Affinity 2.5 apps on Windows 10 won't show newly installed fonts until the Affinity app is restarted

[Žarko Kuvalja]

This has been an issue ever since the 2.5 update and remains here on current 2.5.3 version.

Windows 10, the install methods are via FontBase or Fontstand. The fonts, again, do work, but every new font needs the Affinity app restarted for it to pick up on it.

[walt.farrell]

I have not had that problem using FontBase on Windows 11, with apps installed via MSIX.

[NathanC]

I'm also observing the same as Walt in Fontbase on Windows 10, I'm freely able to activate and de-activate fonts which dynamically updates in Publisher's font list without a need to restart the app, this was using the MSI/EXE version.

Could it possibly be related to the specific fonts you're activating? Can you provide a screen recording showing this?

Thanks

[Žarko Kuvalja]

I'm also using the MSI/EXE version and I'm pretty sure it's happening with all fonts.
This same behaviour is present with Fontstand as well - if I, say, rent a font there, Designer needs a restart.
However, when the rent expires, the font does deactivate "live" and disappears from the Designer file as I work in it (which is the correct/expected behaviour, to be clear). 

In the video you can see the example with Fedra Pro.
When activated while Designer is open, Designer can only see a few of the Fedras weights because those are installed manually into the Windows Fonts folder. 
However, it doesn't see the ones activated at that moment. After a Designer restart they show up as they should.

I do have MacType running as a background process, which might be related, but again - this wasn't ever an issue before: https://github.com/snowie2000/MacType

[Alfred]

21 minutes ago, Žarko Kuvalja said:

After a Designer restart they show up as they should.

Have you tried simply closing and reopening the current document, rather than completely restarting the app?

[NathanC]

Thanks for the additional Info,

47 minutes ago, Žarko Kuvalja said:

I do have MacType running as a background process, which might be related, but again - this wasn't ever an issue before: https://github.com/snowie2000/MacType

If you terminate this process, restart both Publisher and Fontbase and try this again does it have any impact?

If not, can you confirm if its the same problem when you manually install fonts via .TTF or .OTF?

Also, have you checked if this same problem restart is observed in other apps, for example Word?

[thegary]

This is also happening with the EXE version in Windows 11.

older versions would see the newly installed font right away. I now have to restart the program.

Rather annoying. 

Anyway this can be fixed?

Gary

[walt.farrell]

3 hours ago, thegary said:

Anyway this can be fixed?

Probably not until the cause of the problem can be identified. What font manager are you using?

[Žarko Kuvalja]

Sorry for the kinda empty bump - just to let you know I'll try all the things mentioned over the weekend and get back to you here (both different font install methods, testing other apps like Adobe and Word and disabling MacType). 

8 hours ago, NathanC said:

Thanks for the additional Info,

If you terminate this process, restart both Publisher and Fontbase and try this again does it have any impact?

If not, can you confirm if its the same problem when you manually install fonts via .TTF or .OTF?

Also, have you checked if this same problem restart is observed in other apps, for example Word?

 

[thegary]

14 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

Probably not until the cause of the problem can be identified. What font manager are you using?

no font manager.. Never used one.  But with 2.5 it stopped upated the font list when installed. Reboot needed. Something changed in the program. Not in windows.

Gary

[walt.farrell]

8 minutes ago, thegary said:

no font manager.. Never used one.  But with 2.5 it stopped upated the font list when installed. Reboot needed. Something changed in the program. Not in windows.

How and where do you install your fonts? 

Which application and exactly which release are you using?

[thegary]

11 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

How and where do you install your fonts? 

Which application and exactly which release are you using?

fonts are installed into the windows directory. in FONTS

Fonts no longer update in all three affinity programs without a reboot.

Fonts are installed for ALL USERS. This is how i have always installed them. 

My process hasn't changed, affinity has.

Gary

 

[walt.farrell]

This, @thegary. 

And the release of your Affinity apps is?

Is this all fonts, or some specific ones?

[thegary]

2 minutes ago, walt.farrell said:

This, @thegary. 

And the release of your Affinity apps is?

Is this all fonts, or some specific ones?

The latest update. 2.5.3 exe files for windows.

Any font i install, now requires AFFINITY apps to be closed and reopened.  This is different from 2.4 and older that appeared immediately in the AFFINITY apps.

Gary

 

[Alfred]

7 hours ago, thegary said:

Any font i install, now requires AFFINITY apps to be closed and reopened.  This is different from 2.4 and older that appeared immediately in the AFFINITY apps.

I’ve often found it necessary to close and reopen the current document, but never (as far as I’m aware) the entire app.

17 hours ago, Alfred said:

Have you tried simply closing and reopening the current document, rather than completely restarting the app?

 

[Žarko Kuvalja]

On 8/2/2024 at 1:52 PM, NathanC said:

Thanks for the additional Info,

If you terminate this process, restart both Publisher and Fontbase and try this again does it have any impact?

If not, can you confirm if its the same problem when you manually install fonts via .TTF or .OTF?

Also, have you checked if this same problem restart is observed in other apps, for example Word?

Other thing that might be important to note - I have Adobe Cloud along with Affinity.
From Adobe Cloud I have a bunch of synced fonts (from Adobe Fonts).

 

Using Fontbase to activate and deactivate font

Affinity Designer
Like before, font can not be found or used in the currently opened document.
After closing just the document (not the whole app) and reopening it, it kind of works - the font can be found and used, but the name of the font is broken (the same way how it's broken when there's a missing font with the "?" added into the name).
This might work only for fonts that were previously in the doc (so Designer is aware that it's "missing").
After closing and reopening the whole app, font fully works as expected.

Photoshop
Works either way (took it forever to rescan fonts/unfreeze but that's just Adobe on Windows I guess).

 

Installing font directly via Windows's Font Settings

Font does not show up in currently active document.
After closing and opening just the document (not the whole app), font shows up with correct name and fully works.
Reopening app of course also makes the font work properly.

Photoshop
Again works either way.

 

Mactype

Having it on or off seems to make no difference in behaviour (it was running as a Windows Service). 

 

TTF vs OTF

No difference in behaviour. 

[thegary]

On 8/2/2024 at 11:58 PM, Alfred said:

I’ve often found it necessary to close and reopen the current document, but never (as far as I’m aware) the entire app.

 

@Alfred

I have..doesn't work... It went from updating in real time to having to close app.

something is wrong.

G