Win7 font manager utils and FM

[AxialInfo]

Any recommendations for dealing with fonts on Win 7, or font manager utils that you particularly like, that presumably will play nice with FM and be considerate of some elderly Type 1 fonts too?

On a newly imaged system I just can't bring myself to dump fonts into the Windows/Fonts directory, it just goes sooooo far against the grain. I've tried, I really have tried. I just can't stand dumping all my prized fonts into the same directory as the 6-million-MSOffice-font-collection, it makes me crazy, I need more control.  As far as I've been able to find out the only way to use separate directories is to use a manager util.

Also, about the Type 1 fonts, anybody tried creating PFMs using this:

http://www.proximasoftware.com/afmtopfm

Some of the utils I've got on the shortlist are:

http://www.high-logic.com/maintype.html

http://www.proximasoftware.com/fontexpert/

http://www.typophile.com/node/71603

Font Runner

http://www.ampsoft.net/utilities/FontViewer.php

Sheila

[Dov Isaacs]

Actually, you certainly can install fonts from private directories and not use a so-called “font manager.” Right-click the .PFM file wherever it is located and use the Install as shortcut option. This installs the font without moving the .PFM and .PFB files from where they are located. Of course, whatever directory those font files are actually should always be available (i.e., not on some external drive or network share).

The problem using “font managers” is that they often do not integrate will with Adobe software which effectively manages fonts internally. InDesign does provide an external hook for such third party “font managers” to work with InDesign (and its use of Adobe's internal CoolType module). I do not believe that FrameMaker provides any such support.

My personal recommendation is to avoid “font managers” like the plague, but to organize your fonts in a reasonable directory structure and install them via the Install as shortcut method.

          - Dov

[Van Kurtz]

Dov,

There is a Fonts folder in:

C:\Documents and Settings\User_Name\Application Data\Adobe\Fonts

I assume these fonts are "seen" only by Adobe applications. Does FrameMaker see them...without using shortcuts?

Van

[Dov Isaacs]

I know that the Creative Suite applications (of which FrameMaker definitely is not one of) see those fonts independently of the Windows font subsystem or any third party font managers. I am not sure whether FrameMaker also automatically looks there. If you don't have any of the Creative Suite applications installed and your copy of FrameMaker sees a font installed there, the answer is obviously “yes.”

          - Dov

PS:     I'm travelling for Adobe at this time and don't have the ability to test this myself.