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Install a free iTunes-like font management app
Authored by: mm2270 on Sep 22, '05 01:22:56PM

I'm glad see competition in this market, considering how abysmal font management was for so long on OS X. I use FontAgent Pro, and like it, mostly. I only wish it didn't require copying/moving fonts around to manage them. However, it does a good job overall of cleaning up your font libraries and gives you a good interface to activate/deactivate, preview and manage them from. The interface for Font Explorer X is pretty nice too. In fact, a little nicer than FontAgent Pro's IMHO. Unfortunately, as mentioned in other comments here, it also requires fonts to be copied or moved a set location, so it's no better in that respect.

Beyond this, in my initial tests, FontExplorer X fails the auto activation tests badly. I tested activating 2 fonts, using them in a Photoshop PSD file, saving and closing said file, then deactivating them in FontExplorer and trying to reopen the PSD file. It correctly warned me that fonts needed to be activated, but I got stuck in an endless loop wher I was unable to click on any buttons (greyed out) not unlike comments from others using InDesign here. I had no choice but to force quit the app and Photoshop as well to get out of it. So, it needs work, unless you don't ask it to auto-activate fonts. But having auto-activation is like the holy grail for font management. I haven't found anything yet that is as seamless as ATM Deluxe was back in the day. FontAgent Pro running under Tiger is very close, but not quite there just yet. And this app has serious potential. They just need to work out the bugs. I'll be keeping my eye on this.



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Install a free iTunes-like font management app
Authored by: pub3abn on Sep 22, '05 02:50:49PM

"Unfortunately, as mentioned in other comments here, it also requires fonts to be copied or moved a set location, so it's no better in that respect."

Other comments here seem to indicate that is not the case.



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Install a free iTunes-like font management app
Authored by: mm2270 on Sep 22, '05 10:23:26PM

Yes, thank you. I read those comments after I posted my comment. Unfortunately, when I turned off the management feature, then auto-activation didn't work, as in it didn't even attempt to open the fonts. At least before it tried and got stuck. This led me to believe I turned off all font management. I still contend the app needs work, and apparently Linotype feels the same, otherwise this would be a final 1.0 release.

As I said before though, I'm glad to see competition in this market. It was looking pretty grim for font management on OS X for a while there, with only apps like Suitcase and the now nearly defunct Font Reserve. For now, I'll stick with FontAgent Pro, but I have an eye on this little app.



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FEX app does not have to move/copy fonts into it's directory
Authored by: kuupoika on Sep 22, '05 09:59:34PM

<b>Linotype FontExplorer does not have to move or copy the fonts...<b>

under the Advanced preferences tab simply turn off "Manage fonts" and it will allow you to keep your fonts anywhere... just like iTunes...

I have been running it since it appeared on MacUpdate a week or so ago and have it managing just over 7000 fonts with no problems... other than the cycling thru the dialogs when asking to activate a font that is not activated but is in the collection... not sure what is going on there... but if autoactivation is not a real big issue... all it does is slow the workflow down a tad having to manually activate a font... and surely this will be fixed in the final full release... overall a great smoothly functioning app...

I have used MasterJuggler and Suitcase... with Suitcase being the doggiest font app around... my wife has to use it daily and hates it... and always has hated it...

cheers



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