Is there such a plug-in for collecting fonts (that is free :) )?
We use Illustrator as if it were a layout program in my design department. I get so mad when I pick up other peoples' jobs and then I spend an hour hunting down fonts.
Thanks for any help!
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Check it out at:
http://www.linotype.com/fontexplorerX
We use it instead of suitcase in our Marketing department. I use FontAgent Pro at home (even better) for my own business as I bought it before FontexplorerX came out, but the functionality of X is superb, and it makes it 100x easier to track down and activate/deactivate fonts on the fly. It's like itunes for fonts and it is Free!
May be a start to the solution.. and it autoactivates fonts in Illustrator :)
(( visualrush ))
Yeah, I'm not really needing a font manager (we are slaves to suitcase fusion). I'm looking for something that will actually gather all the fonts I'm using for a job and stick them in a folder in that job folder-- thus, eliminating the next person who picks up the job from looking for fonts for hours. The problem is that these fonts aren't even on my computer. Or, if they are, it's the wrong version of said font and my copy reflows (case in point-- PLEASE tell me why I have found about 50 versions of Garamond and not a one is the one I'm needing).
I hope this makes sense? I'm really just looking for Quark's "collect for output" or InDesign's "package"-- only just for fonts, and for Illustrator.
For what it's worth, this font manager you showed me is really cool and I may have to use it at home. :)
Holy cats, deja vu!
This reminds me exactly of the design department I worked for 12 years ago. They had the exact same 'every man for himself' attitude about fonts and it WAS AN ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE.
I always saw it as a 'pay now' or 'pay later' choice.
Once I became production manager the first thing I did was to have everyone submit their font collection. Then I created ONE master set and personally installed it on every machine one at a time. I also didn't allow anyone to install a new font unless it was installed on everyone's workstation. Of course it caused some ripples with slight font reflow on similar fonts like Garamond for the first week but then everything was SMOOTH SAILING.
It really sounds like your operation could use an upgrade to 'Suitcase Server'. Until your department bites the bullet and starts managing fonts correctly your going to continue to be in for a very painful ride.
Either that or you're going to have to buy a 'collect for output' plugin.
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An Illustrator Collect for Output Plug-in
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Art Files
Collection utility for Adobe® Illustrator® (.ai) files.
Now supports Illustrator CS2!
It's $50 bucks but in your workflow the ROI will be about 8 hours.
This is something we've talked about and I wish they would implement. Maybe some day! ;)
If you want a free solution you could always use Suitcase Fusion's 'Collect for Output' tool. It would require a little more work manually selecting the fonts used in Illustrator.
Not perfect, but it's free!
hmm... never heard of this!!???
I'll look into this.
That's why we bill for time, isn't it?
:)
Terrell Thornhill
e-zign Design Group
LOL!
We actually bill per job most of the time. And, the problem isn't that they are customer supplied and missing... it's that we've done this job before and the artist before didn't bother saving the fonts to the folder. :(