Add PC fonts temporarily

[Robin Springall]

On the Mac we use Suitcase to add fonts temporarily until you close it or reboot: no need to remember to remove them from Library:Fonts. Easy-peasy, well, for the most part, at any rate!

Is there something similar for the PC that isn't going to cost a fortune? I've got Bitstream Navigator, but I don't think it will do the same thing.

[Michael Rowley]

Robin:

Is there something similar for the PC that isn't going to cost a fortune?

I'm still using ATM de Luxe for Windows, and if I want fonts temporarily I have to activate and deactivate them as required; it's no trouble, really, but I'm still waiting impatiently for Linotype's FontExplorer X, since the Mac people say their version works well.

[marlene]

AFAIK, FontNav won't enable you to add fonts temporarily. But I just create a FontNav Font Group containing the fonts I want to use, slide it over to the Installed Fonts panel, and when I'm done, delete that Font Group folder from the Installed Fonts panel.

And if I don't think I'll ever need that particular group again, I also delete the Font Group folder (the fonts will still be in the FontNav library, I just don't have an extra unnecessary Font Group folder taking up space).

I've been using FontNav for years, so I find it very easy to use, and can create these groups and install and deinstall them very quickly.

mxh

[bmann]

We use Suitcase Fusion for Mac and Suitcase for Windows. The Windows version doesn't have as many features but it also costs a bit less. I've also used a font manager for Windows from High Logic and I thought that was top notch and inexpensive.

[Robin Springall]

I get rather confused by Font Nav, shame to say!

I create a folder on the desktop with all the bits for the job, including the fonts; I add the fonts to the font catalogue first, then I can either add them to a group and install them, or just install them.

But the difficulty comes when I want to uninstall them: they're the client's fonts, so I don't want to keep copies after I've done the job. I uninstall them but they stay in the font catalog until I delete them, but deleting them removes them from my working folder on the desktop (aargh!). Have I got it all wrong? :confused:

[marlene]

Hmmm. If you want to add fonts temporarily via FontNav, DON'T add them to the font catalog.

Here's the method I use when I want to temporarily install fonts (for one-time use or troubleshooting), but don't want them to become part of my font catalog.

See the little window in the upper left corner of FontNav? Click on the pointing-down arrow, and navigate to the folder the temp fonts are in. (I don't know if you can navigate to a folder on your desktop -- I couldn't figure out how to do it. I always navigate to a folder on one of my hard drives.)

Select the fonts to install, and click on File/Install (or right-click on the selected fonts). This installs the fonts so you can use them, but does NOT add them to the font catalog.

In the Installed Fonts panel, you can tell which fonts are installed but are not in the font catalog -- they'll have little sun icons on the font names.

When you're done using the fonts, you can just uninstall them from the Installed Fonts panel, but they'll still be in your job folder.

You won't be able to add the temporarily installed fonts to a Font Group -- Font Groups can only contain fonts included in the Font Catalog.

BTW, if you do want to delete fonts from the font catalog, you CAN do that without actually removing the font files from your hard drive. When you select fonts to delete, you should get this message:

"Removing fonts from the catalog.

Do you want to also delete the font files from your disk?"

If you say no, the font names are removed from the catalog but the font files are not removed from your system.

Let me know if this does or doesn't make Robert your uncle. FontNav does take some getting used to, but once you get familiar with it, you'll find you can install, uninstall, add, delete, spindle, fold, and mutilate fonts very quickly and easily. I can add new fonts, create font groups, and install them in seconds.

mxh

[Cristen Gillespie]

On the Mac we use Suitcase to add fonts temporarily until you close it or reboot: no need to remember to remove them from Library:Fonts. Easy-peasy, well, for the most part, at any rate!

Is there something similar for the PC that isn't going to cost a fortune? I've got Bitstream Navigator, but I don't think it will do the same thing.

Well, on my old Windows version I only had to attempt to make them permanent in Suitcase to have them turn out to be temporary, so quite possibly, especially if you're still running W2K, getting these fonts in Suitcase to be temporary won't be any problem at all. Mine were certainly never activated after a reboot. '-)

[Robin Springall]

I'm at home now, but I'll have another bash at the studio tomorrow. I did find, however, that when I installed a font that was not in the catalog, it was available to me in applications (I tried CorelDraw and Quark) but it didn't look right on screen until I added it to the catalog. Odd...

[marlene]

I did find, however, that when I installed a font that was not in the catalog, it was available to me in applications (I tried CorelDraw and Quark) but it didn't look right on screen until I added it to the catalog.

That shouldn't be happening. At least not on account of the font not being in the FontNav catalog. Maybe something else funny was going on.

mxh