Linotype Font Explorer X

[Paul Davy]

A free, very Mac, font management utility from Linotype.
http://www.linotype.com/fontexplorerX
IMHO a fantastic alternative to Font Book. I'ts kind of iFont...very similar to use to iPhoto, iTunes. Brings font management back to where we were with ATM under OS9 and earlier, without having to stump up any cash.

 

[Ric]

Hi Paul,

I too like Font Explorer, good old Linotype !

Didn't you use "Suitcase" for font mangement in the OS 9 days...

regards

Ric

 

[Paul Davy]

Hi Ric. When I first cut my teeth in the print industry, in the murky OS7 days a mixture of Suitcase or ATM Deluxe (adobe type manager, for the younger readers) were always around, but I confess I always preferred ATM. (ATM was a system component, but the deluxe version was a font manager as well.)
Since OSX and the rather baffling way X handles fonts (I mean, 3 fonts folders...not sure I approve) I personaly, can't work without something with a little more oomph than Fontbook and I think Linotype as a freebie, is at least as good as Suitcase, and a lot more intuitive IMHO. Oh and did I mention free? I like free.
ATM Deluxe , unless memory fails me, disappeared some time ago?
I think Suitcase is able enough, as is font book (both still the tool of choice on work machines) but my own macs have been running Linotypes offering since it was introduced.

 

[Ric]

I was always a Suitcase man, yes ATM was the component that rendered the font on the screen by using the Postscript (Printer) bit...The Deluxe version did, also do the font management.

If you didn't have ATM in your Extensions folder then you got nice jagged fonts on screen !

From memory ATM had a tilde in front of the name so that it loaded first...

~ATM

...ahhh the good old days !

;-)

regards

Ric