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What is the Windows Helvetica equivalent (original Helvetica from a Mac)

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Xenonym:
Not really sure what you are asking, so I am going to answer the question two times.

Helvetica equivalent on Windows:
Arial or MS Sans Serif. They are so alike that unless you stare at them properly there's no difference.

Which of the many fonts from the Helvetica family does the Mac consider to be "Helvetica":
Based on me eyeballing my iPhone, its should either be Helvetica Roman or Helvetica Neue Roman.

Hope that answers the question.

EDIT: If you are using Helvetica fonts on Windows, do note that you have to buy them from Linotype if you don't want to run afoul of any licensing issues.

40hz:
.dfont files are Apples own embellishment of TrueType. They're more correctly called a data fork font suitcases. All it means is that the resource and data forks are combined into a single file.

With Mac OS X, Apple introduced yet another font format. The Dfont (Data Fork TrueType Font) is essentially a repackaged TrueType font. While these Dfont format fonts are often high-quality fonts, this format is essentially only used by Apple and, in effect, these fonts are just used as system fonts. We do not recommend using Dfont format fonts within professional creative, print and publishing environments.

Link: http://www.hcsonline.com/support/white-papers/130-fonts-in-mac-os-x
--- End quote ---

AFAIK Linotype designed the Helvetica and Helvetica Neue Apple uses. I don't know if they were also responsible for the .dfont Apple uses as a system font.

I've got an article in my archive from a while back that talks about certain issues surrounding Helvetica Neue and InDesign. You might want to take a look at that when you get a chance. Link here. I mention this because you'll need to determine if InDesign is substituting a PostScript font for your .dfont (Hint: give your printer a call and ask him/her if you can talk to their in-house Mac wizard about this.)

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Adobe has a package called Helvetica Neue Std 2.0 that should be the closest cross-platformmatch. Link here.

Probably wouldn't be a bad idea to give Adobe a call (800-833-6687) to confirm this however. I'd have done it for you, but it's 1:03am here and they shut down the switchboard at 7:00pm PST.  ;D

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So you're a Helvetica die-hard huh? I prefer Optima nova or Univers for san-serif, and Minion :-* for chunks of text that are meant to be read. FYI: there's also a Minion math font designed to work with Minion Pro.



 Sweet! 8)

tomos:
I have gotten help with typography in the Adobe forums, here's the indesign one, looks very active
http://forums.adobe.com/community/indesign/indesign_general
and,
probably more to the point, the typography one:
http://forums.adobe.com/community/typography_fonts

cranioscopical:
Minion_%28typeface%29]Minion [/url] :-* for chunks of text that are meant to be read.
-40hz (March 24, 2011, 12:47 AM)
--- End quote ---

+1 on Minion

40hz:
Minion_%28typeface%29]Minion [/url] :-* for chunks of text that are meant to be read.
-40hz (March 24, 2011, 12:47 AM)
--- End quote ---

+1 on Minion
-cranioscopical (March 24, 2011, 07:38 AM)
--- End quote ---

Interesting...

In my mind's eye, I've always seen Chris' comments as being set in meticulously kerned 12pt Minion Italic Display.  

Go figure. ;D

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