...which is better? I have a Mac with several thousand fonts to wade through. I'd like instant previews and for the app to sensibly handle corrupt fonts without throwing a wobbly.
Well, let me say first something about Suitcase: forget it! It's the worst font-app I've ever used.
I don't know Font Reserve, but if you're looking for a real pro-font-app which let's you do your work productive even with thousands of fonts then it's Font Agent Pro. I reccomend this one and nothing else.
Actually building the database takes some time. But it analyzes your fonts for corrupt and/or duplicates of them which will be a real benefit to your workflow. Comparing to Suitcase which does the job in an instant but still allows some corrupted fonts to be used ... I remember some really annoying crashes!
Rebuilding: Mine rebuilds the database only when I add fonts and that doesn't take so much time like the first time you build it. I do this maybe 1-2 times a week so even if I have to wait 1 minute every time it doesn't bother me.
It doesn't rebuild when you activate or disactivate the fonts. You don't even have to leave FA running all the time, and its autoactivation plug-ins work flawlessly.
I use it daily on a 867 Quicksilver running 10.3.3. Illustrator, InDesign, XPress and Photoshop.
Well, let me say first something about Suitcase: forget it! It's the worst font-app I've ever used.
I disagree. Suitcase X1 is a pretty decent font manager that provides everything you're looking for: good management options, instant previews, detection and repair (to some degree) of corrupted fonts.
That said, it's not great.. the UI is not as quite good as it could be, it lags and stutters with mysterious pauses a bit too often, and it can't always repair corrupted fonts.
I use suitcase. It does the job. I still miss ATM Deluxe (damn Adobe for killing it), but I can't spend all my time installing font managers and testing them out.
I just wish panther's font book was a little more versatile.
The only complaint I have about Suitcase is the long startup time it has, after I boot up or restart. Otherwise it does the job, integrates well with Adobe and Macromedia apps.
I have this experience with Suitcase auto-activation: opening a file activates the fonts (well, that's quite logic) but by closing the file the damn Suitcase auto-activation came up again, and that everytime. Very annoying.
Where I work we have 6,000 different fonts and we use Font Reserve. I hate it. It seems like it causes a lot of program crashes. My boss likes it and he thinks the auto activation is great. I don't care for it. If I want a font active I will activate it, if I don't I won't. With the auto activation it will sometimes activate fonts that you don't want.
Sometimes people will use one version of Helvetica but Font Reserve decides to auto activate a different version that you don't want. So you have to launch the Font Reserve browser and deactivate the one you don't want and activate the one you do want. So the auto activation didn't really save you any time. I just don't care for the auto activation feature.
I too was a huge fan of Adobe's ATM Deluxe. ATM Deluxe was great, it was simple but to the point with no extra crap that I didn't want or need. I also liked the way it allowed you to organize your fonts. I sure wish Adobe would make ATM Deluxe for OS X but I'm sure they won't.
I have never used Suitcase and so I can't comment on it. I would suspect that Suitcase and Font Reserve are going to become one product eventually. A long time ago I used to use Master Juggler and I know that they have an OS X version but I don't know anyone who has used it.
The only complaint I have about Suitcase is the long startup time it has, after I boot up or restart. Otherwise it does the job, integrates well with Adobe and Macromedia apps.
Isn't that just incredibly irritating? And starting up it hogs CPU like nobody's business, so that you can barely do anything else at normal speed until it loads.
Quote:
Originally posted by Tamarone
I have this experience with Suitcase auto-activation: opening a file activates the fonts (well, that's quite logic) but by closing the file the damn Suitcase auto-activation came up again, and that everytime. Very annoying.
You can set in each application's preferences that utilize the auto-activation plug-in (e.g. InDesign, Illustrator, Quark, etc.) whether to automatically deactivate the font or leave it on. Turning off the deactivation option will result a lot less turning on and off, and that message window popping up.
i've just download a trial of fontagent pro as i'm getting sick of suitcase.
the start-up time lag is a real pain in the a. and it has problems with some of my fonts, like today it just wouldn't activate any futura in indesign even though it said it was activated in suitcase.
tsk.
so running the trial version and i'm impressed so far! my machine actually feels snappierTM
and it picked up a load of font errors/conflicts on import.
Does Font Agent Pro give you the nasty lag like in Suitcase when you start up your computer? This is really annoying. It takes about one minute after the desktop comes up, where you cna't do a thing, becuase suitcase hogs the whole CPU.
Just today I got a font error in Suitcase. And for some reason Suitcase doesn't like my Helvetica.
