Screen Fonts issue

[Tech]

Re: Screen Fonts issue

How many of you guys are running Font Doctor X? I just started running the latest 7.3 version and it seems to pickup a ton of missing postscript/printer files from our font collection over the years. Looking at that long list of missing fonts, makes me wonder how this place got anything printed correctly (before I started working here)?

Does this mean, 1) Quark/Indesign has font collection problems? 2) We have been incredibly lucky that our vendors don't complaint about missing fonts as often as they should and simply loads fonts from their own library?

 

[disbellj]

Re: Screen Fonts issue

I used FontDoctorX to "clean up" and "organize" my fonts. I've done it at least a couple times already.

Let's just say this: Make sure you keep a backup copy of the fonts before FontDoctorX touched them. You just may (will?) need to go back to get a font. I have had to several times.

Don

 

[Tech]

Re: Screen Fonts issue

I been wondering the logic behind just gathering what's being used in a document. Is there any utilities or plug-ins that can force Quark/InDesign to collect entire suitcases and not just what's being used in a layout/file? This is really the main reason why font doctor is picking up so many missing postscript fonts.

Edited by: Tech on Oct 31, 2007 10:42 AM

 

[javadave]

Re: Screen Fonts issue

We refuse to use fonts that have been "collected" by XPress,
InDesign, or Flightcheck. Instead, we look at the fonts used in the
design and build new font sets containing complete font families. The
design files almost never use every variation that will be called for
in manuscript, so we're always having to add additional variations.
Plus, these collected sets cause all kinds of problems with fonts not
loading or working properly. It's better with OpenType than it was
with Type 1. With Type 1, collected suitcases almost never worked
properly. And even if they did, when you had to add additional faces
to get an italic or bold, they stopped working or refused to
acknowledge the additions.

I think the same logic applies to the often-required "delete all
unused styles." Why would you delete a style just because it's not
used in a given file? As soon as you do, you get corrections that
call for that style. You have to build it again, then you have
inconsistencies in your overall product.

David

 

[Tech]

Re: Screen Fonts issue

Hi David,
The situation you described has happened randomly on varies projects, both new and old files. Our vendors would simply kick it back and ask for missing fonts or they won't and things slip through.

Which is why I'm trying to figure out a way to quickly gather complete font suitcases instead of pieces. Of course, if there's a plug-in that runs in both Quark and InDesign is ideal. I can't expect our designers or freelancers to pull all fonts together the old fashion way. They'll look at me like I have horns growing out of my head. ^^;

Of course, the alternative is to have a complete PDF workflow, which we are slowly adapting, but we all know it's not easy to change old habits and PDF has other issues of it's own. Regardless, native files should and still be build correctly using complete fonts instead of pieces collected over the years. It's frustrating preflighting/troubleshooting files that uses TT/PS/OTF fonts.

Edited by: Tech on Oct 31, 2007 12:55 PM

 

[javadave]

Re: Screen Fonts issue

We don't even try to gather fonts anymore. We use only OpenType
fonts, so no more screen font suitcase problems. And we use FontAgent
Pro Server to maintain font sets for each project that are available
to everyone for activation. When a new project begins, we simply open
up the design files and look at which fonts are needed. Here, we look
only at font families, adding an entire family when any individual
font is required. We create a new set, add those fonts to the set,
and we're off! It takes only a few minutes this way, because in
FontAgent Pro Server, you can make multiple selections when adding
fonts to sets. So . . . a few minutes setting up the project set at
the beginning, and nobody else has to set up anything. When the
project is shipped off to the client for archival purposes, we just
export the set directly from FontAgent Pro Client.

David