Font management software is a kind of utility software that computer users use to browse and preview fonts and typically to install and uninstall fonts. Some font management software may be able to also:
- activate and deactivate fonts (users can do this manually; sometimes programs will do this in conjunction with specific software)
- protect fonts that are required by the system by preventing them from being uninstalled
- organize fonts by groups and libraries
- find and uninstall corrupt fonts
- rename font files
- view fonts that are not currently installed
- print font samples or font books illustrating some or all of the fonts on the system
- sort fonts according to different criteria
- search for fonts meeting specific criteria
Objectives
Font management software generally possesses more font management capabilities than most operating systems.
Finding and Evaluating Fonts
Font management software allows its users to catalogue and inspect fonts on their system. Font management software allows its users to view a font in multiple ways.
Users can inspect the font in more detail, such as looking at the fonts glyphs, or comparing another font.
Font management software may also provide detail on the glyph count of a font, if the font can be embedded (such as in a PDF), or the creator of the font.
System Stability
Font management software may be able to activate or deactivate fonts depending on when they are needed. This reduces the load on the system to keep many font active at the same time.
Some font management programs can activate fonts or a specific group of fonts when a program or document launched. When the program or document is closed, the font management software can deactivate the same fonts. This method of activating fonts can activate fonts on the fly (such as during a specific project), reducing the load on the system.
Linux-based operating systems generally do not pre-load fonts on a system-wide basis. Instead, each application loads them as it needs them. Current Linux desktop environments (such as KDE and Gnome) manage fonts for applications using their internal framework library calls for font display, allowing management of fonts via the GUI.
List of font management software
Note: Information on supported fonts is not readily available from many manufacturers. However, most of the major commercial programs support OpenType and TrueType fonts.
| Name | Operating system | License | Author | Publisher | Supported fonts | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BDF Font Viewer | Windows | Freeware | Komeil Bahmanpour | Chortkeh | ||
| Connect | MacOS, Windows | Proprietary | Extensis | OpenType TT (OTF or TTF), OpenType PS (OTF), PostScript CID, Multiple Master (MM), TrueType, TTC, Apple Advanced Typography (AAT), Datafork TrueType (dfont), Color Fonts. Syncs with Google Fonts and Adobe Fonts | Classic desktop font manager with additional web-based tools for remote access and font suggestions. | |
| DiskFonts | Mac OS, Windows | Proprietary | Anastasiy | Bitmap, OpenType, TrueType | Font manager panel for Adobe Creative Suite (CS3, CS4, CS5), supports FontExpert groups | |
| dp4 Font Viewer | Windows | Freeware | Stephan Deutsch | Digital Performance | OpenType (OTF), TrueType (TTF) | Portable font manager and viewer, with advanced search and filtering capabilities. |
| Elara Online Font Manager | Mac OS, Windows, Linux, BSDs and others | Proprietary | Everything Fonts | TrueType, OpenType, Woff and many other formats | Works directly from the browser. No local install necessary. | |
| FontBase | Mac OS, Windows, Linux | Freeware | Dominik Levitsky Studio | OpenType, TrueType | ||
| FontAgent Server | Mac OS, Windows | Proprietary | Insider Software | OpenType, TrueType | ||
| FontExpert | Windows | Proprietary | Proxima Software | OpenType, TrueType, TTC, WOFF (preview and create), Bitmap and vector (*.fon) | ||
