font collection management ideas?

[musenut]

I have a library of 5000+ fonts that I want to organize usefully for design - serif, sans-serif, display, scripts, etc. Does anyone know of any software that will actually sort the fonts in some kind of useful way (ie - compare it to a database of known fonts and their styles?)

thanks!

 

[oxburger]

Nope. But if you find one, post it here. It would be a really useful tool. It would be nice to divy them up: Serif, Sans Serif, Script, Decorative, Handwriting, etc. If you have font management software, like Font Explorer, you can always create new sets and drop in your fonts accordingly. Would take a lot of time, but might be worth it.

 

[Banditto1]

Adobe Type Manager, on install, would search your entire system, and then it had editing tools which would allow you to eliminate duplicates. I am not sure if they still supply the software though.

 

[pcmodem]

Font Agent Pro can organize your fonts by Name and then the software allows you to search through your fonts based on many different parts of information about the font, just like what you have mentioned. It even allows you to search different font vendors online.

 

[Stephen Marsh]

Linotype have "FontExplorer X", which has a free version (that will no longer be updated and has no support) and commercial versions which also offer a trial:

FontExplorer® X - Download

I have mixed feelings on this product, I would compare the various options available, the market competition is strong.

One review for OS X here (I am presuming that you are Mac based):

The Mac OS X font managers review


Stephen Marsh

 

[musenut]

font explorer

font explorer

I am mac based and currently use Font Explorer. I havent figured out how to make it differentiate between fonts - you can search for those that have 'serif' r script in their titles or description but this only goes so far. were your mixed feelings for font agent pro or font explorer?

 

[Shawn]

I haven't tried it, but fontcatalog claims to do what you want.
FontCatalog - The Type Reference Tool for Graphics Professionals

It's $29 with a 10 run free demo.

Shawn

 

[Stephen Marsh]

I am mac based and currently use Font Explorer. I havent figured out how to make it differentiate between fonts - you can search for those that have 'serif' r script in their titles or description but this only goes so far. were your mixed feelings for font agent pro or font explorer?

Font Explorer.

You get what you pay for I guess, and I use the free version. When it was originally released in beta, I wondered why Linotype would give this away, it was fully featured and it was being updated and bug fixed. I thought it was simply trying to do an "iTunes" - being a gate to the Lino font store. I did not see any mention of the product being abondoned and a pay version replacing it, although in hindsight it makes sense.

I have not tried the demo for the updated pay version, if and when it comes to that I would see what all the competing products have to offer.

Stephen Marsh

 

[Jules]

Try the demo version of the new Extensis Suitcase Fusion 2 software, it should be capable to separate fonts per families.

Currently it is one of the best choice to handle fonts under mac os X, aong with the demo download the guide called: Font Best Practices in OSX v6.