System fonts folder to export and test typefaces

[Rene Verkaart]

Hi guys,

I'm part of a type design community working with the Glyphs app (https://glyphsapp.com/) or Fontlab (https://www.fontlab.com). This is a huge community and type design is an important part of the design process. There are some real typography rockstars in this space wanting to work with Affinity.

We'd love to have a system fonts folder, like Adobe has, to export and test fonts with Affinity apps.
Adobe's fonts folder is usually located here: user > library > application support > adobe > fonts
This folder allows us to export fonts to this location and prevent Apple font cache issues. Because Adobe directly reads typefaces from this folder there's never an issue and you can export and test fonts unlimited.
Whereas if you'd use Apple Fontbook, you'd need to clear font cache all the time, because it's almost impossible to change the same font file a few times in a row without issues. 

Having a specific folder for the Affinity Suite would help a LOT of type designers out there. I know a lot of people who are switching from Adobe to Affinity, but this is kind of a dealbreaker, because font cache issues are horrible to work with.

Would this be possible?

@ Type Designers feel free to jump in!

Edited November 25, 2019 by Rene Verkaart
typo

[George Thomas]

I second what Rene said. I invested in the Affinity Suite because I recognize that people will be using it as an excellent alternative to Adobe software. I need to test my fonts with the Affinity product to ensure buyers have a trouble-free experience. Everything that Serif can do to help other developers is very welcome.

[kukurin]

This is an excellent idea. I would also love to test my fonts in Affinity, partly because I find the UI for OpenType features much superior to the very inconsistent and complicated Adobe approach.

Speaking of folders for fonts, Adobe offers two general ways: 

• one folder for all apps (as described by @Rene Verkaart )
• one folder for fonts works for all InDesign documents in the same containing folder (fonts in “Document fonts” folder are automatically loaded if you open an .indd file in the same containing folder)

The second solution is perfect for testing the fonts in early stages only in one app. It would be great to provide Affinity users similar functionality.

Thanks,

Filip

 

 

[ctrayne]

I'd love to see this as well.

[jlhopes]

I would like to see this, too. I use it all the time in InDesign to test fonts without installing them for the whole system.

[Rene Verkaart]

It's such a simple solution. I don't understand why Affinity just doesn't add this feature. You instantly get the type community behind you. But more than that, this is a great feature for every designer. And Affinity would win them over from Adobe Indesign. I would! I still have a € 20 subscription for an app I hardly use anymore... 

[Rene Verkaart]

The thing is that I fear @Affinity doesn't fully understand this (feature). They're developing low hanging fruit features and don't have a good focus on the importance of typography. It's the basic of any design! Variable Fonts are still not available. This is a great USP for them to have in the design community, an upcoming "must have" for design apps. They already tweeted about this in 2018, but still no VF on the horizon...

 

[bechtype]

Hi. Has this been solved yet? Just adding myself to the growing list of people who find this necessary in order to make the full switch to Affinity. Thanks!

[Rene Verkaart]

Unfortunately not... Nobody at Affinity seems to notice this, or even see the sense of it. It would be not only AWESOME to have, but NECESSARY for large parts of my work.

Please, give a shout out to @Affinity to get this in the next update.

[wonderings]

I have never worked this way with fonts and Adobe. I have thousands of fonts that I use and manage with Font Explorer Pro. Is this a feature that is really only useful for those creating fonts? I just don't see or can think of a benefit for work in print and design. I do like how Adobe handles fonts in packaged Indesign files. Indesign sees the font in the folder in the package and can use it without being activated system wide. This is helpful and functional when working with clients native Indesign files and not needing to use my font management software. Would love to have the same thing with Publisher when packaging files. 

[Rene Verkaart]

Yes, this is specific to the type design community. But there are so so many of us out there, even on a really high professional level. This is an easy update for Affinity but a huge win for our community. 

This solution is originally created to circumvent the font cache info. By putting the font files directly in a dedicated folder, a specific app (Adobe Suite in this case) can read out and use these fonts without the well known font cache issues. 
I as a type designer export on average 15 times a day font files to this folder. If I'd have to deal with font cache every time I export these fonts... I'd run away crying.

Yes, the fonts in packaged Indesign files is quite the same. This way you don't need to fiddle around all the time with installing fonts and all the problems that come with it.
It only works with Adobe software though. If you put the fonts in the dedicated folder, it only works in Adobe software.  

So the more people that shout out to @Affinity about this feature, the more chance we make to finally see this in a future update. 🙏🙏🙏

[PepGold]

Yes this would be very useful.

