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Previewing Fonts that are not "Installed"
#4458 09/29/09 12:53 AM
Joined: Aug 2009
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I have too many fonts to keep them all installed, or active. I have eBookfaces and FontBook. Neither allows me to preview a font prior to making it active. Sure, I can look them up on a font website, but I have nearly a thousand faces. Any ideas?


Mid 2010 MacBook Pro 13"
2.4GHz, 750GB SATA HD, 8 GB RAM, OS 10.7.5
1 HDX1500 2TB Ext.HD, 2 HDX1500 1TB Ext.HD
HP Laserjet 6MP printing postscript via 10/100 Intel print server
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Linksys WRT1900AC Wireless Router
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Re: Previewing Fonts that are not "Installed"
slolerner #4465 09/29/09 06:46 AM
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Font Book does what you're asking for, but only one font at a time. (Navigate to your font with a command-O dialog box.)

On the other hand, though, Leopard/Intel compatible FontDoc, which I've used, albeit sparingly, for several issue-free years, allows you to navigate to (command-O, again) and view the entire contents of a folder full of either installed or uninstalled fonts.

Hope this helps.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Previewing Fonts that are not "Installed"
artie505 #4466 09/29/09 07:11 AM
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Font Book only shows installed fonts and Font Doc opens folder by folder, not helpful. I want to see every font on my computer, installed or not, in a preview list.


Mid 2010 MacBook Pro 13"
2.4GHz, 750GB SATA HD, 8 GB RAM, OS 10.7.5
1 HDX1500 2TB Ext.HD, 2 HDX1500 1TB Ext.HD
HP Laserjet 6MP printing postscript via 10/100 Intel print server
Netgear WN2500RP Range Extender (Ira rocks!)
Linksys WRT1900AC Wireless Router
Brother MFC-9340CDW Color Laser
iPad Air
Re: Previewing Fonts that are not "Installed"
slolerner #4470 09/29/09 08:42 AM
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> Font Book only shows installed fonts [....]

As I mentioned, it can be made to show uninstalled fonts, but only one-at-a-time.

> [...] Font Doc opens folder by folder, not helpful. I want to see every font on my computer, installed or not, in a preview list.

Your "folder-by-folder" observation about FontDoc is correct, so I performed an experiment on your behalf...

1. I created a new folder called "Uninstalled Fonts" in /Users.

2. I moved /~/Library/Fonts (1 item) and /~/Library/Fonts Disabled (55 items) into said folder.

3. Using command-O in FontDoc I navigated to and selected the top folder, i.e. "Uninstalled Fonts," and clicked on "Choose."

4. The contents of both folders, 56 items, opened up in my FontDoc window.

I then performed another experiment...

5. I moved /~/Library/Fonts Disabled (which FontDoc does not recognize automatically) into /~/Library/Fonts (which FontDoc does recognize automatically).

6. I launched FontDoc and discovered that it did not recognize the contents of the new subsidiary /~/Library/Fonts Disabled folder.

and a third...

7. I found that Font Book>Users displayed all 56 fonts in the two folders in /~/Library, but, as already noted, only one-at-a-time.

Summarizing, then, you can view all of your uninstalled fonts at once, no matter how many folders hold them, as long as all those folders are subsidiaries in one "parent."

As for viewing all of your fonts, those installed in both OS X standard and non-standard locations, at once, I refer you to the 140 hits returned by a VersionTracker search for "font", and encourage you to do some (hopefully successful) digging and report back on your findings.

Edit: That, of course, is not meant to negate the possibility that some power user is aware of an app the suits your needs...merely to point out that I'm not your guy.

Last edited by artie505; 09/29/09 09:11 AM. Reason: Edit:

The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Previewing Fonts that are not "Installed"
slolerner #4487 09/29/09 06:15 PM
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Originally Posted By: slolerner
Font Book only shows installed fonts and Font Doc opens folder by folder, not helpful. I want to see every font on my computer, installed or not, in a preview list.

Try this...
  • Hit command-space and type (or paste) the text kind:font into Spotlight's search slot.
  • Select the 'Show All' menu item to bring up a window full of results.
  • Set the view however you like (icon, list, or coverflow).
  • Use QuickLook (spacebar) to preview the font. [note: while a QuickLook pane is open, we can still use the arrow keys to navigate around and preview the next font (i.e., without having to close the preview and hit the spacebar over and over repeatedly).]

Okay, it's not as nifty (feature-rich) as some shareware solution... but it's free (and pretty darn fast).

Plus that Spotlight search can be saved, and thus brought up almost instantly in the future.

