There are three types of fonts are available for you to use today: TrueType, PostScript Type 1 and OpenType.
TrueType is a scalable font format developed by Apple Computer, Inc., and built into Apple’s OS 7 and newer, as well as into the Windows OS. PostScript Type 1 fonts are the publishing industry standard for digital type. If you plan on using a commercial printer and service provider to print your document, quality-made Type 1 fonts are recommended, although good quality TrueTypes also image just fine. Neither TrueType nor Type 1 font files are cross-platform—a major frustration to publishers and service bureaus.
OpenType fonts are a newest PostScript format and are the wave of the future. The OpenType format allows for one file to have complete cross- platform compatibility between Macintosh and Windows. OpenType fonts can contain more than 65,000 characters as opposed to a limit of 256 characters in TrueType and Type 1 fonts. One font file can contain an entire family of style variations including ligatures, true small capitals, fractions and old-style figures. OpenType fonts are a two-byte character encoding that encompasses most of the world’s languages, including Asian characters. You can learn more about fonts on the Web at http://www.adobe.com/type/