| Font Explorer X Pro | Mac OS, Windows | Proprietary | Linotype/Monotype | |||
| Font-Manager | Linux, BSDs | GNU General Public License | Jerry Casiano | font-manager project | programmed in Vala, depends on GTK+ 3 | |
| Fontmatrix | Mac OS, Windows, Linux and BSDs | GNU General Public License | Pierre Marchand | Hosted on GitHub | OpenType, TrueType | programmed in C++, depends on Qt |
| MainType Free Edition | Windows | Free | High-Logic | OpenType TT (OTF or TTF), OpenType PS (OTF), PostScript CID, TrueType, TTC, Color Fonts, Variable Fonts | The free edition supports up to 2500 fonts in your font library and can only be used by a non-commercial entity for personal, educational and non-commercial use. | |
| MainType | Windows | Proprietary | High-Logic | OpenType TT (OTF or TTF), OpenType PS (OTF), PostScript CID, TrueType, TTC, Color Fonts, Variable Fonts | ||
| NexusFont | Windows | Free | Noh JungHoon | Xiles | OpenType, TrueType, | |
| RightFont | Mac OS | Proprietary | Markly Team | |||
| Suitcase Fusion | Mac OS, Windows | Proprietary | Extensis | OpenType TT (OTF or TTF), OpenType PS (OTF), PostScript CID, Multiple Master (MM), TrueType, TTC, Apple Advanced Typography (AAT), Datafork TrueType (dfont), Color Fonts | Fully-featured font manager. OS support and partner application support info Was previously merged with Font Reserve. Evolved into Connect Fonts. | |
| Suitcase TeamSync | Mac OS, Windows | Proprietary | Extensis | Same as Suitcase Fusion | Cloud-based font server that serves as an optional central backend for Suitcase Fusion. Evolved into Connect Fonts. | |
| Typeface | Mac OS | Proprietary | Floor van Steeg | By Default | OpenType, TrueType, WOFF, TTC, Datafork TrueType (dfont), PostScript CID, Color Fonts, Variable Fonts | Native local font manager for macOS. Syncs with Google Fonts. |
| Universal Type Server | Mac OS, Windows | Proprietary | Extensis | Same as Suitcase Fusion | On-site/local font server that serves as an optional central backend for Suitcase Fusion. Server OS support and compatibilityClient OS support and compatibility Archived 9 May 2017 at the Wayback Machine | |
| X-Fonter | Windows | Proprietary | Blacksun Software | Truetype, OpenType, PostScript Type 1, raster, vector |
Discontinued font management software
Note: Information on supported fonts is not readily available from many manufacturers. However, most of the major commercial programs support OpenType and TrueType fonts.
| Name | Operating system | License | Author | Publisher | Supported fonts | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adobe Type Manager Light (ATM Light) | Mac OS 8.6 through 9.1, Mac OS X Classic; Windows 95, 98, NT 4.0 with Service Pack 4 | Free | Adobe Systems | Discontinued: ATM Deluxe and ATM Light were discontinued in 2005.12 | ||
| Advanced Font Viewer | Windows | Proprietary | Styopkin Software | |||
| AMP Font Viewer | Windows | Free | AMPsoft | OpenType, PostScript Type 1, TrueType | ||
| California Fonts | Windows | Free | The Scone Company, LLC | OpenType, Postscript Type 1, TrueType | Discontinued: Blocked by Win 10. | |
| Font Card | Mac OS 10.4 (but not Mac OS X 10.6 Leopard) | Proprietary | Unsanity | OpenType, PostScript, TrueType | Discontinued: Website no longer active.3 Modifies the Font menu and the font panel in Carbon and Cocoa applications. Supports FontAgent Pro, FontExplorer X, and Suitcase Fusion font sets. | |
| Fontcase | Mac OS X | Proprietary | Bohemian Coding | Discontinued: Fontcase was discontinued in November 2013.4 Bohemian Coding currently develops UX design app Sketch | ||
| FontDrop | Mac, Windows | Proprietary | Ramon Mendes | MI Software | *.ttf, *.otf | Discontinued: Website points to spam site. Allows to drag'n'drop fonts directly to Sketch or Photoshop creating a new text layer |
