Suitcase 10 and OS X System Font Issues!!!

[deeforce]

I just loaded Suitcase 10 (not X1) on a G4 Mac Mini being used in a graphics environment. We have a very structured set of fonts and those fonts are loaded (but not activated) into Suitcase. When I DO attempt to activate any of them, Suitcase seems to think there's a conflict with my system fonts (despite the fact that these fonts exist nowhere else on the machine other than their designated folders – and NOT in the any of the system font folders.) Am I missing something?

10 years in the graphics industry and fonts still make me want to kill people.

 

[Blue Velvet]

I'm writing using Suitcase X1 but does this option exist in 10?

Suitcase>Preferences>General>Allow Suitcase to Override System Fonts

You could ditch Suitcase and try Linotype's FontExplorer. It's currently free and others here speak very highly of it.

http://www.linotype.com/fontexplorerX

 

[deeforce]

That option does exist, but it doesn't seem to be making a difference. It's not like I'm trying to activate Helvetica or Arial or something. These are very unique, specific fonts that would never be found in someone's system folder. Additionally, Suitcase isn't being particularly forthcoming about the nature of the conflict; just that it exists.

I'm writing using Suitcase X1 but does this option exist in 10?

Suitcase>Preferences>General>Allow Suitcase to Override System Fonts

You could ditch Suitcase and try Linotype's FontExplorer. It's currently free and others here speak very highly of it.

http://www.linotype.com/fontexplorerX

 

[Blue Velvet]

Where are the fonts stored that you're trying to activate? I've had best results at home and at work keeping them all in a Fonts folder in my Documents folder.

 

[deeforce]

They're all housed in a folder called "Kathy's Fonts" (I'm not Kathy) directly in the Macintosh HD folder. They are then subdivided into additional folders based on style' serif, sans serif, script, etc. This is the same for the 3 other Macs in my department (2 G5 iMacs and a dual-processor G4 Power Mac). I really, really don't understand why this is happening and, of course, the Suitcase user's manual is useless. Grrrr! I need a drink...

Where are the fonts stored that you're trying to activate? I've had best results at home and at work keeping them all in a Fonts folder in my Documents folder.

 

[Blue Velvet]

In that case, I'm wondering if that's a permission/account issue if they're stored outside any of the home folders in the Users folder. Trying a test folder with a couple of fonts in the Home folder or even the Shared folder in the Users folder might be a place to start.

I agree that these issues are very frustrating but it's the kind of thing that takes patience and a methodical approach to troubleshooting to iron out.

 

[deeforce]

Interesting theory, but it's led me to a new discovery. I loaded the Sans Serif folder and attempted to activated. Got the usual system conflict error but it proceded to partially activate the folder. Upon closer inspection I discovered that the only fonts that activated were fonts that had "Adobe Systems" listed as their foundry. Anything with a different foundry did not activate. I see nothing in the preferences about foundry settings. Now I'm REALLY confused...

In that case, I'm wondering if that's a permission/account issue if they're stored outside any of the home folders in the Users folder. Trying a test folder with a couple of fonts in the Home folder or even the Shared folder in the Users folder might be a place to start.

I agree that these issues are very frustrating but it's the kind of thing that takes patience and a methodical approach to troubleshooting to iron out.

 

[Blue Velvet]

At this point, I'd delete all fonts and start from scratch with FontExplorer. Seriously.

I don't know much about where you work but personally I couldn't afford to spend too much time troubleshooting stuff like this when I had to get work out the door. Especially if it affected multiple machines for a number of users.

Whatever it takes to get it to work asap is usually the order of the day; also applicable to much of my design work.

 

[deeforce]

Well thanks for trying anyway. Abandoning Suitcase isn't an option as we all use it here. And the error is exclusive to one machine which is set up no different than the rest of us. It's just baffling...

 

[Blue Velvet]

Abandoning Suitcase isn't an option as we all use it here.

Why persist with a universally-reviled buggy piece of inadequate software that is two versions old? Especially as others, both here and elsewhere, use FontExplorer with no complaints at all. It also costs nothing and is produced by a trusted name in type: Linotype...

Just curious.

A sidenote: I only use Suitcase because that's the way my machine was set up some time ago. We won't be buying it gain for the office on our next planned round of upgrades and it won't be going onto my new Mac at home next year.

Anyway, it still sounds to me like an account problem. Try setting up a new account and see if works in that.

 

[decksnap]

Well now this is odd. I have preached that I never had problems with suitcase until recently this same problem came up on my system. Just mine, nobody elses. Reinstall did nothing. It is so odd because it is fonts that have nothing to do with system fonts in any possible way. I pulled my hair out testing this option and that, meticulously scrutinizing my font folders and reverting the system font folders back to the factory set. Nothing worked.

And then, one day... it stopped.

So weird. For reference, my fonts all sit in HD > Library > ...