Font management software


Font management software is utility software that computer users use to browse and preview fonts and typically to install and uninstall fonts. In addition, depending on the individual font management program's capabilities, users can also:
Fonts - and therefore font-management programs - support people in a variety of professions: graphic designers, publishers, web-site designers, interface designers, illustrators, packaging designers, typeface designers, letterpress printers, motion-graphic and film-title designers, advertising agencies, signage and wayfinding, industrial designers, and architectural firms that have in-house 2D design-staff who work with signs and typography.
These people require fonts as a basic part of their job. They purchase their fonts and typefaces either directly from type foundries large and small, such as Adobe Systems, Carter & Cone, Dalton Maag, Font Shop, Frere-Jones Type, Hoefler & Co, Linotype, Monotype Corporation, Paratype, P22, Stone Type Foundry, TypeNetwork; or from websites specializing in selling fonts. Eventually, they may end up with tens or even hundreds of thousands of fonts; hence the need to manage those fonts. Effective, reliable, and easy-to-use font management can help.

Objectives

Most operating systems come with basic font management abilities, limited to installing or uninstalling; however, people who use many typefaces need font management software with more capabilities.

Ease of Finding and Evaluating Fonts

When there are hundreds or even thousands of fonts on a system, font management software makes it easier to find, organize, and evaluate specific fonts. Using font management software, people can organize their fonts in ways that suit their needs. They can also view specific fonts in a variety of ways, such as by character or size, to better evaluate a font's suitability for a specific purpose.
Once a font is found, a person can view the individual glyphs, and can visually compare two or more fonts with each other.
Font management software often provides details on fonts such as how many glyphs are in the font, whether the font can be embedded, and the person or foundry that created the font.

System Stability

One of the valuable uses of font management software is to improve system performance. Keeping thousands of fonts active can slow down many systems. In taking advantage of a font manager's ability to activate fonts when they are needed, users can reduce the system's font load.
This capability is especially important on older versions of the Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh operating systems, as with those systems, fonts are normally always active and available to all programs that use or display text. However, these operating systems have internal limits on active fonts; beyond that point, you may experience system problems.
Some font management programs can activate one font, several fonts, or a specific group of fonts when a specific application or document is launched. When the application or document is closed, the font management software can deactivate those same fonts. That way, fonts that are needed only for specific applications or projects can be made available on the fly, then put away when not needed, thereby reducing the load on the operating 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, leaving no need for a font management program. However, current Linux desktop environments manage fonts for applications using their internal framework library calls for font display, thus allowing management of fonts centrally and comfortably via the GUI.
Many Linux distributions supply a font server program for distributing fonts over a network.

List of font management software

Note: Surprisingly, information on supported fonts is not readily available from many manufacturers. However, at a minimum most of the major commercial programs support OpenType and TrueType fonts.
NameOperating systemLicenseAuthorPublisherSupported fontsNotes
Adobe Type Manager Light Mac OS 8.6 through 9.1, Mac OS X Classic; Windows 95, 98, NT 4.0 with Service Pack 4Adobe SystemsATM Deluxe and ATM Light were discontinued in 2005.
Windows
WindowsOpenType, PostScript Type 1, TrueType
BDF Font ViewerWindowsKomeil BahmanpourChortkeh
WindowsOpenType, Postscript Type 1, TrueTypeBlocked by Win 10.
Mac OS X, Windows Bitmap, OpenType, Postscript Type 1, TrueTypeFont manager panel for Adobe Creative Suite, supports FontExpert groups
Linux, BSDs, OS X, Windows, and othersTrueType, OpenType, PostScript Type 1, Woff and many other formatsWorks directly from the browser. No local install necessary.
Mac, Windows, LinuxDominik Levitsky StudioOpenType, TrueTypeFast viewing speed. Works with autosync from Dropbox and Google Drive. Can be used to activate fonts in all modern design applications, like Adobe CC and Sketch.
Mac, WindowsOpenType, PostScript Type 1, TrueTypeSupports Adobe Creative Cloud 2015 and Quark 2015, Mac Windows Linx
Mac OS 10.4 OpenType, PostScript, TrueTypeModifies the Font menu and the font panel in Carbon and Cocoa applications. Supports FontAgent Pro, FontExplorer X, and Suitcase Fusion font sets.
Mac OS XFontcase was discontinued in November 2013
Mac, WindowsRamon Mendes*.ttf, *.otfAllows to drag'n'drop fonts directly to Sketch or Photoshop creating a new text layer
WindowsOpenType, TrueType, TrueType Collections, PostScript Type 1, WOFF, Bitmap and vector With plug-ins for Adobe Creative Suite products
Mac, Windows
WindowsMicrosoft Windows, OpenType, PostScript Type 1, TrueType
Font FrenzyWindowsTimothy Williams SDSoftware
Windows
Linux, BSDsJerry CasianoLast update: 2016-10-16, programmed in Vala, depends on GTK+ 3
FontmatrixLinux, BSDs, OS X, WindowsPierre MarchandOpenType, TrueTypeLast update: 2011-09-30, programmed in C++, depends on Qt
OS X
WindowsTony WicksMS TrueType / TT Collections, MS OpenType, Adobe Type 1, Adobe OpenTypeThe first program to use Everclear System's "Rainbow Interface"
Mac OS 9+Last updated in 2006
WindowsTrueType
WindowsAhto TannerTrueType, OpenType Does not support Adobe Type 1 fonts or OpenType fonts with PostScript outlines.
WindowsTrueType
WindowsOnly views characters A-I, a-i, 0-9 and basic punctuation of installed fonts. See Advanced Font Viewer for improved features.
Linux, BSDsOpenType, PostScript Type 1, raster, TrueType, vector
WindowsHigh-Logic

