For NEW features, System Requirements, and Easy Installation instructions, please see the Fonts Manager™ Read Me file enclosed. Also enclosed are the Fonts Manager™ Troubleshooting guide, Fonts Manager™ License agreement, and Register instructions. ALL of these documents are also embedded in Fonts Manager™ when you run it. Just select each from the *FM* menu!
Contents:
Purpose of Fonts Manager™
Font Installation
Basic Use
Usage Tips
Technical Explanation
Glossary
Purpose of Fonts Manager™
128 Suitcase Limit
Apple's System Software will not recognize more than 128 font suitcases without causing strange behavior. Sometimes, you'll never know anything is wrong at all, and you may never receive any form of an error message - just very strange symptoms. But, the restriction is well documented in Apple's Technical Information Library (TIL).
The trick to font management is to put a select number of fonts in the Fonts folder and keep the other fonts elsewhere. Fonts Manager™ makes it easy to do this.
The 128 limit applies only to font suitcases themselves. Suitcases can contain more than just one font, but combining fonts using suitcases is inefficient. You could easily have 400 fonts in your application's Fonts menu, and still have less than 128 font suitcases in the Fonts folder. BUT, your application will launch slower, and you'll be forever scrolling through a very long font list to get that font you need. Fonts Manager™ allows you to select a number of suitcases to stay in the Fonts folder, while the others remain in waiting. This will make the font menu as short as you like in EVERY application, so you can work efficiently. Also, grouping multiple fonts into suitcases is very tedious, and for most folks well beyond the basics. It is much easier to leave the fonts the way they are, and manage them with Fonts Manager™.
Since the 128 limit does not apply to PostScript Type 1 (printer) fonts, they can remain in the Fonts folder with no penalty on System operation. But, you'll find some applications will launch slower with more fonts in the Fonts folder. Also, if you ever need to open the Fonts folder, it will take more time to scroll with a larger number of fonts. So, Fonts Manager™ also allows you to save printer fonts in your sets as well. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having ALL printer fonts selected at all times.
Flexible and Efficient Set Management
Fonts Manager™ allows you to save lists of fonts in 'sets' so that you can easily "call up" just the fonts you need. You can also save these sets files, so that you can double-click on them to get that particular set quickly, similar to an internet browser's "bookmark" feature.
Font Samples
If you could not see what a font looks like, it would not be of much use to you. Fonts Manager™ allows you to install new fonts in the normal, Apple-recommended fashion, then view, save, or print a sample for your records. Since you can save font samples, you'll never be without a quick snapshot of a font's characters set.
Fonts Manager™ also allows you to sample ALL of the fonts you have installed in your Set. Just like any other font sample, you can save and print it. This can be handy for those who like to create font catalogs. It is nice to be able to have a 'Holiday' set, a 'Symbols' set, a 'Screenwriter' set, or just a 'Basic' set. You can have hard copies for the home or office, or just open the catalog files as you need to refer to them.
Key Map
How do I type the Euro symbol or the command () symbol? Sometimes, you need to know how to make a certain character appear on the screen or in print. Fonts Manager™'s Key Map allows you to see just how to type any character within a font's character set. You can print this Key Map if you need it often, but it can be produced very quickly.
Why is Fonts Manager™ so good?
Simple! It does not require an Extension or Control Panel to work. It does not need to run at startup to do its job. Only when you choose to, it runs, does its job, quits, and gets out of the way, so you can continue working. It promotes the normal, APPROVED method of font installation, and does not require you to scatter folders throughout your drive or network to store your fonts. At ANY point along the way, you can choose to STOP using it with NO negative effects on your System. It's so inexpensive!
Font Installation
Normal Font Installation
To install fonts, drop font suitcases and PostScript™ font files onto the 'closed' System Folder. It is best to drop ONE to make sure you know what you're doing. Once that goes OK, drop the rest all at once. All fonts should stay in the Fonts folder inside the System Folder to work normally. Fonts Manager™ requires this normal operation to work correctly. Other font utilities may have allowed you to keep your fonts elsewhere. NOT SO with Fonts Manager™ - keep them where they were originally intended by Apple - in the Fonts folder.
