-=PCTechTalk=- Re: Fonts Tutorial

See Spot.  See Spot run.  See my comments below.        :O)

Peace,
GMan

"The only dumb questions are the ones we fail to ask!"

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sandi Beach" <sandib2@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <pctechtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2007 3:20 PM
Subject: -=PCTechTalk=- Re: Fonts Tutorial


>I installed the Windows Explorer Extension.  I have established my
> Fonts--Back Up folder in My Documents Downloads with subfolders of 
> "Original
> fonts", "In Use", "Extra fonts".  I currently have another folder to hold
> the loose fonts that we have decided were placed there by Hallmark and 
> they
> already have a shortcut in the Original Windows Fonts folder.  I chose to
> establish the Xtra fonts folder (now named Fonts backup) in My Documents,
> Downloads even though I do have a second external harddrive.  Perhaps I 
> will
> copy this folder (not move it)  over to the external hard drive when all 
> is
> in order.

    The idea of storing it on your external drive is simply to have it on a 
separate physical medium so that if your main drive dies, it won't affect 
your font collection.  This idea also extends to anything else you may wish 
to preserve (music, images, e-books, etc.).  So, my suggestion is to Copy 
your entire My Documents folder to the external to preserve its contents 
when you're through with this font gathering stuff.

> I have gone to Search, fonts all, files and folders and have deleted all
> that were in the Old C Drive.  Now I plan to download and install the 
> second
> font manager that was recommended by Mike.  Then I want to copy all the
> original (essential) fonts over to my backup font folder, putting them in
> the subfolder named Original fonts.

    As long as the overall procedure makes sense to you, that's fine.  Those 
System fonts are going to be in your way no matter when you take care of 
them since you're leaving the originals in that Windows Fonts folder.

> I may need a little guidance on the use of Windows Explorer as I have 
> never
> used it this way (or if I did I have forgotten how)  I think I need to 
> open
> up C  Windows fonts in the right pane so I can select the Original System
> fonts,

    So far, so good.

> open up my backup fonts folder so it will display the sub folders,

    This may be true, depending on your meaning.  You only need to be able 
to see your backup fonts folder (as well as the subfolders under it) in the 
LEFT PANE.  Depending on where your My Documents folder is, you may need to 
scroll down &/or click on a few plus signs in order to expose that cluster 
of folders.

> then right drag each of the Originals to their folder there and select 
> copy
> here.

    That is absolutely correct.  If you hold down your CTRL key, you can 
select multiple files at once, even if they are not right next to each 
other.  In fact, you can select all of the system fonts you can see, let go 
of the CTRL key, scroll down to the next group, press the CTRL key again and 
add more to the highlighted group.  It's a wonderful time saver when you're 
doing something like this.  When all of them are selected, just Right drag 
one of the highlighted files to the backup folder and select Copy to get 
them all at once.

> I will not do this until I get an o.k., thumbs up, or some indication that
> this is the way to do it.
> I know I am reversing the procedure a bit in taking care of the Originals
> first but I want to run something by you concerning the In Use folder and
> how to select and add to it.
> I would like to simplify this last step by moving all the remaining fonts
> into that folder, selecting all, right drag back to Windows fonts and 
> create
> shortcuts for all of them.  What, if anything, would be wrong in doing 
> that?
> I would have some I never use but they would not show at start up and I
> would have effectively reduced the number of fonts thus freeing up memory.
> This sounds too easy and too good to be true so please point out the
> fallacies in my thought processes.
>
> Sandi

    To be clear, you're suggesting creating shortcuts to, and therefore 
having available, ALL of your fonts (except for the original Windows fonts). 
If that's correct, yes it will work.  The downside is that you will have 
many fonts in there that you may never use, getting in the way of quickly 
choosing between the ones you do/will want when in the apps that use them. 
Of course, since they're only shortcuts, you can always use a font manager 
app to go through the shortcut fonts in the Windows Fonts folder when you're 
through.  When you come across one you know you'll never use, just remove 
it.  It's only a shortcut, so it can easily be replaced later if you change 
your mind.  The main point is that the only original files you should have 
in the Windows Font folder are your original system fonts.  All the rest 
will be shortcuts.

    Ok, now that you're at this point (or close enough where everything new 
that you're doing here should make sense), I'll make the suggestion that all 
new fonts should be sent directly to yet another subfolder of the main Fonts 
backup folder.  I call mine "!INCOMING FONTS".  That makes it very easy to 
train your font manager on the "!INCOMING FONTS" folder to organize them 
into the subfolders as needed.  Even if the fonts are downloaded wrapped 
inside a compressed file (Zip, Rar, etc.), you can unzip them right there 
and use the manager app to see what you like and organize as needed.  Inside 
this 'working' folder, you should have one subfolder called IN USE HOLDING 
to use as a temporary holding bin for any of the new ones you decide to 
'shortcut'.  Fonts that will not be shortcutted can be moved directly to the 
EXTRA FONTS folder.  Once you're through all of the new fonts, you will want 
to move them to the regular IN USE folder and then create shortcuts to them 
in the Windows Font folder.

Peace again,
GMan 


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