Canvas 3.51. (illustration software) (Software Review) (Evaluation)
by Daniel Greenberg

Keeping track of large numbers of TrueType and Type 1 fonts with Windows' Control Panel and Adobe Type Manager is definitely more complicated than it should be. That is, unless you own FontMinder from ARES.

This simple utility, now in its second version, enables you to load, unload, move, copy, delete, rename, and sample all your TrueType and Type 1 fonts with a single font manager. Loading fonts is simply a matter of dragging an icon from one window to another. Unloading them is just as easy. If you have ATM 2.5 or higher, you won't have to restart Windows for font changes to take effect. FontMinder doesn't replace ATM or the Windows font utility, but you'll rarely have to use either of them directly, since FontMinder uses both.

The program maintains its own master library of fonts arranged into families. You can install whole families, individual faces, or custom font packs you create to quickly load groups of fonts. Packs contain only references to fonts rather than the fonts themselves, and they're exportable. Service bureaus that use FontMinder can use your font packs to ensure the right fonts are loaded for your job.

When used with PostScript printers, FontMinder automatically edits the Windows initiator for downloading Type 1 fonts. It also determines printer-resident PostScript fonts and prevents downloading of those fonts from the computer, saving time and printer memory.

If you have large font libraries on removable media, such as CD-ROMs or SyQuest disks, FontMinder enables you to sample fonts onscreen and in print before you install them, again saving you time when looking for just the right font.

FontMinder manages up to 4000 fonts. You may not have that many, but you probably have more on your system than you think--having a few hundred fonts isn't uncommon. The font management you can perform with FontMinder will speed up your system, free resources, and shorten those endless font menus.