FontAgent Pro : Do You Use It?
Do any of you guys use this application? If so, do you think that it's better than Suitcase or Font Reserve? I'm interested in finding out about its font-preview feature. I guess the quickest solution is to download the trial.
<a href="http://www.insidersoftware.com/products/fontagentpro/index.html"; target="_blank">http://www.insidersoftware.com/products/fontagentpro/index.html</a>;
<a href="http://www.insidersoftware.com/products/fontagentpro/index.html"; target="_blank">http://www.insidersoftware.com/products/fontagentpro/index.html</a>;
Comments
They gve it four-and-a-half mice
Here's what they say in regards to font previewing:
[quote]The lower right pane contains Font Player, an iTunes lookalike. Font Player is actually a versatile preview engine that lets you sample type size, font color, background color and text. Further kerning, spacing and ligature controls found in the Fonts menu let you refine your preview.<hr></blockquote>
However, they say its major drawback is that it limits you to viewing only one font at a time, unlike Suitcase (I currently use Suitcase, but the review makes me want to give FontAgent Pro a try...I'll probably download the demo as well).
The review closes with:
[quote]Where there were once two contenders for the title of font-management champion, now there are three. FontAgent's new activation and preview features, combined with its continued excellent font-organization and -repair capabilities, make it much more than a mere complement to Font Reserve and Suitcase. This challenger looks as though it's prepared to take more than a few rounds.<hr></blockquote>
I guess they dig it.
Macworld's Pros and Cons:
Pros: Fast, intuitive interface; strong font-repair and -organization features; control over system fonts
Cons: Previews only single fonts unless you make a PDF; no printed documentaion; no autoactivation plug-ins available yet for Adobe Illustrator (BUT, in the review, they say the company expects the Illustrator plug-ins to be available by mid-February).
If you also got the new Macworld in the mail already and all the above is old news to you, I apologize profusely.
Otherwise, hope some of the above helps.
[ 02-02-2003: Message edited by: pscates ]</p>
I also went to the official website, and from the small screenshot I thought that they had a full-on scrollable list of fonts always available.....so they don't?
WHY is it that so many of these developers are missing the freaking BOAT? I went to Adobe's boards and was angered to see people there telling other forum posters that "professionals don't need WYSIWYG font previews". It totally blew me away that nobody understands how influential it can be to have viewable samples of your typeface collection available at all times. I'll go look at the FontAgent site again to make sure that I understand the preview function of this app.....
thanks for the posting pscates!
D
Now I'm using Suitcase and I don't like it 1/3 as much as I did Adobe's product.
You'd think they if they can write those huge apps for OS X (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesignl, Acrobat, etc.), how tough could it be (or how long could it take) to make ATM Deluxe OS X native?
Honestly, that has been about the only true "bummer" in my whole migration to OS X. I started using X full-time in March and haven't gone back (or booted into Classic) once at home.
But I sure miss my old Adobe font organizing/activating app! It was pretty near perfect...at least for my needs.
If everyone using Macs and Adobe stuff chimed in together, do you think Adobe might reconsider?
I can understand WYSIWYG font menus, sure. I never use them, to be honest, but I think - in many cases - they'd be nice to have. Sometimes, those headline/display typefaces are hard to assess at the size a font name appears in a menu, so it's one of those things that could go either way and I understand.
As long as whatever type utility I'm using lets me preview fonts quickly and easily, I'm happy with that.
Working here at home, I pretty much know my fonts, what they look like, what I'm going for, etc. But at work and all (or in a temp position, if you're not really used to the particular set-up at a place), WYSIWYG menus ARE nice, no doubt!
I'm fighting a battle against an arse over at the Adobe Boards about this issue. He's waging a one-man battle against those of us who are pushing for a WYSIWYG feature for Illustrator.
During my posts an idea came to me.....okay check this out:
First of all, lets say that Illustrator 11 inherits Photoshop's toolbar complete with palette well, I think we can all see this feature coming down the pike...right?
Okay, now add a BRAND NEW palette devoted exclusively to Font Management! Wa-ha!!!
This palette may (or may not) work in conjunction with a NEW and IMPROVED version of Adobe Type Manager Deluxe Deluxe (that's two deluxes if you're counting).
It's kind of like the brushes palette in Photoshop, kind of like the file manager too....mostly it's the same paradigm. You can set it to represent your typefaces in their own fonts...and while we're at it, why not let the selected type change to the new font on the fly (if you set the app to do it....that way you don't slow down older machines).
Any thoughts on this?
This is fun!
Originally posted by drewprops
I'm fighting a battle against an arse over at the Adobe Boards about this issue. He's waging a one-man battle against those of us who are pushing for a WYSIWYG feature for Illustrator.
Any thoughts on this?
Pardon my dragging this one up, but I've been paddling around for font-handling/previewing tools lately (like, the last 3 days).
I'd bet that pros would rather have their notebooks of font samples be available "at any moment" - MUCH faster to reach for the book & go to the spot (remember all that guff about 'muscle memory' & (minor) interface changes during the Aqua squawk in 2000? NOTHING compared to the uncanny ability of a person to know RIGHT WHERE to turn in EXACTLY WHICH book (after years of practice, of course)....
EVERY "WYSIWYG" font 'feature' I've looked at is slow (and irritating) as hell on a 2x1 MDD PowerMac (yeah, let's not go there...at least I'm off the WallStreet), and had me yearning for a program that would (semi-) automate the printing of specimen sheets, instead of rebuilding that damn' menu every time I click for it.
Best thing I found (along such lines) is FontBook, but it only sees installed fonts & has absolutely NO management ability at all (much like some bosses I've worked for).
So, like drewprops asked, Who uses what for fonts?
And I'll extend it by adding "...and what 's the best for managing fonts?"
Well, indeed, Typeset is the best of the ones I've tried, in that I can drop any folder of fonts on it and get a preview.