Font Management Essential Training

Course details

When you're working with type, you need a plan for sourcing, organizing, validating, and managing the hundreds or even thousands of fonts on your computer. Take control of your fonts to avoid issues, work faster, and put your focus back on creativity. In this course, Mike Rankin explains the different types of fonts and font licenses available on Mac and Windows and shows where you can acquire new fonts. He demonstrates how to use the built-in macOS and Windows tools as well as third-party software such as Suitcase Fusion to manage font libraries. He also provides tips on organizing fonts, troubleshooting common font problems, and creating your own unique fonts with InDesign or an iPad.

Learning objectives
What is a font?
TrueType, PostScript, and OpenType fonts
Web fonts and SVG fonts
Finding fonts
Buying fonts
Fixing font problems
Adding and removing fonts on Mac and Windows
Using Font Book for font management on Mac
Using other font management software
Managing fonts with Suitcase Fusion
Working with fonts in InDesign and Illustrator
Creating fonts on the iPad and InDesign

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Take control of your fonts
02 - How to use the exercise files

1. Understanding the Different Types of Fonts

03 - What is a font
04 - Understanding TrueType fonts
05 - Understanding PostScript fonts
06 - Understanding OpenType fonts
07 - Understanding dfonts
08 - Understanding web fonts
09 - Understanding SVG fonts
10 - Understanding variable fonts

2. Sources for Fonts

11 - Understanding operating system default fonts
12 - Understanding software-installed fonts
13 - Finding free fonts
14 - Purchasing fonts from foundries
15 - Subscribing to font libraries
16 - Creating custom fonts

3. Fixing Font Problems

17 - Understanding font conflicts
18 - Replacing the font cache
19 - Converting fonts to different forms with TransType Pro
20 - Checking the font version
21 - Solving problems with zero-byte fonts
22 - Fixing font problems with Smasher
23 - Fixing font problems with FontDoctor

4. Manual Font Management on a Mac

24 - Understanding the Mac font folder hierarchy
25 - Avoiding problems with Mac system fonts
26 - Understanding Adobe application font folders
27 - Understanding Microsoft Office fonts
28 - Activating and deactivating fonts
29 - Removing unnecessary fonts
30 - Solving conflicts with Helvetica
31 - Best practices for manual font organization on a Mac

5. Manual Font Management in Windows 8

32 - Understanding the Windows Fonts Control Panel
33 - Understanding the Adobe application font folders
34 - Understanding Microsoft Office fonts
35 - Activating and deactivating fonts
36 - Removing unnecessary fonts
37 - Best practices for manual font organization in Windows

6. Using Font Book (Mac)

38 - Understanding the Font Book interface
39 - Previewing and installing fonts
40 - Enabling and disabling fonts
41 - Organizing collections of fonts
42 - Validating fonts
43 - Exporting font collections
44 - Printing font samples

7. Using Font Management Software

45 - Understanding the benefits of font management software
46 - How to choose a font management solution

8. Using Suitcase Fusion

47 - Understanding the Suitcase Fusion interface
48 - Adding fonts
49 - Organizing fonts with sets
50 - Sharing font libraries with TypeSync
51 - Using Smart Searches
52 - Finding fonts
53 - Activating and deactivating fonts
54 - Using QuickMatch to find similar fonts
55 - Using font auto-activation
56 - Previewing and printing fonts
57 - Backing up a font vault
58 - Manage fonts on mobile devices

9. Work with Fonts

59 - Avoiding problems with faux bold and italic
60 - Managing and packaging fonts in InDesign
61 - Managing and packaging fonts in Illustrator
62 - Using fonts in Mac system applications
63 - Using fonts in Windows 10 system applications
64 - Font considerations for digital documents

10. Additional Font Resources

65 - Identifying fonts
66 - Find sources of typographic inspiration
67 - Get answers to font questions
68 - Websites for creating fonts
69 - Create fonts on the iPad
70 - Create fonts in InDesign

Conclusion

71 - Next steps