Font managers redux

[ktinkel]

By the way, Kathleen, at the bottom of this thread, I saw another of your threads 'OS X & fonts: Grrrrrrr!'. How are you getting on with font management?

I only ask because you (and many others) are somewhat critical of Font Book.I am actually using FontBook (though not properly, as you are) — I was so fed up with Font Agent Pro’s ailments that I turned it off completely, and have been making do with FontBook.

Its main flaw is it has no auto-activation. I only realize how valuable that is when I need it. No, it is not overwhelmingly awful to pause, go to FontBook, and activate a font, not even if I need to go to my Fonts folder, find it, and install it in FontBook. But then I must remember to turn it off again to avoid having a gigantic font list in every app, something that drives me nuts.

It also seems to get bogged down when it is handling more than a couple hundred fonts. I have thousands, and good old ATM Deluxe was very good at managing them. FontBook seems to have been designed on the premise that a couple hundred should be enough for anybody!

I downloaded the free Linotype font manager, but have not installed it. Now would be a good time, come to think of it, since I just changed to a new boot volume that doesn’t even know about Font Agent or Suitcase!

[dthomsen8]

I downloaded the free Linotype font manager, but have not installed it. Now would be a good time, come to think of it, since I just changed to a new boot volume that doesn’t even know about Font Agent or Suitcase!While you discuss Mac font managers, many of us are on Windows systems and need some kind of font manager.

http://fontutilities.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/ (http://fontutilities.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/)

has a number of different font utilities at modest prices. Any comments?

I have not searched for the free Linotype font manager yet, but free sounds good if it works on Windows XP.

[dthomsen8]

I have not searched for the free Linotype font manager yet, but free sounds good if it works on Windows XP.

I discover that the free Linotype FontExporer is just a tool to pick a font according to a variety of criteria. One choice is inexpensive-expensive, but the inexpensive choice never turns out to be less than $22. This is cheap?

[Michael Rowley]

David:

I have not searched for the free Linotype font manager yet, but free sounds good if it works on Windows XP

There isn't one for Windows yet, but I thought one was promised 'soon'. The program for Windows under the same name is just a tarted-up catalogue (and takes up a lot of my hard disk).

[ktinkel]

I discover that the free Linotype FontExporer is just a tool to pick a font according to a variety of criteria. One choice is inexpensive-expensive, but the inexpensive choice never turns out to be less than $22. This is cheap?It is also a tool for organizing your fonts that allows you to have some open and available, others not.

For those who set type for a living, $22 is about average.

[dthomsen8]

It is also a tool for organizing your fonts that allows you to have some open and available, others not.

For those who set type for a living, $22 is about average.

Linotype FontExplorer is an organizing tool? I will have to try it again, to see how that is done.

The 20 fonts for $19.99 were the cheap ones. The man with $5 fonts is quite reasonable. $22 per font is not the average, in my experience, it is the low end of the range.

[dthomsen8]

The program for Windows under the same name is just a tarted-up catalogue (and takes up a lot of my hard disk).

Yes, it is really big, but I have a really, really big hard drive.

[donmcc]

It is also a tool for organizing your fonts that allows you to have some open and available, others not.


Are you sure? Have you looked at the Windows version? I also downloaded it (it is massive) and found that it did nothing for the fonts that were on my system.

I think the Mac version is a real manager, but what I got was a font selector.

(And I agree that $22 is a fair price for a quality font. In fact, I would look closely at the manufacter of any font costing less, for reasons of quality.)

[dthomsen8]

(And I agree that $22 is a fair price for a quality font. In fact, I would look closely at the manufacter of any font costing less, for reasons of quality.)

Ascender Corporation has a Creativity Pack of 20 fonts for $19.99, and they seem to work just fine for me. This package was suggested right here.

[dthomsen8]

While you discuss Mac font managers, many of us are on Windows systems and need some kind of font manager.

http://fontutilities.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/ (http://fontutilities.com/component/option,com_frontpage/Itemid,1/)

has a number of different font utilities at modest prices. Any comments?


So, any comments on the font utilities? Somehow we got off the track on my initial question.

[ktinkel]

Are you sure? Have you looked at the Windows version? I also downloaded it (it is massive) and found that it did nothing for the fonts that were on my system.

I think the Mac version is a real manager, but what I got was a font selector.I have no knowledge of the Windows version, nor any way to look at it.

However, I believe there may be name confusion between this new Explorer and an older one, and that the Windows version of the font manager released for the Mac is on the way or recently released. You may want to check back with Lino.

[donmcc]

Well, packages are a great way to go. I need to get the Adobe Type Classics for Education at some point, and that is a couple hundred fonts for $99 (if you qualify). But buying needed single fonts will necessarily cost something more. I note that the pack you got from Ascender is advertised as having a value, if bought separately, of $500, so that works out to $25 a font.

[donmcc]

Perhaps on the way, or very recently released.I downloaded two or three weeks ago, after hearing raves from people about the Mac version. No warnings on the linotype site about anything new coming, but I definitely have the older product.

[Michael Rowley]

KT:

FontExplorer for Windows is not a font manager (yet); the new FontExplorer for the Mac is, seems good if it does all that Linotype claim, and our tongues are hanging out for the Windows version, which is coming (Linotype said). In the mean time, ATM Deluxe still works, but it would be more than nice to have autoactivation.

[ktinkel]

I downloaded two or three weeks ago, after hearing raves from people about the Mac version. No warnings on the linotype site about anything new coming, but I definitely have the older product.Sorry then — I had the impression it was on the verge of shipping.

I would try to go check but I find that web site impenetrable and inhospitable, not to mention very, very slow. :(

[Michael Rowley]

KT:

I had the impression it was on the verge of shipping

The fault may be mine, because I said a while back that Linotype had announced that the Windows version was 'coming soon'. Since then they've replaced that red 'sticker' with an announcement of the final Mac version, which replaced the earlier experimental version.

The Linotype web site is not too bad if you bookmark the right page. But perhaps It's getting to me quicker, having only the North Sea to cross!

[donmcc]

I agree, the site is quite dense when you are looking for anything beyond a font.

(Not so slow on my system, but that might be due to me logging on during off hours.)

[Mike]

I downloaded the free Linotype font manager, but have not installed it. Now would be a good time, come to think of it, since I just changed to a new boot volume that doesn’t even know about Font Agent or Suitcase!

Well worth a try. I've been using it on two machines for a while now and have few complaints. Occasionally ID says a font isn't available when FontExplorer says it's open but that had always been preceded by my opening and closing fonts with ID open. If I close ID and open it again verything's fine. It's happened about 3 times in as many months.