-HI-

Last edited by Hal Itosis; 09/29/09 06:20 PM.


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Re: Previewing Fonts that are not "Installed"
artie505 #4497 09/29/09 08:14 PM
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Artie,

Since you mentioned FontDoc being only available for Leopard and Intel, I didn't try it. When I said it didn't work except for folder by folder, I meant eBookfaces. I DID find a version of FontDoc for Panther, and it works. All I have to do is tell it which folder to look in; I don't even have to move the folder!

Thanks Hal for the idea about Spotlight, but I am running Panther on an old Ti.

It turns out, instead of hundreds of faces, I, in fact, have four thousand typefaces. The job would have been hell without your help.

Thanks to all!

Last edited by slolerner; 09/29/09 08:15 PM.

Mid 2010 MacBook Pro 13"
2.4GHz, 750GB SATA HD, 8 GB RAM, OS 10.7.5
1 HDX1500 2TB Ext.HD, 2 HDX1500 1TB Ext.HD
HP Laserjet 6MP printing postscript via 10/100 Intel print server
Netgear WN2500RP Range Extender (Ira rocks!)
Linksys WRT1900AC Wireless Router
Brother MFC-9340CDW Color Laser
iPad Air
Re: Previewing Fonts that are not "Installed"
slolerner #4565 10/01/09 06:30 AM
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> Since you mentioned FontDoc being only available for Leopard and Intel, I didn't try it.

My bad; I overlooked the 10.3.9 in your sig. Sorry for setting you back a step.

> I DID find a version of FontDoc for Panther, and it works. All I have to do is tell it which folder to look in; I don't even have to move the folder!

Yep! And, as I said, if your fonts are in several folders you can move them into one parent and view the contents of all of them at once. (You're not able to view your installed and uninstalled fonts at once, though, are you?)

> It turns out, instead of hundreds of faces, I, in fact, have four thousand typefaces. The job would have been hell without your help.

I've kept FontDoc on my deuced Mac(hina) for years despite virtually never having used it, because it is so useful; I'm happy to have finally found a good home for it. smile


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Previewing Fonts that are not "Installed"
artie505 #4851 10/10/09 02:34 AM
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Yes, I made a pdf out of both installed and uninstalled fonts all together and in order. Thanks!


Mid 2010 MacBook Pro 13"
2.4GHz, 750GB SATA HD, 8 GB RAM, OS 10.7.5
1 HDX1500 2TB Ext.HD, 2 HDX1500 1TB Ext.HD
HP Laserjet 6MP printing postscript via 10/100 Intel print server
Netgear WN2500RP Range Extender (Ira rocks!)
Linksys WRT1900AC Wireless Router
Brother MFC-9340CDW Color Laser
iPad Air
Re: Previewing Fonts that are not "Installed"
slolerner #4855 10/10/09 07:42 AM
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> You're not able to view your installed and uninstalled fonts at once, though, are you?)

> Yes, I made a pdf out of both installed and uninstalled fonts all together and in order.

How did you manage to do that?

I've played with FontDoc and have not been able to get both my installed and uninstalled fonts to appear in the same window.

Thanks.


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire
Re: Previewing Fonts that are not "Installed"
artie505 #6968 12/25/09 03:53 AM
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Sorry, been too busy for awhile to respond. I used my backup CD that had ALL my fonts on it, including my system fonts, which I had copied to a folder. There are a few little setbacks, like some custom fonts that are logos, icon or symbol fonts, because you can't tell what the name of the file is (Braille one was easy enough to guess.) Also, because I keep fonts in folders depending on the vendor, but the font families grouped together in the .pdf that I printed and bound (a good thing), I have to use the finder search to load them because I have to find the vendor folder it is in. (Is that clear?) Anyway, it worked out great!


Mid 2010 MacBook Pro 13"
2.4GHz, 750GB SATA HD, 8 GB RAM, OS 10.7.5
1 HDX1500 2TB Ext.HD, 2 HDX1500 1TB Ext.HD
HP Laserjet 6MP printing postscript via 10/100 Intel print server
Netgear WN2500RP Range Extender (Ira rocks!)
Linksys WRT1900AC Wireless Router
Brother MFC-9340CDW Color Laser
iPad Air
Re: Previewing Fonts that are not "Installed"
slolerner #6976 12/25/09 08:41 AM
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> (Is that clear?) Anyway, it worked out great!

Yep, and thanks for responding.

Happy fonts...Happy Holidays. smile


The new Great Equalizer is the SEND button.

In Memory of Harv: Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. ~Voltaire

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