Looks like I'll be testing out Font Agent Pro as well...
i just recently got to set up my mac at my new job, and as a result, installed suitcase which they have here, and it drives me nuts. maybe i am just not using it right, but its auto-activation plug-ins are overzealous, it can't resolve duplicates to save its digital life, and its system font handler makes no sense to me.
i am aching to go back to font reserve, which we used at my last place of employment, but now that extensis has bought them out, i have no idea if i am painting myself into a corner.
have not tried font agent pro to make a judgment. apparently alsoft, makers of diskwarrior, have also started masterjuggler again. no idea if it's any good, either...
Keep in mind that Extensis BOUGHT Font Reserve a while ago (and still sells both Font Reserve and Suitcase X1). Expect to see the best of both packages blended and combined into one app soon.
Comments
I don't know Font Reserve, but if you're looking for a real pro-font-app which let's you do your work productive even with thousands of fonts then it's Font Agent Pro. I reccomend this one and nothing else.
Link: Insider Software
Rebuilding: Mine rebuilds the database only when I add fonts and that doesn't take so much time like the first time you build it. I do this maybe 1-2 times a week so even if I have to wait 1 minute every time it doesn't bother me.
It doesn't rebuild when you activate or disactivate the fonts. You don't even have to leave FA running all the time, and its autoactivation plug-ins work flawlessly.
I use it daily on a 867 Quicksilver running 10.3.3. Illustrator, InDesign, XPress and Photoshop.
hope this helps
a
Originally posted by amarone
Well, let me say first something about Suitcase: forget it! It's the worst font-app I've ever used.
I disagree. Suitcase X1 is a pretty decent font manager that provides everything you're looking for: good management options, instant previews, detection and repair (to some degree) of corrupted fonts.
That said, it's not great.. the UI is not as quite good as it could be, it lags and stutters with mysterious pauses a bit too often, and it can't always repair corrupted fonts.
I use suitcase. It does the job. I still miss ATM Deluxe (damn Adobe for killing it), but I can't spend all my time installing font managers and testing them out.
I just wish panther's font book was a little more versatile.
The only complaint I have about Suitcase is the long startup time it has, after I boot up or restart. Otherwise it does the job, integrates well with Adobe and Macromedia apps.
Originally posted by Arbernaut
How big is your font database?
db: 2326
active: about 300
I have this experience with Suitcase auto-activation: opening a file activates the fonts (well, that's quite logic) but by closing the file the damn Suitcase auto-activation came up again, and that everytime. Very annoying.
Yeah, ATM was the best, miss it.
Sometimes people will use one version of Helvetica but Font Reserve decides to auto activate a different version that you don't want. So you have to launch the Font Reserve browser and deactivate the one you don't want and activate the one you do want. So the auto activation didn't really save you any time. I just don't care for the auto activation feature.
I too was a huge fan of Adobe's ATM Deluxe. ATM Deluxe was great, it was simple but to the point with no extra crap that I didn't want or need. I also liked the way it allowed you to organize your fonts. I sure wish Adobe would make ATM Deluxe for OS X but I'm sure they won't.
I have never used Suitcase and so I can't comment on it. I would suspect that Suitcase and Font Reserve are going to become one product eventually. A long time ago I used to use Master Juggler and I know that they have an OS X version but I don't know anyone who has used it.
Originally posted by trowa
The only complaint I have about Suitcase is the long startup time it has, after I boot up or restart. Otherwise it does the job, integrates well with Adobe and Macromedia apps.
Isn't that just incredibly irritating? And starting up it hogs CPU like nobody's business, so that you can barely do anything else at normal speed until it loads.
Originally posted by Tamarone
I have this experience with Suitcase auto-activation: opening a file activates the fonts (well, that's quite logic) but by closing the file the damn Suitcase auto-activation came up again, and that everytime. Very annoying.
You can set in each application's preferences that utilize the auto-activation plug-in (e.g. InDesign, Illustrator, Quark, etc.) whether to automatically deactivate the font or leave it on. Turning off the deactivation option will result a lot less turning on and off, and that message window popping up.
the start-up time lag is a real pain in the a. and it has problems with some of my fonts, like today it just wouldn't activate any futura in indesign even though it said it was activated in suitcase.
tsk.
so running the trial version and i'm impressed so far! my machine actually feels snappierTM
and it picked up a load of font errors/conflicts on import.
more soon
Just today I got a font error in Suitcase. And for some reason Suitcase doesn't like my Helvetica.
Looks like I'll be testing out Font Agent Pro as well...
i am aching to go back to font reserve, which we used at my last place of employment, but now that extensis has bought them out, i have no idea if i am painting myself into a corner.
have not tried font agent pro to make a judgment. apparently alsoft, makers of diskwarrior, have also started masterjuggler again. no idea if it's any good, either...