The Fonts folder
The Fonts folder in the System Folder should NOT have any folders inside, as those would be invisible to the System Software.
Suitcases
DO NOT install a screen font file or TrueType™ font file if it is NOT in a suitcase. It will eventually be damaged, plus you will NOT be able to use that font with Fonts Manager™. Make a new suitcase for it...
To make a suitcase:
1) Duplicate (command-D) a suitcase that already exists (like Chicago).
2) Rename it what you want (don't leave it "Chicago copy").
3) Empty it by opening it, and moving its contents to the Trash, then
emptying Trash.
That's it. That's how you make an empty suitcase!
Now do this for all "screen" fonts you have, so that each font family is in its own suitcase - you can put all with the same name together in one suitcase if you like (like all the Times family - Times 9, Times 10, Times 12...)
If you can double-click a font, and it shows you a sample of the font, then it is a screen font, and belongs in a suitcase.
NOTE: Screen font suitcases should sit loose in the Fonts folder, NOT inside other folders in the Fonts folder.
NOTE: Make sure you keep the Mac OS font suitcases just as they came. If you don't, the Mac OS fonts functionality won't work.
Printer fonts
A printer font file without a corresponding screen font is basically useless. However, you can use screen fonts without having the printer font to match, but your printed output will suffer. Also, if you are using Adobe Type Manager (ATM™), you MUST have BOTH screen font AND printer font files available. If you decide to use ONLY TrueType fonts, then ATM™ is not needed, but can remain installed without harm (for those with Adobe Acrobat installed).
NOTE: Printer font files should sit loose in the Fonts folder, NOT inside other folders in the Fonts folder.
System 7.1 and the System file
Originally, before System 7.1, ALL Type 1 screen fonts and TrueType™ fonts were contained in suitcases. Actually ONE suitcase, called System. Then the Fonts folder was born, and all fonts live there now. BUT SUITCASES ARE STILL IMPORTANT!
Basic Use
• How do I know it is working? After using Fonts Manager™, restart your Mac, and open Fonts Manager™ again to view your new font list (in the Font menu). Remember the font list will contain only fonts that have a screen font (Type 1 or TrueType) present. You won't see every single printer font in a fonts menu. Alternatively, you may open Key Caps (in the Apple Menu) and see the same font list in the Key Caps or Fonts menu.
• How do I create and Save a Set?
1. Click on the 'sets' menu (where it says 'ALL fonts') and select 'Mac OS fonts'.
-You should see 9 or more basic font suitcases listed on the right.
2. Select the first font suitcase in the list below 'Mac OS fonts' and click the 'Remove selected suitcase' button.
- Notice the 'sets' menu changes to 'Custom' to let you know you've made a change.
3. Hold down the option key and click the 'Add Mac OS fonts...' button.
4. Select 'Save Set…' in the 'sets' menu.
5. Type 'My Set' and hit return.
- You've just created your first set!
NOTE: Please remember to keep add the Mac OS fonts to every set you create, or you may find your desktop looking strange! You can do this by holding down the option key as listed above...
• How do I Rename a Set?
1. Select 'My Set' (or some set you have created) in the 'sets' menu.
2. Select 'Rename Set…' in the 'sets' menu.
2. Type 'My Renamed Set' and hit return.
- You've just renamed your set!
• How do I Clear a Set?
Sometimes, you may need to empty out one of the 10 sets you have available. Easy.
1. Select 'NO fonts' in the 'sets' menu.
2. Select 'Save Set…' in the 'sets' menu.
3. Select the set you would like to clear (empty) in the list shown.
4. Type a new name for the empty set and hit return.
4. Select that set in the 'sets' menu.
- You'll notice it changes to 'NO fonts', to let you know that set is empty!
• How do I Add a suitcase or printer font to a Set?
1. Select 'My Set' (or some set you have created) in the 'sets' menu.
2. Select any suitcase in the top list on the left half of the window. Click the button 'Add suitcase to Set'. Notice the suitcase appears on the right top, and the 'sets' menu changes to 'Custom'.
3. Select any printer font in the bottom list on the left half of the window (if you see Empty List, skip this step because you don't have any printer fonts installed). Click the button 'Add printer font to Set'. Notice the printer font appears on the right bottom, and the 'sets' menu changes to 'Custom'.
