View Full Version : Font Management - Let's do this one again for 2006
At least once a year we've talked about font management because, let's face it, a 20,000 font collection in a bitch to maintain and use at full power. Actually, I think I'm up to 25,000 now. I started going to search for the last thread we did but realized it would be out of date so...let's start talking again.
Speaking of out of date, I'm CURENTLY back to using my old horse TYPEOGRAF (http://www.neuber.com/typograph/index.html) that was last updated in 2001. It is NOT sexy, but it displays my fonts in a nice, easy to read format and does basic sorting and such. However, I'm outgrowing it and would consider a new package if a good one was presented.
What are you all using? Why?
Yeah, I've tried a few font management software programs on my Jaguar Mac, and it screws it up. I've found it easier to go without a font manager program, unless anybody has any suggestions on good font management products.
Jason Arthur
06-08-2006, 09:26 AM
I'm using Linotype Font Explorer for Mac. It's not awesome or anything, but I rarely use a font manager anyhow, so...
I trimmed down my font collection and have began making my own fonts for the various projects I work on. Mostly I just use my fonts, a few Comicraft fonts (Battle Cry for SFX, Tim Sale Brush for scary monsters, and HushHush for the dialogue on Zombie Highway) and a few Blambot fonts.
If I did more graphic design work then I'd probably use a font manager more often.
-- J
L Jamal
06-08-2006, 10:09 AM
I try to keep my enabled fonts under 200 and I use the Font Thing rto manage the other 2000+ fonts. Periodically, I remove the enabled fonts that I don't use regularly as it shortens the load time for Illustrator and Photoshop.
Kel Nuttall
06-08-2006, 03:00 PM
The font thing that comes on Macs...Font Book...works just fine for me. Personally I see no use for having thousands of fonts on my computer. I have a couple hundred now and many are never used for anything.
Darren Schwindaman
06-08-2006, 04:48 PM
raya I feel your pain regarding the Jaguar Macs. I feel like I've been left in the dust. I can't even watch Quicktime movies! I'm looking at upgrading to a MacBook Pro soon, though, so I'm excited about that. (I'd like to see them go through a generation or two first)
As far as font stuff, I keep a lean 100 fonts on my computer, and use no font management. I had a couple thousand which were organized under Extensis Suitcase, which worked well (even on OSX 10.2). The fonts I have cover any project that comes along for me, and if there's ever a font that I absolutely need, I'll do tons of research on it and make a specific download or purchase.
Jason Arthur
06-08-2006, 05:18 PM
The font thing that comes on Macs...Font Book...works just fine for me. Personally I see no use for having thousands of fonts on my computer. I have a couple hundred now and many are never used for anything.
Font book crashes on me all the time and I don't have that many fonts...I dunno.
-- J
Amadarwin
06-09-2006, 10:08 AM
Bend me over and kick my behind for asking this, but...are font managers REALLY necessary?
Illustrator shows me what the font looks like in my list when it displays the name. The font manager I had (printer's apprentice) did all the nifty things like organize and show all characters my fonts had to offer, however, it didn't allow me to rearrange it in Illustrator where I'd still have to hunt it down...
So...what's the point?
commence the kicking. :whistlin:
Bend me over and kick my behind for asking this, but...are font managers REALLY necessary?
Oh HELL yes. Every time you load a font into memory (which is all the fonts you have installed...they don't just sit on your harddrive until you need them) they're using resourses...resourses better used for graphics and speed among other things. I do not have 100 or 200 fonts, I have close to 25000. As a letterer I use less than 20...a core set that has become my own and most people who care identify as the "Kep! Style" (gawd)...but as a designer I need every last one of them to make sure I have the right tool at the right time. Loading 25,000 fonts into memory is a BITCH on resourses. A font manage allows me to look at them without having them installed, and then load them up on the fly. Mighty handy.
A font manager also allows me to place my fonts into groups and load them up alone without ANYTHING else (speedy comoputer here I come!). When I letter I can load ONLY my core fonts and lettering fonts. It's a much faster way to work.
Finally, most font managers allow me to browse 20 or 30 of my fonts per page and sort them into their own categories (Graffiti fonts, san-serif fonts, etc). so if I know what I am looking for stylewise but have no clue what I want otherwise, it allows for a much quicker selection process.
Amadarwin
06-09-2006, 12:41 PM
so then do you unload your fonts that you don't normally use, but had to install for that one use?
Right. Load and unload as needed instead of keeping them all in memory all the time.
Amadarwin
06-09-2006, 02:45 PM
I never thought of that. Probably why I'm not a pro. :)
Gonna hafta rethink my strategy now. Thanks Kep!
Jason Arthur
06-09-2006, 11:28 PM
If your goal is to be a graphic designer then yeah, maybe you need 20,000 fonts. But as far as lettering goes...I use maybe 10.
-- J
TRUE! I can name off the top of my head the fonts I use in lettering without fear of missing one. It's less than 20. It's all I need and all I want...they're mine.
Comics Commando
06-13-2006, 02:53 PM
I think I got this thread jumpstarted last week when I was looking for a good font management system and asked around. I was using an old classic mac thing that froze a lot. And the OSX font book blows big chunks far out to sea.
I found something called FontAgent Pro--it's great! I can see all fonts--uninstalled ones, too! It allows you to install and uninstall from its window, which I think is pretty handy.
But--it's $100, worth it, but I'm cheap.
I settled on someting called The Fontz--also allows me to see all my fonts in my library, which is what I really needed it for. From there I can do my own installing and save $88 cash money. $12 and it's mine, mine, I say. :carrot:
As for the question--do we need these? :whistlin: I do. As a logo designer as well as a comics letterer, I need to be able to scroll through dozens if not hundreds of uninstalled fonts in order to select the right one for the job. It saves time--as long as the library has been kept up during downtime, so there's plenty to choose from.
Heck--even if yer just doin' comics, a library & management system comes in handy for titles and such. A celtic font for a banshee story--or a gothic font for a transvestite vampire meets blood bank manager story.
It's all good.
Kurt Hathaway
Cartoon Balloons Studios
"Quality Lettering for Western Civilization"
vBulletin® v3.8.7, Copyright ©2000-2013, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.