Using a font manager with Xara

**evogel99** · 15 February 2007, 03:38 AM

I am on the verge of springing for a font manager. I have found several discussions on font managers in this forum, but I want to ask those who use them with Xara about the mechanics and work flow.

Since Xara seems to keep its fonts in a private file. Windows of course has its own font folder. Font managers seem to work by keeping the font files in a private folder and managing shortcuts in the windows font folder. So, how does one set up a font manager to work with Xara?

Also, if I use a font in a .xar that I have temporarily loaded, and some time later I open the .xar file when the font is again "offline", will Xara tell me what font is missing?

Thanks!

**stlewis** · 15 February 2007, 08:41 AM

On fontmanagers... I use FontRainbow; this is set to monitor one or more disks. Installing/deinstalling a font is done simply by clicking in one of its columns. I have not then investigated whether it copies the file - or as you suggest - simply adds/deletes a link that Windows sees. To get a clear view on the fonts I have, I move them all into a folder I call 'Font Library' - and then set FR only to monitor the drive that is on.

....Hmmmm.... if you install via XPro, this is not visible to FR. Equally, if I then uninstall in Xpro, this further confuses FR. This confirms my view that it may be best to use a single fontmanager only! I use just FR - if you install via this, the font appears happily enough in the main font drop-down of XPro.

On XPro (and all other versions), yes on opening a file you get a warning if a font is missing. You can see the fonts used in File/Document Info - it marks the missing ones with an *.

**MEB** · 15 February 2007, 02:46 PM

Hi evogel99,
I use Font Expert by Proxima Software as my font manager. It provides a lot of info about the fonts i have installed, supports Adobe Type 1, TrueType, OpenType and raster fonts and it allows you to decide the way it manages the fonts: it can load a font file temporaly in a current windows session so you can use it (and then removes the font after windows restart) or it can install it permanently (copying the file or adding a shortcut to the windows fonts folder, you decide).

It has a preview with kerned text (you can turn it off if needed) and a solid set of features for advanced users (find, filtering, organize by sets retc etc)
It even includes a plug-in for Adobe Indesign CS2 that automatically loads any missing fonts from a document. And another one should be available soon for Illustrator.

Regarding my workflow, i keep all my fonts in a custom folder and set Font Expert to manage it. When i need to install a font i just simply select it and either install permanently or temporaly to windows fonts folder depending the type of work i´m doing and it becomes automatically available to all programs.
Font Expert don´t move or delete any files from my custom folder so i know everything is always there.
When opening a document in Xara with missing fonts, i check in xara wich fonts are missing (File->Document Info) and open Font Expert to install them.

Would be great if Proxima software develop a plug-in for Xtreme Pro to automatically load any missing fonts from a document without any user action.

**WolfMoonHP** · 15 February 2007, 02:53 PM

I am going to be really interested in following the discussion in this thread.

I am a total font junkie. My current collection is in excess of 20,000.

And in spite of all the good advice about not overloading the font folder in Windows, I had to set myself severe limits. I try never to have more than 1,000 fonts installed!

I think I probably need a font manager that comes with a whip and chain...

---
Will

**MEB** · 15 February 2007, 03:18 PM

Originally Posted by WolfMoonHP

And in spite of all the good advice about not overloading the font folder in Windows, I had to set myself severe limits. I try never to have more than 1,000 fonts installed!

I think I probably need a font manager that comes with a whip and chain...

---
Will

I used to have the same problem overloading the windows fonts folder.
For those working in lots of documents/designs etc it quickly becomes a problem.
One of the features i appreciate most in Font Expert (althought i´m unable to use it

) is his ability to automatically load missing fonts from a document in InDesign. That feature alone, if available in Xtreme would worth the price of the software.
I´ve made a request in their forums regarding this subject. Let´s wait and see...who knows.

**amoore** · 15 February 2007, 03:36 PM

Originally Posted by Miguel B.

It even includes a plug-in for Adobe Indesign CS2 that automatically loads any missing fonts from a document.

Does it automatically unload the fonts when you close the document? The number of active fonts isn't supposed to affect XP (

), but it can certainly affect some applications.

...i keep all my fonts in a custom folder...

Mine are in custom folders on a partition that's separate from the operating system. They're segregated by format and source. That way, I know where they came from, and I can account for the fonts used in my projects. That is, I "usually" know where they came from. Unfortunately, so many apps feel entitled to dump fonts on my system (

) that it becomes a job for a font sleuth to sort them out.

One thing you want to look for in a font manager is the ability to create groups that you can activate or deactivate in one step. That way, you can quickly ensure that the fonts for a given project are active without having to waste time tracking them down.

evogel99, as Miguel mentioned, Xara's Document Info lists the fonts for a file and notes whether or not they're currently active. You'll also see an asterisk by the font name on the Text function property bar when the focus is on a string whose assigned font is missing.

And, Will, I'm also fond of fonts, although I doubt that I'm up to 20,000. But having 1,000 fonts active at one time sounds like a nightmare to me.

All that scrolling, if nothing else. I generally stay under 200, activating only what I need right now.

**WolfMoonHP** · 15 February 2007, 04:09 PM

Allison, I admit it...I'm a junkie. If I go a week without getting any new fonts, I start to go through withdrawal.

To show you how bad I am, I actually have a huge folder full of fonts, labelled "Do Not Install," since I don't like them. But I didn't delete them.

How sick is that?

Anyway, I got busy today and moved a lot of fonts out of my Windows font folder, and stripped it down to a bare minimum...

**amoore** · 15 February 2007, 06:37 PM

I'm very proud of you, Will. I know that was hard.

**handrawn** · 15 February 2007, 09:04 PM

Originally Posted by WolfMoonHP

Allison,
To show you how bad I am, I actually have a huge folder full of fonts, labelled "Do Not Install," since I don't like them. But I didn't delete them.

How sick is that?

Not half as sick as having the same full of cartoons that you hate but keep because they are 'research', cant really be that bad, or warning do not do this

**evogel99** · 15 February 2007, 11:32 PM

Thanks for the great response!

"When opening a document in Xara with missing fonts, i check in xara wich fonts are missing (File->Document Info) and open Font Expert to install them."

Does that mean the fonts are picked by Xara without having to reopen the .xar? Also, is this true in XXPro?

Also, does anyone have experience with Extensis Suitcase?