4. Now Save the Set (as above).
• How do I Save the 'Sets' file?
If you plan on using future versions of Fonts Manager™, you'll want to save all of your time investment in set creation. You can save what you've done, and bring it over into the new version easily.
Also, you may want to create "bookmarks" of your sets, with your favorite set selected (i.e. open the 'Holiday' set with the 'Christmas' set selected).
1. Select 'Save Sets to desktop…' in the File menu.
2. A new file called 'Fonts Manager™ Sets' will appear on the desktop. Rename it if you need to. Distribute this file to your workgroups if needed.
3. If you are about to upgrade to a new version of Fonts Manager™, you'll need this file to open for import, so you don't lose all your sets!
NOTE: You do NOT need to save the sets file to disk to use Fonts Manager™ normally. Only if you go beyond 10 sets, or you want to create "bookmarked" sets.
• How do I Open the 'Sets' file I've created?
You've created a sets file or two, and you want to switch between them. Easy.
OR
You've just downloaded the newest version of Fonts Manager™. You've opened the old version and saved the sets file(s) to the desktop. Now you want to move everything over to the new version. Easy.
1. Select 'Open saved Sets…' in the File menu.
2. Locate and open 'Fonts Manager™ Sets' (or whatever you have renamed it to). It may exist on any local disk, or a server for workgroup distribution.
3. Alternately, you can simply double-click on the sets file to launch Fonts Manager™, and go to that set!
• 10 Sets to choose from?
There are 11 'sets' you may make use of in your daily routine. 10 in the list PLUS the 'Custom' set. The 'Custom' set is a working set, and is normally used until you make a permanent set by saving it. You can rename each of the 10 sets. When you save a set, you may then immediately rename it, to make it unique.
• 20, 30, 40, 50... Sets?
Service Bureau Bonus! Each Fonts Manager™ sets file stores 10 Sets, so if you want 10 more, just Save the sets file, and make 10 new sets!
For example:
FM Sets (Christmas)
FM Sets (graphics)
FM Sets (magazines)
FM Sets (text books)
FM Sets (symbols)
With Fonts Manager™ sets files saved just 5 times, you have access to 50 unique font suitcase sets! Use your imagination. Some folks have thousands of fonts...
• Is a Restart really necessary?
YES. For the Finder to update its font list, you must restart. There are two work arounds for this, neither of which are approved:
- quitting the Finder
- removing all fonts to a particular folder, then dropping all of them back onto the 'closed' System Folder (this method takes longer than a restart in my experience)
Consider Fonts Manager™ in the same family as the Mac OS Extensions Manager™, and you'll appreciate the restart...
• Why manage printer fonts?
You'll find it easier to sort through your Fonts folder with this handy new feature. Also, some applications read ALL of the fonts in your Fonts folder, and if you've got too many printer fonts, it may take forever to build a fonts list...
Also, with too many printer fonts, it may take a while to open the Fonts folder in the System Folder...
Usage Tips
• You may keep Fonts Manager™ stored anywhere you like - I prefer the Apple Menu. To do this, open your System Folder, and drop Fonts Manager™ into your Apple Menu Items folder. Keep this ReadMe file handy. You may need it one day.
• For localized (non-US) System Software versions, to make command-key combinations work properly, select the 'US' keyboard layout from the layout (flag) menu just to the right of the Apple Guide menu.
• If you have a large number of fonts, you may wish to increase the memory allocation above 1024k. Get Info on a FRESH copy of Fonts Manager™, and change the Preferred Size. I would suggest starting with as much as 8192k, and working your way down, depending on the amount of unused RAM you have to work with.
• It's a good idea to quit all applications before running Fonts Manager™, so you'll have all of your memory available, but it is not necessary.
• How do I stop using Fonts Manager™?
I'm not sure why you'd want to, but some applications are not for everyone. It's easy! Just launch Fonts Manager™ one last time. Select 'ALL fonts' from the 'Sets' popup menu. Add the 'x' to the ATM™ box at the bottom. Quit.
