macos x and fonts. a lost oportunity.
Why -Oh, why- Apple has forgotten the fonts in MacOs X.
A programmer can answer this, but I don´t understand why grouping fonts by family isn´t a macos level feature. Each applicattion has now the responsability of this.
The result is that each aplication manages the grouping fonts family diferent. Adobe do, FreeHand don´t, etc.
No third part utility is able to do. ¿Why it´s so dificult with MacOs X?
This is a crucial feature for serious user. The font list is now a long unreadable list with Bhelvetica, Chelvetica, etc.
I don't understand too why apple uses postscript fonts for his systems applications. ¿The result? You can't deactivate helvetica sistems fonts and this crash whith other Helvetica fonts used in professional documents (Indesign, FreeHand, etc)
¿Why we can't deactivate asian fonts? Always appears in programs menu fonts and is very disturbing because tne vast mayority of users don´t need them.
A programmer can answer this, but I don´t understand why grouping fonts by family isn´t a macos level feature. Each applicattion has now the responsability of this.
The result is that each aplication manages the grouping fonts family diferent. Adobe do, FreeHand don´t, etc.
No third part utility is able to do. ¿Why it´s so dificult with MacOs X?
This is a crucial feature for serious user. The font list is now a long unreadable list with Bhelvetica, Chelvetica, etc.
I don't understand too why apple uses postscript fonts for his systems applications. ¿The result? You can't deactivate helvetica sistems fonts and this crash whith other Helvetica fonts used in professional documents (Indesign, FreeHand, etc)
¿Why we can't deactivate asian fonts? Always appears in programs menu fonts and is very disturbing because tne vast mayority of users don´t need them.
Comments
Originally posted by juan carlos
The result is that each aplication manages the grouping fonts family diferent. Adobe do, FreeHand don´t, etc.
Is this true for Cocoa applications too? The Cocoa font panel seems to handle font families and custom groups of fonts automatically. I guess Carbon apps like the ones from Adobe and Macromedia either can't or don't, I'm not sure which.
Originally posted by BuonRotto
Is this true for Cocoa applications too? The Cocoa font panel seems to handle font families and custom groups of fonts automatically. I guess Carbon apps like the ones from Adobe and Macromedia either can't or don't, I'm not sure which.
i think its don't but i could easily be wrong
The funny thing is, all the sites still separate the fonts by Mac and PC. They haven't realized yet that OS X can use all of them.
I guess Carbon apps like the ones from Adobe and Macromedia either can't or don't, I'm not sure which.
ALL recent versions of Adobe apps have Type Reunion lib built-in -- since Illustrator 8 I believe.
And the Cocoa font panel also handles font grouping inconsistently. Fonts in the same suitcase are grouping, whereas a family of fonts in seperate suitcases are shown as seperate fonts. And there is currently no way to manipulate fonts in OSX.
It might not have the answers you want, and it might not even solve all the problems you have, but it's a pretty thorough treatment of how fonts are treated in OS X, and the current means of managing them. I'm sure Apple is getting feedback about the shortcomings of the current system, but it can't hurt to send any feedback you have their way: http://www.apple.com/macosx/feedback/
Carbon applications now have access to the built-in Font panel, but as is the case with Carbon in general, support has to be coded in explicitly. Bug the application developers if you want to see support. I don't think Adobe will bother, because they're trying to make their apps as identical as possible across platforms, including GUI, font management, color management, etc. So I wouldn't pin any serious hope on their adoption of the Font panel (although, in fairness to Adobe, they did roll in AppleScript support...).
Might as well plug this thing for Stone Design:
http://www.stone.com/FontSight/FontSight.html
I don't think I'll have much use for this since I use the font panel anyway without complaint, but maybe it helps? (Maybe not.)
Originally posted by 709
Anybody here know of an OSX type application like Fontographer?
I don't like it as much as Fontographer, but there's FontLab.
-Heady
Fontographer seems to have been left behind in the mists of time...
Originally posted by fred_lj
Isn't this what you want?
Suitcase allows you to peruse your collection, turn fonts off and on and generally organize them. It does not create a font menu like Reunion.
Also, the cocoa font panel does have groupings but they are not automatic--the user has to add fonts where they want (Apple starts you off with some basic groups). You can not include/ exclude fonts or turn them on or off. Also, you have to keep the annoying panel on screen rather than access a menu.
A more normal font drop menu with auto and manual groups that understands font families and can include/exclude fonts is what is really needed. I was very surprised to discover OSX didn't have this feaure; it seemed like an obvious thing to do for a company like Apple.