Just received notification from FontExplorer X by Monotype that after 2023 it will be completely discontinued. Have been with them for 12 years and for the last couple of years with growing frustration over software issues. Anyway, can any recommend a new font manager. Years ago I used Suitcase but would appreciate any recommendations and/or input.
I used suitcase fusion at the agency I used to work at and I liked it. At home I use type face and it is perfect for my needs.
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I use Mac’s Font Book and have been happy. My personal font habbits: keep the core fonts I use activated all the time and then add fonts on an as needed basis and remove them when the project is over. I point this out as a way of saying I don’t keep hundreds of fonts activated all the time. If you do, maybe there is a more robust solution than Font Book. I don’t know, but it works for me.
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I think that’s where I’ll be going from here on in,.
Wasn’t happy about the announcement. They are happy to thousands of people invest in it and Nate grate it into their workflow, then just do a 180 and pull the rug out from under your feet. Very poor. Adobe Muse syndrome.
A lot of the time I have subscription to Monotype Library (from before they ended that too). It is now the much more expensive Enterprise. Thankfully they have honoured the subscription. I suspect one of these years, they’ll pull the plug on that too.
You’ve got to love huge corporations who see customers as a bit of an inconvenience.
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This is what I do too. I have several typefaces I use most of the time, so I keep those fonts installed. When I used another, I load it for that project only.
I actually forgot why I left FontexplorerX years ago. Now I use RightFont 5. I guess for auto activation in Affinity suite. It is way simpler and probably cannot replace FontExplorerX.
After trying to use and sort fonts like this https://www.typolexikon.de/schriftklassifikation-matrix-beinert/
I found I’m probably a simpler guy with fonts and a simpler tool does it for me.
I use a Mac, but instead of Font Book, I prefer FontAgent Pro by Insider Software. I’ve been using it so long that if it had whiskers, they would have grown down to the floor by now.
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Pops, thanks and will look up FontAgent. Sadly, so typical when you’ve used a product for over a decade that its now you need to start a new learning curve. Much appreciated.
Yeah it’s horrific. Can’t even begin to say how many hundreds of dollars I’ve put into that software, plus HOURS of classifications. Am actually still reeling from the announcement.
Yep, do not want to lose all the classifications plus the font sets: i.e. over 50 clients - all with named font sets.
I just came across FontBase. Mostly free, but more features can be unlocked for about $35 (not subscription). I have spent about 20 mins with it and it seems OK. Simple, stripped down, but fairly nice. I have just removed FontXplorer, as I had a sneaky suspicion it was causing speed issues with my mac anyway.
I’ve been using RightFont (Mac only I think) since 2015 but recently irked by their interpretation of a ‘one time only purchase’. In their words;
It’s a one-time fee for the copy of the RightFont license, which includes yearly updates and premium support. After a year, you need to upgrade the license to the latest version of RightFont by paying 50% of the full license price.
The last upgrade was going to cost me yet another US$47 so I’m on the lookout for something cheaper. FontBase looks pretty similar feature-wise. I’m keen to hear your thoughts about it @sprout if you give it a proper try out.
It is free incremental updates for one year and you can keep and use your version as long as you want if you don’t want to update/upgrade after that. Not sure though if sufficient warnings about new costs after a year.
I just upgraded to the new RightFont. Had stopped buying their yearly upgrades since v5, but figured the US$47 (for my 2 Macs) upgrade price for v8 was worth it. I tried out a few other apps but in the end I didn’t find one I liked better than RightFont.
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Thanks for this hint. Type face is a great alternative to this FontExplorer X rip off. This is an LTD :- 
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typefaceapp
Two year old thread 