The 'Fonts' folder in the System Folder should have all of your fonts inside. Inside the System Folder, trash the following two folders:
(Make sure each is empty before trashing.)
'Fonts (Printer Fonts)'
'Fonts (Suitcases)'
Restart. If you have more than 128 suitcases in your Fonts folder, you'll need to do something about that now (which is why you were using Fonts Manager™ most likely).
• International Version
This version of Fonts Manager™ can be used with ANY version of Mac OS, whether US or Localized for another country. If you're not using the US Mac OS, you may find that the custom set 'Mac OS fonts' does not work. This is correct. You'll need to make your own set for this. The 'Mac OS fonts' set is for US systems only (sorry - I'm only one person without enough time to install every foreign OS out there).
• Where do I keep Fonts Manager™?
Good question.
Answer: anywhere you like!
I prefer the Apple Menu...
TIP: If you are using multiple Fonts Manager™ sets and samples (as hundreds of you are, from your feedback), you may want to make a new folder in the Apple Menu called 'Fonts Manager™', and keep all of your sets and sample files there.
• Is Fonts Manager™ compatible with Apple's Language Kits?
It most certainly is! The language kits generally use TrueType fonts and possible some printer fonts or folders of specific font information. Fonts Manager™ can handle all of this just fine.
• Is Fonts Manager™ compatible with Conflict Catcher™?
It most certainly is! Just don't use Conflict Catcher™ to disable any fonts...
Technical Explanation
How does Fonts Manager™ work?
When you run Fonts Manager™, it scans the Fonts folder (inside the System Folder) for Suitcases and Printer fonts. It also scans two other folders if they are there (we'll talk about that in a moment). It then moves all items into the Fonts folder, in case something goes wrong with your computer. In an emergency, at least on crash/restart, all fonts will be in the Fonts folder as you would expect.
Then, you create your set(s), using the available menu items to view, sample, print the fonts as necessary.
When you quit Fonts Manager™, it will keep all the items in your "set" (the lists on the right half of the main Fonts Manager™ window) in the Fonts folder inside the System Folder, and move the rest of the items into one of two folders, depending upon the type of each font file. It moves font suitcases into a folder called "Fonts (Suitcases)" and moves printer fonts into "Fonts (Printer Fonts)" inside the System Folder. These files are disabled with respect to the System Software, so they will not "load" at startup. It leaves folders alone in the Fonts folder.
If a file is NOT a font suitcase, Fonts Manager™ will treat it as though it is a printer font. So, if you suddenly see items appearing in the printer font list, but you KNOW they are screen fonts, then they are probably NOT inside suitcases where they should be. Make suitcases for them immediately, or those screen fonts will be damaged.
A restart is necessary because the System is unaware you have a new font list.
Glossary
• Adobe Type Manager (ATM™)
Adobe Type Manager (ATM™) version 4.0.2 works best. It is bundled with the latest Mac OS. ATM™, when installed, will use the screen font's 'map', together with the printer font's 'vectors' to produce a smooth, scaled point size on screen.
ATM™ requires at least ONE bit-mapped (screen) font, along with its PostScript™ counterpart in the Fonts folder, to do its scaling magic. ATM™ also requires several other fonts that are installed at the same time that ATM™ is installed. To ensure these other fonts are always present in the Fonts folder, leave the x in the box at the bottom of the Fonts Manager™ main window. This will preserve the following suitcases/(and printer fonts): Adobe Sans MM/(AdobeSanMM), Adobe Serif MM/(AdobeSerMM), Symbol/(Symbo), and Zapf Dingbats/(ZapfDin).
If you use TrueType™ fonts, ATM™ is NOT REQUIRED at all; however, ATM™ has a secondary function: it enables the printing of scaled PostScript™ fonts to a QuickDraw™ printer, such as the StyleWriter series, the Personal LaserWriter LS/300, any HP DeskWriter series, or any Epson Stylus printer. All of these are examples of QuickDraw printers, since they do not store any fonts in the printer, nor do they automatically print PostScript.
• Authenticator for version 3.x
Authentication codes from all versions are supported (contact me directly if you have a localized (non-US) Mac). Just type in that old code...