| Font Fitting Room Deluxe | Windows | Proprietary | Qweas | Microsoft Windows (*.fnt, *.fon), OpenType (*.ttf, *.ttc, *.otf), PostScript Type 1 (*.pfm, *.pfb), TrueType (*.ttf, *.ttc) | Last release date in 2013 (as of April 2022) | |
| Font Frenzy | Windows | Free | Timothy Williams (computer programmer) | SDSoftware | Last updated in 2010 | |
| Font Manager | Windows | Proprietary | Styopkin Software | Website offline, last update in 20105 | ||
| Font Pilot | OS X | Proprietary | Koingo Software | Discontinued in 2008 | ||
| FontRainbow | Windows | Proprietary | Tony Wicks | Everclear Systems | MS TrueType / TT Collections, MS OpenType, Adobe Type 1, Adobe OpenType | Discontinued: Website active but screenshots are from Windows Vista. The first program to use Everclear System's "Rainbow Interface" |
| Font Safari | Mac OS 9+ | Proprietary | Dreystone Software | Last updated in 2006 | ||
| Font Wrangler | Windows | Shareware/bookware | Alchemy Mindworks | TrueType | Does not support Windows 12 | |
| Font Xplorer | Windows | Free | Ahto Tanner | Moon Software | TrueType, OpenType (only those with TrueType outlines) | Discontinued: No mention of Font Xplorer on developer website. Does not support Adobe Type 1 fonts or OpenType fonts with PostScript outlines. |
| Free & Easy Font Viewer | Windows | Free | Styopkin Software | Only views characters A-I, a-i, 0-9 and basic punctuation of installed fonts. See Advanced Font Viewer for improved features. | ||
| gnome-specimen | Linux, BSDs | GNU General Public License | gnome-specimen | OpenType, PostScript Type 1, raster, TrueType, vector | Package removed from Debian in 20186 | |
| MasterJuggler | OS X | Proprietary | AlSoft | Outline, OpenType, PostScript, printer, screen, TrueType | Discontinued7 | |
| The Font Thing | Windows | Free | Sue Fisher | Sue Fisher | TrueType | A legacy font management program; has not been updated since 1999, though apparently is still popular among some users |
| Typograf | Windows | Proprietary | Alex Neuber | Neuber Software GmbH | Truetype, OpenType, PostScript Type 1, printer, raster, vector | Only supports Windows up to Windows 10 https://www.neuber.com/typograph/ |
| Opcion Font Viewer | Java | Free | P. Chiu | Opcion | Last update: 08.2007. Windows .exe installer may not work with current versions of Java (above 1.5.9). | |
| Printer's Apprentice | Windows | Proprietary | Bryan T. Kinkel | Lose Your Mind Development | OpenType, PostScript, TrueType | Last update, 1/25/2017 – Supports Windows 10 |
Further reading
- Dhall, Sachin (25 September 2008). "25+ Font Management Tools Reviewed". Smashing Magazine. Smashing Media GmbH. Retrieved 6 September 2010.
- Phinney, Thomas (7 October 2007). "Windows Font Management has sucked". Adobe Typblography blog. Adobe Systems. Retrieved 6 September 2010.
- Rutter, Richard (7 October 2007). "Matrix of fonts bundled with Mac and Windows operating systems, Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suite". 24 Ways to Impress Your Friends. Richard Rutter. Retrieved 15 October 2010.
- "The best font manager". Windows Secrets (WindowsSecrets.com). 18 October 2007. Retrieved 6 September 2010.
References
ATM Discontinued http://www.adobe.com/products/atm/ ↩
"ATM Light". adobe.com. Retrieved 3 November 2016. http://www.adobe.com/products/atmlight.html ↩
"Unsanity". unsanity.com. Retrieved 25 April 2022. https://www.unsanity.com/ ↩
Retiring Fontcase https://bohemiancoding.tumblr.com/post/65603011680/retiring-fontcase ↩
"Font Viewer for Windows 7, Vista, XP, Free and Easy Font Viewer, Advanced Fonts Viewer". 25 May 2021. Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20210525013745/http://www.styopkin.com/ ↩
"gnome-specimen – Debian Package Tracker". tracker.debian.org. Retrieved 25 April 2022. https://tracker.debian.org/pkg/gnome-specimen ↩
"MasterJuggler Support". ALSOFT. Retrieved 25 April 2022. https://www.alsoft.com/support-masterjuggler ↩