We love our fonts as much as we love our scrapbooking goodies, but did you know that each time you install a font, it takes resources away from other parts of your machine? Each system comes with a set of basic fonts installed on it, but too many fonts above those, will cause some slow-down. Sometimes, it is very noticeable, but sometimes it’s just the time it takes to start up your machine after a shutdown, or maybe Photoshop taking a long time to load because it has to read through all of those fonts and load them (as does every program that uses fonts). A great solution for this problem is a font management program. A font management program allows you to leave your fonts uninstalled, but be able see a preview of them as well as easily install and uninstall them when you want to use them, with just one mouse click. By having less fonts installed at any given time, your machine will run more smoothly.
Here is a screenshot of my font manager to give you an idea of what it looks like:
There are many font management programs out there to choose from and weighing all of the different features can be daunting. I have been researching and considering which management tool to use for a few months now. I wanted a program that could:
1) look in mulitple folders at one time
2) not crash my system or be slow
3) view True Type Fonts (TTF) and Open Type Fonts (OTF)
4) be able to temporarily load the font (so I don’t have to install and then uninstall).
5) be able to customize the text in the preview window
During my search, I found this indepth article and this more simple article. I have tried a few different font managers during my search, some mangers were pay and some free. For one reason or another, I stopped using them. They were too slow, too much of a pain, etc. I have found two that I like and would recommend that are free and work very well for most scrappers’ needs. I am on a Windows machine, but did do a search at DST and it seems that most Mac users there seem to really like PigFontViewer, Suitecase, and FontExplorer. FontExplorer is not free anymore, but you can download a 30-day trial. The two organizers that I really like are:
AMP Font Viewer and Font Xplorer
I really like the interface on AMP Font Viewer and I like that it gives you some technical information about the font there as well. I like that you can change the preview to bold, italics, as well as changing the color. In Font Xplorer, uninstalling fonts and moving them to a new folder was very easy, I just highlighted the font, right clicked and selected uninstall and then the program gave me a window with choices to uninstall and move it to a folder of my choosing (along with a few other options).
Once you install your font management software, you will need to go through your fonts folder and weed out the non-system fonts. You can find a list of standard Windows system fonts HERE and a list of standard Mac system fonts HERE. If your chosen font manager doesn’t allow you to move the fonts from within it, then you can go to c:>windows>fonts, select the non-system fonts and copy them to a new folder. When the fonts are safe in a new folder of your choosing, then you can delete those fonts from your system font folder. It only takes a few minutes, but your computer will thank you for it! 
_____________________
What kind of an article about fonts would this be without the chance to win some free fonts??? Post a comment here before midnight EST January 28th and I will have random.org pick 3 lucky people to win a $5 gift to Fontologie.
Share This Using…
Did NOT even know this existed….I’ve been so frustrated…could hardly see my fonts in PSE, much less preview my text! Going to download now!
I just love ya! <3
Some of my fonts say that they’re temporarily installed and I can’t figure out how to get them uninstalled. I’m using Font Xplorer I did the right click and uninstall and it gives me an error that says the font is temporarily installed and it cannot do that at this time… Odd…
Thanks for the info! I have AMP Font Viewer but really haven’t been using it much lately. Maybe I’ll give Font Xplorer a try and see how I like that one.
I LOVE fonts! I really need some managemnet to them. I think that I am definately going to have to get a managemnet program!
I really love this blog! So much informative stuff. Keep it up – you have a dedicated reader.
I’m off to do some research and hopefully purchasing of my own. I can’t wait! We had to take all my fonts off (well most of them) because it was slowing down everything way too much. my husband is delighted to know that there is something out there that comes highly recommended for not having to actually download and install the fonts. Very cool. Thanks!!
Soooo helpful!! Thank you
Oh, I SO need to get my fonts organized better! Thanks for the tips!
Great information. I used to use The Font Thing but since now I load them using ACDSee.
Thanks for the chance to win!
Thx for the info…I’m going to think about using a font installer
Thank you so much for this article, for all the hints, and for the recommendations of the two programs along with their pros and cons. It has been very helpful to me.
Such great info! TY
Oh I need this so badly!! I have 3 different folders of fonts, and I need a way to track them so I can use them more often–without having them all installed.
thank you for this post i have been looking for ways to speed my system up and this just might help because I have accumulated a lot of fonts LOL thanks
wonderful article!! Thank you for sharing!!
I really needed this, will have to try and see which program I like better, I am a great collector of fonts.
Thanks for the great info!! Have to check out those font managers
You are a wealth of knowledge! Can’t wait to check out these sites!
Thanks for the tip!
Thank you so much for this article… the website in general! I didn’t even know there was a font manager… I’m really going to have to check it out!
Thank you!
Thanks. been looking for a free font manager that works with VISTA.
Thanks for this great article! Fonts are definitely an addiction of mine, and it sounds like I’m not alone in that! I love this site and read it everyday.
Great article! I’ve used FontExpert for years & love that the fonts can be temporally installed. Mine is 2006, they have a newer version & a 30 day trial {http://www.proximasoftware.com/fontexpert/}. I’ve also done like Melissa & opened an uninstalled font to use in PSP or PhotoShop, but I don’t always know what font{s} I want to use before I scrap my page! With FontExpert I can browse all my fonts, find the one I want, then temp install.
I am just starting to collect fonts….love em!! I have been using the font thing…thanks for the great article!!
Alisa
Perfect – off to clean up my fonts!
I really need a font mgmt system but didn’t know where to start. So thanks for your recommendations, I’m definitely going to check them out.
great article !
Thanks for all the great info you are giving us…I really, really like your new site and think it will just get better and better! I have been looking for a new font management program for a while now and your article was the perfect thing! Thanks!
I had no idea about any of this. There is always so much more to learn and not enough hours in my day to learn it all! Thanks for making it easier and quicker with your tips! Thanks, also, for the chance to win some new fonts:-)
I was looking for this type of file and I’m glad you give us a free ressource. Will be very appreciated ! Thanks again for all
I use Typograf. It’s a german pay program that allows you not only to load and unistall fonts but to group and categorize them for future research (without any physical move on your pc): i.e. script or gothic fonts,children or nuptial.You need some time to organize at the beginning but when you finish you can search your fonts in any way you like.
Ciao, Ari
Thanks!! I’d been using a different program but not real happy with it. Hadn’t heard of these two. Thanks for your time to give us all of this info you are sharing. I love it!
thank you! this was so very helpful. i didn’t realize it could slow down your program! i have so much to learn!
Thanks for this tip! I didn’t even know such things existed. I’ve been going a little font crazy lately and my computer has been slowing down. Had no idea the fonts could be affecting it. Will be downloading a manager soon!
Thanks again!
My font folder thanks you!
This was helpful – already DL’d Font Xplorer. Now I just need to figure out the standard system fonts for Windows Vista (the only one your link didn’t have). If I’m guessing right nearly half of my 1,000+ fonts are system. Nonetheless, I still want more fonts!!! LOL!
great post!
Great article – love the ones you recommended!
Excellent info! But better yet, I’m finding that I love my daily dose of TDD!!! I’m so hooked to your articles and information! Keep up the most excellent work! I too use The Font Thing and I’ve not had any problems with it.
I use MyFontThing and haven’t had any problems with it. But I forget to uninstall the fonts after I’m done with them, I should go do that! thanks for the info and the chance!!
I love love love fonts! I have a PC and use The Font Thing as an organizer. I love how easy it is to install and uninstall fonts!