Using a font manager with Xara

**evogel99** · 16 February 2007, 04:50 AM

I downloaded a trial of Suitcase. In a limited test it works beautifully with XXP. If I deactivate a font that Xara has up, the font falls back to a default. If I reactivate the font, the font immediately snaps back to its correct value.

When I open a file with the fonts it wants deactivated, Xara tells me and will show me which fonts are missing.

Nice.

**alanstancliff** · 17 February 2007, 04:38 AM

Originally Posted by WolfMoonHP

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...

Gawd Will,

My name is Alan, and I am helpless in the face of fonts, and my life has no meaning without them. Font completely rule my life.

How'd you get the monkey off your back?

**Hwy101** · 18 February 2007, 12:49 AM

Originally Posted by evogel99

I downloaded a trial of Suitcase. In a limited test it works beautifully with XXP. If I deactivate a font that Xara has up, the font falls back to a default. If I reactivate the font, the font immediately snaps back to its correct value.

When I open a file with the fonts it wants deactivated, Xara tells me and will show me which fonts are missing.

Nice.

Evogel - Suitcase use to be a Mac Font Manager... Did they Port to the PC? Can You still make a Suitecase of the Fonts used in a Particular Project?
(that way Install as needed to work on Project & UnInstall when done)

**Hwy101** · 18 February 2007, 01:39 AM

Originally Posted by alanstancliff

Gawd Will,

My name is Alan, and I am helpless in the face of fonts, and my life has no meaning without them. Font completely rule my life.

How'd you get the monkey off your back?

Hello Will - Hello Alan - My Name is Tom - I am a 'Font-aholic' too
(shhhh, not to mention that I also "have" to 'Save' most all the Files & Images Posted so I can try to pick them apart and learn/catch up to You Guru Folk <sigh> )

Get Rid of the Monkey!?! Heck, I HAVE to Feed Him!

(or else!)

Is this the 12-Step Forum? ;-^)

**wall** · 23 April 2007, 03:46 PM

Just came across a nice offer: go to http://www.free-downloads.net and see the coupon page - it gives 50% off for Main Type 2! For 20 bucks it's really a nice deal. It appears to be an old promotion, but it's still applicable.

Thought this info might be of interest to some fellow Xara users.

I've tested a few similar tools and Main Type has the better handling of Unicode, where most other font managers failed...

**DAL** · 24 April 2007, 02:13 AM

I use The Font Thing. I believe it's free and though it took me some time to make my own groups and sort things it was well worth it. It makes it much easier when I'm looking for a certain kind of look. After the initial sorting it's pretty easy to sort fonts as I get them so everything stays up to date. One drawback is It only seems to recognize true type fonts though later versions may be different. I hate to upgrade unless I really have to. I get used to things as they are.

**FAx** · 25 April 2007, 02:48 PM

Extensis Suitcase 9.2 + Suitcase Server 10 = best and easy solution to keep and organize fonts in whole company. Fonts, installed to server - momentally avalable on all PC's with Suitcase client.

ps. I wait next Suitcase version with great feature "Activate Font on-fly". I have 12 font sets and everytime-I-need going switching sets to Suitcase annoying me. 8-)

**freon** · 04 May 2007, 10:23 PM

Hi everyone!
I use FontExplorerL.M. as my Font manager almost a year. VERY Fast, stable, no bugs and it has excellent management options. You can scan your hard-drive(s) and create unique font database. Fonts will be automatically sorted by name, style, supported character sets, width, weight, family and type. Search & Filter fonts feature is awesome!!
http://www.lanmisoft.com/fontexplorerlm.htm

**House-Dad** · 05 May 2007, 09:52 AM

My wife has. Her suitcase is extensive for even a night away.

Sorry, but I could not resist it.

**GeoBen** · 05 May 2007, 03:55 PM

Wolf....

yeah, baby! I don't have as many as you, but I too am an inveterate collector, with the same result... scores of fonts that I will NEVER use, but refuse to part with.

as for font managers, I poked around for years, trying this and that, always happy with one feature or two, but always missing something that i thought crucial.

then i found a tip on another graphics forum...

Bitstream's Font Navigator is thought by many to be the best... alas, it was acquired by COREL some time ago and is only available bundled with DRAW.

but.... you can d/l a trial version of DRAW (be sure to select FN in the installation) and then uninstall DRAW and .... FN is still there, fully functional.

It is my manager of choice. has all the things i need and is easy to use.

hope this helps.

geo.

irrelevant addenda: why the hell is there a 'c' in acquired? I ALWAYS mispell that word!.