Font management software

Font management software is a kind of utility software that computer users use to browse and preview fonts and typically to install and uninstall fonts. Some font management software may be able to also:

  • activate and deactivate fonts (users can do this manually; sometimes programs will do this in conjunction with specific software)
  • protect fonts that are required by the system by preventing them from being uninstalled
  • organize fonts by groups and libraries
  • find and uninstall corrupt fonts
  • rename font files
  • view fonts that are not currently installed
  • print font samples or font books illustrating some or all of the fonts on the system
  • sort fonts according to different criteria
  • search for fonts meeting specific criteria

Objectives

Font management software generally possesses more font management capabilities than most operating systems.

Finding and Evaluating Fonts

Font management software allows its users to catalogue and inspect fonts on their system. Font management software allows its users to view a font in multiple ways.

Users can inspect the font in more detail, such as looking at the fonts glyphs, or comparing another font.

Font management software may also provide detail on the glyph count of a font, if the font can be embedded (such as in a PDF), or the creator of the font.

System Stability

Font management software may be able to activate or deactivate fonts depending on when they are needed. This reduces the load on the system to keep many font active at the same time.

Some font management programs can activate fonts or a specific group of fonts when a program or document launched. When the program or document is closed, the font management software can deactivate the same fonts. This method of activating fonts can activate fonts on the fly (such as during a specific project), reducing the load on the system.

Linux-based operating systems generally do not pre-load fonts on a system-wide basis. Instead, each application loads them as it needs them. Current Linux desktop environments (such as KDE and Gnome) manage fonts for applications using their internal framework library calls for font display, allowing management of fonts via the GUI.

List of font management software

Note: Information on supported fonts is not readily available from many manufacturers. However, most of the major commercial programs support OpenType and TrueType fonts.

Name Operating system License Author Publisher Supported fonts Notes
BDF Font Viewer Windows Freeware Komeil Bahmanpour Chortkeh
Connect Fonts MacOS, Windows Proprietary OpenType TT (OTF or TTF), OpenType PS (OTF), PostScript CID, Multiple Master (MM), TrueType, TTC, Apple Advanced Typography (AAT), Datafork TrueType (dfont), Color Fonts. Syncs with Google Fonts and Adobe Fonts Classic desktop font manager with additional web-based tools for remote access and font suggestions.
DiskFonts Mac OS, Windows Proprietary Anastasiy Bitmap, OpenType, TrueType Font manager panel for Adobe Creative Suite (CS3, CS4, CS5), supports FontExpert groups
Elara Online Font Manager Mac OS, Windows, Linux, BSDs and others Proprietary Everything Fonts TrueType, OpenType, Woff and many other formats Works directly from the browser. No local install necessary.
FontBase Mac OS, Windows, Linux Free Dominik Levitsky Studio OpenType, TrueType
FontAgent Server Mac OS, Windows Proprietary Insider Software OpenType, TrueType
FontExpert Windows Proprietary Proxima Software OpenType, TrueType, TTC, WOFF (preview and create), Bitmap and vector (*.fon)
Font Explorer X Pro Mac OS, Windows Proprietary Linotype/Monotype
Font-Manager Linux, BSDs GNU General Public License Jerry Casiano font-manager project programmed in Vala, depends on GTK+ 3
Fontmatrix Mac OS, Windows, Linux and BSDs GNU General Public License Pierre Marchand Hosted on GitHub OpenType, TrueType programmed in C++, depends on Qt
MainType Free Edition Windows Free High-Logic OpenType TT (OTF or TTF), OpenType PS (OTF), PostScript CID, TrueType, TTC, Color Fonts, Variable Fonts The free edition supports up to 2500 fonts in your font library and can only be used by a non-commercial entity for personal, educational and non-commercial use.
MainType Windows Proprietary High-Logic OpenType TT (OTF or TTF), OpenType PS (OTF), PostScript CID, TrueType, TTC, Color Fonts, Variable Fonts
NexusFont Windows Free Noh JungHoon Xiles OpenType, TrueType,
RightFont Mac OS Proprietary Markly Team
Suitcase Fusion Mac OS, Windows Proprietary Extensis OpenType TT (OTF or TTF), OpenType PS (OTF), PostScript CID, Multiple Master (MM), TrueType, TTC, Apple Advanced Typography (AAT), Datafork TrueType (dfont), Color Fonts Fully-featured font manager.

OS support and partner application support info Was previously merged with Font Reserve. Evolved into Connect Fonts.

Suitcase TeamSync Mac OS, Windows Proprietary Extensis Same as Suitcase Fusion Cloud-based font server that serves as an optional central backend for Suitcase Fusion. Evolved into Connect Fonts.
Typeface Mac OS Proprietary Floor van Steeg By Default OpenType, TrueType, WOFF, TTC, Datafork TrueType (dfont), PostScript CID, Color Fonts, Variable Fonts Native local font manager for macOS. Syncs with Google Fonts.
Universal Type Server Mac OS, Windows Proprietary Extensis Same as Suitcase Fusion On-site/local font server that serves as an optional central backend for Suitcase Fusion.

