:

_sans (similar to Helvetica or Arial)
_serif (similar to Times Roman)
_typewriter (similar to Courier)

To specify text to be displayed using a device font:

Select text blocks on the stage containing text that you want to display using a device font.
Select Window > Properties.
In the Property Inspector, select Static Text from the pop-up menu.
Select Use Device Fonts.