Fonts organization

[Carl]

If you use a lot of fonts it becomes very awkward and
time consuming to run through a large alphabetical list
every time you change a font.
Is there no way I can organize fonts into folders like
with favorites? So I would have folders like standard
fonts, script fonts, display fonts, symbols, fancy fonts,
kids fonts, project fonts, etc. Or is there a separate
program which can organize your fonts in a better way
then Windows does?
Thanks
Carl

 

[Sharon F]

If you use a lot of fonts it becomes very awkward and
time consuming to run through a large alphabetical list
every time you change a font.
Is there no way I can organize fonts into folders like
with favorites? So I would have folders like standard
fonts, script fonts, display fonts, symbols, fancy fonts,
kids fonts, project fonts, etc. Or is there a separate
program which can organize your fonts in a better way
then Windows does?
Thanks
Carl

There are many font organizing tools available. Some will let you install
and uninstall "packs" of fonts (that you create) on the fly. Features and
prices vary on these programs. There are packages available for average
home users and for professionals.

Pretty good programs for the average home user to manage fonts are "My
Fonts" (http://www.mytools.com/myfonts.html) and "X-Fonter"
(http://users.pandora.be/eclypse/). I've used both in XP and like them
equally well.

 

[David Candy]

Where are you viewing it. If in Explorer (type font in Start - Run), there is no requirement for fonts to be in the fonts folder. It's just that dragging a font into the fonts folder installs it to the default location of the fonts folder but if you use the File - Install New Font you can clear a checkbox to copy the font into the folder in which case the font in it's original location is used (this has always been the case since at least Win 3.1).

The Fonts folder, because it's special, shows installed fonts - not fonts or files in the folder. But by organising your fonts outside of the fonts folder may make it easier for you.

Also note that Fonts folder itself has some special viewing modes. By listing fonts similar to a known type of font would give you a semi accurate list of fonts of that style. See the View menu.

This download from MS tells you more than what you would want to know about a font. It adds an extra 9 pages to the properties dialog for a font.
http://www.microsoft.com/typography/property/property.htm?fname= &fsize=

Also if looking for a font and wondering if you already own it see http://www.microsoft.com/typography/fonts/default.asp for a list of what fonts come with what MS products as usually all fonts aren't installed if Setup is run in Typical mode.