Server OS support and compatibility Client OS support and compatibility

X-Fonter Windows Proprietary Blacksun Software Truetype, OpenType, PostScript Type 1, raster, vector

Discontinued font management software

Note: Information on supported fonts is not readily available from many manufacturers. However, most of the major commercial programs support OpenType and TrueType fonts.

Name Operating system License Author Publisher Supported fonts Notes
Adobe Type Manager Light (ATM Light) Mac OS 8.6 through 9.1, Mac OS X Classic; Windows 95, 98, NT 4.0 with Service Pack 4 Free Adobe Systems Discontinued: ATM Deluxe and ATM Light were discontinued in 2005.[1][2]
Advanced Font Viewer Windows Proprietary Styopkin Software
AMP Font Viewer Windows Free AMPsoft OpenType, PostScript Type 1, TrueType
California Fonts Windows Free The Scone Company, LLC OpenType, Postscript Type 1, TrueType Discontinued: Blocked by Win 10.
Font Card Mac OS 10.4 (but not Mac OS X 10.6 Leopard) Proprietary Unsanity OpenType, PostScript, TrueType Discontinued: Website no longer active.[3] Modifies the Font menu and the font panel in Carbon and Cocoa applications. Supports FontAgent Pro, FontExplorer X, and Suitcase Fusion font sets.
Fontcase Mac OS X Proprietary Bohemian Coding Discontinued: Fontcase was discontinued in November 2013.[4] Bohemian Coding currently develops UX design app Sketch
FontDrop Mac, Windows Proprietary Ramon Mendes MI Software *.ttf, *.otf Discontinued: Website points to spam site. Allows to drag'n'drop fonts directly to Sketch or Photoshop creating a new text layer
Font Fitting Room Deluxe Windows Proprietary Qweas Microsoft Windows (*.fnt, *.fon), OpenType (*.ttf, *.ttc, *.otf), PostScript Type 1 (*.pfm, *.pfb), TrueType (*.ttf, *.ttc) Last release date in 2013 (as of April 2022)
Font Frenzy Windows Free Timothy Williams (computer programmer) SDSoftware Last updated in 2010
Font Manager Windows Proprietary Styopkin Software Website offline, last update in 2010[5]
Font Pilot OS X Proprietary Koingo Software Discontinued in 2008
FontRainbow Windows Proprietary Tony Wicks Everclear Systems MS TrueType / TT Collections, MS OpenType, Adobe Type 1, Adobe OpenType Discontinued: Website active but screenshots are from Windows Vista.

The first program to use Everclear System's "Rainbow Interface"

Font Safari Mac OS 9+ Proprietary Dreystone Software Last updated in 2006
Font Wrangler Windows Shareware/bookware Alchemy Mindworks TrueType Does not support Windows 12
Font Xplorer Windows Free Ahto Tanner Moon Software TrueType, OpenType (only those with TrueType outlines) Discontinued: No mention of Font Xplorer on developer website.

Does not support Adobe Type 1 fonts or OpenType fonts with PostScript outlines.

Free & Easy Font Viewer Windows Free Styopkin Software Only views characters A-I, a-i, 0-9 and basic punctuation of installed fonts. See Advanced Font Viewer for improved features.
gnome-specimen Linux, BSDs GNU General Public License gnome-specimen OpenType, PostScript Type 1, raster, TrueType, vector Package removed from Debian in 2018[6]
MasterJuggler OS X Proprietary AlSoft Outline, OpenType, PostScript, printer, screen, TrueType Discontinued[7]
The Font Thing Windows Free Sue Fisher Sue Fisher TrueType A legacy font management program; has not been updated since 1999, though apparently is still popular among some users
Typograf Windows Proprietary Alex Neuber Neuber Software GmbH Truetype, OpenType, PostScript Type 1, printer, raster, vector Only supports Windows up to Windows 10 https://www.neuber.com/typograph/
Opcion Font Viewer Java Free P. Chiu Opcion Last update: 08.2007. Windows .exe installer may not work with current versions of Java (above 1.5.9).
Printer's Apprentice Windows Proprietary Bryan T. Kinkel Lose Your Mind Development OpenType, PostScript, TrueType Last update, 1/25/2017 – Supports Windows 10

References
  1. ATM Discontinued
  2. "ATM Light". adobe.com. Retrieved 3 November 2016.
  3. "Unsanity". unsanity.com. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  4. Retiring Fontcase
  5. "Font Viewer for Windows 7, Vista, XP, Free and Easy Font Viewer, Advanced Fonts Viewer". 25 May 2021. Archived from the original on 25 May 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  6. "gnome-specimen – Debian Package Tracker". tracker.debian.org. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  7. "MasterJuggler Support". ALSOFT. Retrieved 25 April 2022.

Further reading
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