OpenType TT, OpenType PS, PostScript Type 1, PostScript CID, TrueType, OpenType Collection, Color Fonts, Variable FontsThe 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. This is the only font manager supporting . The contain more features and support large font collections.
WindowsHigh-Logic

OpenType TT, OpenType PS, PostScript Type 1, PostScript CID, TrueType, OpenType Collection, Color Fonts, Variable FontsFont manager designed for graphic artists, typographers, and other power users who demand high-end functionality such as network support, plug-ins, advanced categorizing, searching capabilities, and fast searches for the fonts that you need. This is the only font manager that can handle . It is also the only font manager supporting .
OS XOutline, OpenType, PostScript, printer, screen, TrueType
WindowsNoh JungHoonOpenType, TrueType, Type 1Last update: 11.2015. Provides: Organisation by file location and user-defined groups of folders, user-defined Collections, user-defined tags, duplicate identification.
JavaP. ChiuLast update: 08.2007. Windows.exe installer may not work with current versions of Java.
WindowsBryan T. KinkelOpenType, PostScript, TrueTypeLast update, 1/25/2017 - Supports Windows 10
Mac OS XRightFont is a brand new font manager app for Mac OS X, helping designers to preview, sync, install and manage fonts on your Mac or Dropbox/Google Drive.
RightFont also added font organization functionality for Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Sketch, etc, and provides auto font activation feature for Adobe Photoshop & Sketch documents.
OS X, WindowsOpenType TT, OpenType PS, PostScript Type 1, PostScript CID, Multiple Master, TrueType, TrueType Collection, Apple Advanced Typography, Datafork TrueType, Color FontsFont manager for designers who need to organize, activate and deactivate fonts on macOS and Windows. Includes font auto-activation plug-ins for Adobe Creative Cloud applications – Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, InCopy and After Effects, as well as QuarkXPress. Installable on up to two machines per license, and keeps font synced between the them using the Extensis cloud.
Was previously merged with Font Reserve
OS X, WindowsOpenType TT, OpenType PS, PostScript Type 1, PostScript CID, Multiple Master, TrueType, TrueType Collection, Apple Advanced Typography, Datafork TrueType, Color FontsFont manager for teams who need to organize, activate and deactivate fonts on macOS and Windows without installing a local font server. Uses Suitcase Fusion as the client, which is included in the annual subscription. Includes font auto-activation plug-ins for Adobe Creative Cloud applications – Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, InCopy and After Effects, as well as QuarkXPress.
WindowsSue FisherTrueTypeA legacy font management program; has not been updated since 1999, though apparently is still popular among some users
WindowsAlex NeuberNeuber Software GmbHTruetype, OpenType, PostScript Type 1, printer, raster, vector
OS X, WindowsOpenType TT, OpenType PS, PostScript Type 1, PostScript CID, Multiple Master, TrueType, TrueType Collection, Apple Advanced Typography, Datafork TrueType, Color FontsFont manager for teams who need to organize, activate and deactivate fonts on macOS and Windows with an on-premise font server. Tightly controls distribution of fonts to a team, report on team font use and ensure font license compliance.
WindowsTruetype, OpenType, PostScript Type 1, raster, vector