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TICKET ARCHIVE -> Can't load fonts into Fontbook

Mister Fisher - Feb 28, 2008 - 9:17 pm

Hi

I have two macs. Both set up in the same way. The mac mini is fine, but I am having trouble with Font Book on my imac.

It will not allow me to load new fonts. I have tried with the main menu, the + button, and dragging and dropping.

I have restarted the machine, and I have run Font Doctor over all the fonts in my fonts folder.

They simply don't come up, or Font Book crashes.

Any clues?

Thanks guys.

Natobasso - Feb 29, 2008 - 9:57 am

Though FB is working on your one machine, I recommend you replace it on both with Font Explorer by Linotype (free):
http://www.linotype.com/fontexplorer

FontBook is buggy and not very good for font management but FE rocks! When you load it, Go to Tools/Clean System Font Folder and you'll optimize your system/fonts folder with only the required system fonts. Speeds up your machine a little bit.

Then move those moved fonts and all your other fonts to a folder in your hard drive called MY FONTS or whatever you like. Use FE and go to File/Add to Library and add that font folder you create.

Also, before doing all this, repair your permissions on the affected machine: apps/utilities/disk utility/repair permissions.

Mister Fisher - Feb 29, 2008 - 10:45 pm

Hi again

I am getting into a bit of trouble with Font Explorer.

I did as you suggested. I haven't thrown out FontBook though. Was I supposed to b4 I proceeded with the FE installation?

I got as far as 'Go to Tools/Clean System Font Folder'. Then trouble. It started the process, then brought up the box to ask for the password. But it wouldn't let me enter my password. The little coloured whirly circle kept spinning and we were getting nowhere. I tried to force quit, but the request for password and whirly thing wouldn't go. Had to close down with the button on back of machine. This happened 3 times all up.

regards Christine

Mister Fisher - Mar 1, 2008 - 2:28 am

Hi

I think I have misled you. I use Font Book and that is what I can't load new fonts into. Not FontBook. I believe Font Book is an apple application? I had a look at Fontbook, and yes it looks dodgy.

Christine

Natobasso - Mar 1, 2008 - 9:27 am

FontBook = Apple's font manager
FontExplorer = Linotype's free, and much better, font manager

Open FontBook and deactivate all fonts there. No need to delete the app, but it's important to not have it managing any fonts. Sorry I didn't mention that before.

When you clean your system fonts folder you need to take those moved fonts and put them in your user fonts folder, the MY FONTS (or similarly named) that I talked about.

Then load new fonts into FE by going to file/add fonts to library. You can make sets for different projects so don't activate all your fonts at once. That's the beauty of font management.