• bit-mapped (screen) font
A bit-mapped or screen font file is used to produce type on the screen. It will have a point size after its name, like 'Geneva 9'. A font will appear 'jagged' on screen if its exact point size is not present.
NOTE: The terms 'bitmap font' and 'screen font' are the same.
• font suitcase
There are two types of font files that can live in a font suitcase: Type 1 bit-mapped (screen) fonts, and TrueType™ fonts. NEVER let a screen font file (bitmap or TrueType™) sit loose in the Fonts folder. It will very likely be damaged soon, if it is not already. Keep all screen font files and TrueType™ fonts in suitcases, safe and dry...
• jagged screen fonts
If a font is 'jagged' on screen, the bit-mapped (screen) font of the exact point size is missing. If printing is okay, then install Adobe Type Manager (ATM™). It will use the screen and printer fonts together to produce a 'scaled' bit map of the correct size for the screen.
• Mac OS fonts
This prefabricated set is helful in troubleshooting font conflicts, and can easily alert you to missing Mac OS fonts. These are the Mac OS font suitcases:
Apple Chancery *
Capitals ••
Charcoal •
Chicago
Courier
Gadget ••
Geneva
Helvetica
Hoefler Text *
Monaco
New York
Palatino
Sand ••
Skia *
Symbol
Techno ••
Tekton Plus **
Teletext †
Textile ••
Times
VT102Font °
___________________________
* QuickDraw GX additional fonts
** QuickDraw GX 1.1.5 and earlier
† TV/FM Software Installer 1.5.4
° Cyberdog
• Mac OS 8 additional font
•• Mac OS 8.5 additional font
• max number of PostScript™ (printer) fonts
There is no realistic limit to the number of PostScript™ font files in the Fonts folder. PostScript™ font files are NOT counted in the 128 suitcase limit. Fonts Manager™ has been rigorously tested from 0 to 1000 printer fonts. If you need to go higher than that, try increasing the memory allocation…
• max number of suitcases
Although you can cram a huge number of suitcases into the Fonts folder, only the first 128 suitcases (alphabetically) are recognized by the system. You may wish to consolidate some suitcases into one suitcase, to get under the 128 limit, but be practical.
For example, consolidating ALL TrueType fonts into ONE suitcase would NOT be very helpful, since you cannot look at the name of the suitcase and IMMEDIATELY KNOW what fonts are inside.
Fonts Manager™ has been rigorously tested from 0 to 800 suitcases. If you need to go higher than that, try increasing the memory allocation…
• PostScript™ (Type 1 printer) font
A PostScript™ font file consists of a scalable set of vectors that a PostScript™ printer (or ATM™) can use to scale the exact point size you need for printing (ATM™ also uses these for on-screen font-smoothing). Before System 7.1, printer fonts were stored in the Extensions folder in the System Folder. Then, with System 7.1, the Fonts folder was born, and all fonts live there now...
NOTE: The terms 'PostScript Font' and 'printer font' are the same.
• TrueType™ (scalable) font
TrueType™ fonts consist of scalable fonts with no sizes (in suitcases) which are used to output to BOTH the screen AND printer. Many folks use ONLY TrueType™ fonts for simplicity. If you wish to use ONLY TrueType™ fonts, and if your suitcase contains BOTH TrueType™ fonts and Type 1 screen fonts, it's a good idea to remove the Type 1 screen fonts, since you won't need them. A TrueType™ font file consists of BOTH a screen bit map AND printer vectors. Since this is an all-in-one font, there is no point size after its name. Yes, you CAN get by in your print shop just fine with ONLY TrueType™ fonts...
NOTE: The terms 'Type 1' and 'TrueType' are NOT the same.
• Type 1 fonts
Type 1 fonts consist of screen fonts of different sizes (in suitcases) used in conjunction with printer fonts (loose - often times in groups of 4 according to plain, bold, italic, and bold-italic). Many folks prefer the results of Type 1 fonts. Don't mix TrueType and Type 1 fonts in a font family (use one or the other for consistency). If you wish to use ONLY Type 1 fonts, and if your suitcase contains BOTH TrueType fonts and Type 1 screen fonts, it's a good idea to remove the TrueType fonts, since you won't need them.
