Managing Fonts in OS X:
Tips, Techniques, and Resources

If you're having trouble managing fonts in Mac OS X, welcome to the club. Here are some articles, tutorials, PDFs and web sites that should help you out.

Note: More general font resources are listed in the OpenType Resources page.

OS X and Fonts: Tips from DesignGeek e-zine

Best OS X Font Resources for from Apple's Site

Mac OS X 10.4: Fonts List

The list includes of all fonts that come with Tiger and its associated packages. The list is divided by package and notes the installation location of the fonts and which fonts cannot be removed. If you've installed Tiger over a previous version of Mac OS X or if you customized your installion, compare the list against your fonts.

Introduction to Font Management in OS X

This helpful online tutorial from Apple shows you different ways to manage fonts in OS X and even includes video training in some of the sections.

 

Advanced Typography in Mac OS X (PDF, 1.3MB)

This is not just for advanced typography (really dumb title), it covers the latest Apple information about fonts in OS X from beginning to advanced. Learn how to deal with Classic fonts in Panther, how to manage server-based fonts, and how to navigate the font panel. Don't miss the special sections just for design and production departments!

 

Mac OS X: Font Locations and Their Purposes

Short and sweet tech note on 1) How to install fonts in OS X; 2) Where they're located; and 3) What's the "order of preference" (where does the system look first for a font, then next, and so on). One interesting bit of info from the note: "Duplicate fonts are resolved based on the order of precedence defined for the standard Fonts folders." That's how it's supposed to happen, but that's not how it works for Adobe and Microsoft software. "I don't need your steenking order of preference..."

User Communities into OS X Fonts

Typophile Forums

Vibrant community of typeface designers and those who just love typefaces. The best place to ask OS X font-related questions is probably the subtopic 'General Discussions'.

 

Comunidad Hispana

I just had to figure out a place to put this link. It's a special interest forum on Typophile.com (see above) just for members of the Spanish-speaking community; hard to find on the web. Topics discussed are wide-ranging, but they all have to do with fonts (I'm sure some are about "OS Equis") and they're all in Spanish.

Other Great Resources for Using and Managing OS X Fonts

World's Best Forum Post: How to Prune Unnecessary OS X Fonts

No, you don't need GillSans.dfont in your /Library/Fonts folder, and yes, you can delete it without "logging in as root" or making your system explode or similar hoo-hah. The careful, comprehensive and straightforward instructions set forth by this member of Apple's forums (updated for Tiger) on pruning your system of unnecessary .dfonts was suitably recognized as deserving of "permanent sticky" (never scrolls off) status on the forum. Especially valuable for designers who need to avoid duplicate typefaces.

 

Troubleshooting Fonts in OS X

I suppose Adobe tech support got tired of so many trouble calls that had more to do with fonts in OS X than with Adobe software that they wrote up this Tech Note.

.dfontifier Utility

This donation-ware utility from OS X font wizard Mark Duoma converts Mac OS X-style .dfonts (datafork fonts) into ordinary TrueType fonts; allowing you share them with OS 9 and Windows users and vendors.

 

FontBook Helper

Note: For Panther (10.3) or earlier, only! From the same developer as dfontifier, Font Book Helper colors the icon of Type 1 screen fonts so they're easier to tell apart from Type 1 printer fonts in Finder windows.

 

Font Doctor

Font Doctor is a utility that examines your fonts and alerts you to any damaged ones. Sometimes it can even fix them. But the best thing is that it allows OS X users to open and edit screen font suitcases. It even lets you create new, empty suitcases so you can rebuild "fresh" ones.

 

Font/DA Mover 4.1

This System 6-era Mac utility runs in Classic just fine in OS X. It lets you open and edit bitmap font suitcases no matter where they're located on your Mac, and edited suitcases work without incident in OS X.

 

OS X Font Management Software:

Linotype FontExplorer X
Extensis Suitcase Fusion (Single-user, Mac OS X only)
Extensis Suitcase Server/Client (Workgroup, cross-platform solution)
Extensis Font Reserve Server/Client (50+ Workgroup, cross-platform solution)
Alsoft MasterJuggler
Insider Software FontAgent Pro

Is one better than the other? Who knows. Each has its fervent defenders on all the listservs and forums. Surprisingly, I've never seen a head-to-head-to-head-to-head comparative review in any design or Mac magazine.