[Rene Verkaart]

Please give a loud shout out to @Affinity so that they might add this in the next update. 

[kenmcd]

On 11/26/2019 at 7:17 AM, kukurin said:

one folder for fonts works for all InDesign documents in the same containing folder (fonts in “Document fonts” folder are automatically loaded if you open an .indd file in the same containing folder)

QuarkXPress has a similar feature. Makes it real easy to just drop a copy of the fonts in the same folder as the document.

Even LibreOffice has a fonts folder (undocumented) which makes un-installed fonts available to use in documents.
I test there first to avoid any font cache or other font install issues.
Makes it very easy to test without any font problems.

[Rene Verkaart]

Spread the word.

If @Affinity would have this, this would mean a lot and it would make a the type design community very happy. I hear a lot of them would like to switch to Affinity, but they can't until now.

[iconoclast]

Yes, I absolutely agree with you, Rene. I'm searching for some kind of solution for font management too, that allows me to use a bigger repertoire of fonts without worrying about having too many fonts installed. By the way, I'm Windows-user. And font-management isn't really the most comfortable thing under Windows.

[iconoclast]

On 2/24/2021 at 7:23 PM, LibreTraining said:

QuarkXPress has a similar feature. Makes it real easy to just drop a copy of the fonts in the same folder as the document.

Even LibreOffice has a fonts folder (undocumented) which makes un-installed fonts available to use in documents.
I test there first to avoid any font cache or other font install issues.
Makes it very easy to test without any font problems.

That's interesting. But where can I find this folder? Couldn't find it.  Does it also exist on Windows?

[kenmcd]

4 minutes ago, iconoclast said:

That's interesting. But where can I find this folder? Couldn't find it.  Does it also exist on Windows?

Do you mean the QuarkXPress folder(s) or the LibreOffice folder?

[iconoclast]

LibreOffice.

[kenmcd]

Just now, iconoclast said:

LibreOffice.

You have to create the folder here:
C:\Program Files\LibreOffice\share\fonts\truetype

LibreOffice will try to rebuild its font cache when you drop fonts in there.
Notice how I said "try" - it can take a very long time if you drop a bunch of font files, or have many fonts installed.
So I usually have LibreOffice closed when I put the fonts in there.
I have had as many as a few hundred in there at once (for a fonts guide).

Pretty sure this also works on other operating systems.
Know it works on Linux, not sure on Mac.

Really good for testing fonts in development or simply being modified.
That can be a nightmare with your font caches if you keep installing/un-installing modified fonts.
So I drop them in this folder.
Start LibreOffice and test.
Shut down LibreOffice, and delete the fonts ... and they are gone.

This is also good for testing sketchy fonts/families that I do not want polluting my font caches.

Do not know if the fonts in this folder will override installed fonts (like QXP) - have not tested that.
Guess I should test that, it would be useful for testing modified fonts.
Kinda doubt it tho.

 

[iconoclast]

Many thanks for that hint! Works pretty cool, even with Opentype as it seems. The only thing that is a little bit disturbing is that I have to fill in my admin-password, everytime I add fonts there. Would be cooler if the folder could be created on any  place on the hard disc and being connected to LibreOffice in the Preferences. But this is better than nothing.

[iconoclast]

As I found out just a minute ago, also Scribus is a good solution to test fonts. You can create a special folder for that whereever you want and connect it to Scribus in it's Preferences. Works pretty good.

[kenmcd]

8 minutes ago, iconoclast said:

Many thanks for that hint! Works pretty cool, even with Opentype as it seems. The only thing that is a little bit disturbing is that I have to fill in my admin-password, everytime I add fonts there.

Yes, it works with OpenType-PS, and OpenType-TT, and I think even old TrueType fonts.

I keep a window open of my files manager app open running as Administrator so I can deal with this font folder, the Windows Fonts folder, and various other programs at any time - so I just flip to that window whenever I need it.

[kenmcd]

2 minutes ago, iconoclast said:

As I found out just a minute ago, also Scribus is a good solution to test fonts. You can create a special folder for that whereever you want and connect it to Scribus in it's Preferences. Works pretty good.

Been quite awhile since I took a look at Scribus. This could be useful. Thanks.

[ctrayne]

On 2/18/2021 at 11:08 AM, Rene Verkaart said:

Yes, this is specific to the type design community. But there are so so many of us out there, even on a really high professional level. This is an easy update for Affinity but a huge win for our community. 

So the more people that shout out to @Affinity about this feature, the more chance we make to finally see this in a future update. 🙏🙏🙏

Still wishing for this.