The FontList menu

The FontsList menu provides control over the contents of the available typefaces list. 

                 Show Bitmap Fonts

                 When checked, bitmap fonts will be included in the list and may be printed
                 using any of the layouts. Unchecked, bitmap fonts are suppressed from 
                 appearing in the list. There is no affect on either postscript or truetype 
                 fonts listed.

Save Ordered List

Save Ordered List saves a copy of the current font list to a tab delimited text file in the exact order in which it is displayed. Each line in the text file represents a record that consists of: Outline Name, FOND Name, Style, and Type. This list may be used for other purposes, however, it is intended to serve as a temporary sorting alternative for those with extraordinary needs. 

The list can be opened by most database and spreadsheet programs, re-sorted - say by font type, and then exported back to a text file. The resulting list file would then be loaded back into theTypeBook using the "Use Ordered List" selection.

Sample Ordered List, sorted by type and fontname...
Chicago
             Chicago
                            Plain      
BM
Geneva
              Geneva
                             Plain
      BM
Monaco
              Monaco
                             Plain
      BM
AltsysFogMM
         AltsyFogMM_500 RG 500 NO
           Plain
      MM
TriangleMM           TrianMM_500 RG 700 NO 50 MD 160 MG
 Plain
      MM
Courier
             Courier
                            Plain
      PS
Courier-Oblique
     Courier
                            Italic
     PS
Courier-Bold
        Courier
                            Bold
       PS
Courier-BoldOblique
 Courier                            
Bold-Italic
PS

Use Ordered List

When an Ordered List is loaded theTypeBook verifies that each font in the list is installed. If not, it will be excluded. Additionally installed fonts not in the list are also excluded. Only fonts both in the list and installed can be selected for printing. Additionally, selection of typefaces via typing the name is disabled. 

Both AKA text files and Face Comment files may be merged into an Ordered List. Load times will be somewhat longer however.

Any action that causes the list of available typefaces to be rebuilt will automatically discard the Ordered List. These include: selection of "Sort On Outline Names", "Show Bitmap Fonts", and selection of "Suitcase II" in the Apple menu. All previously described consequences of a loaded Ordered List will be restored to normal operation.

Assign AKA Name

Provides font name alias capability called “AKA” (Also Known As...). These  AKAs may replace the “True Outline Name” on the printed page or can be used to control the order of appearance of any or all of your fonts in the main list. 

When printing the use (or appearance) of AKA names on the output may be enabled or disabled via a checkbox item in the “Print...” dialog. The checkbox is titled “Use AKAs”. When checked, the AKA name will replace the Outline name for each specimen that has one assigned. When un-checked, only the Outline name will be used. This allows full usage of AKA names to control print order without sacrificing the ability to identify the printed specimen.

Fonts which have an assigned AKA entry are displayed in the italic style in the list of available typefaces.

To create an AKA, double-click on the typeface name you wish to assign the AKA to. You may also select one and only one typeface to enable the “Assign AKA” selection in the Fontlist menu. Select “Assign AKA” or press Command-/. 

You will be presented with a dialog indicating the name of the typeface for which the AKA is begin created. If an AKA already exists, it will be displayed in the edit area otherwise the edit area will contain only the flashing cursor. If you hold down the option-key when you double-click on a typeface name that name will be added to the edit area of the dialog only if an AKA does not already exist.

To delete an AKA, double-click on the “italicized” typeface name or select one and select “Assign AKA” from the Fontlist menu. When the dialog box appears the edit area will contain the AKA. It will be selected automatically. Press the delete key to remove the AKA and click OK (or press return) to confirm the change.

Use AKA List

AKAs may be loaded in from a tab-delimited text file. The tab-delimited text file is simply a list of the outline names and corresponding AKAs. Each Outline name is followed by a <tab> character which is followed by the AKA Name which is followed by a <return>. This is a format that is easily generated by word processor, spreadsheet, and database applications.

Select “Use AKAs” under the FontList menu. You will be presented with the standard Mac dialog for opening disk files. Each outline name will be searched for in the list of available typefaces. When an exact match is found the corresponding AKA is assigned. If no match is found execution continues normally with the next name in the list.

You may read in any number of AKA text files. If a typeface already has an AKA definition, it will be replaced by the one contained in the text file. All others are “added to” the currently assigned AKAs.

Save AKA List

All currently assigned AKAs may be saved to a tab-delimited text file. Saved AKA files and others which correspond in format may be called on to reassign the AKAs at a later date. 

Select “Save AKAs” under the FontList menu. You will be presented with the standard Mac dialog for saving files to disk.

View Current AKAs

All currently assigned AKAs may be reviewed by selecting “View AKA List” from the Fontlist Menu. A dialog will be displayed containing a scrolling list of the original typeface names and their corresponding AKA names. Click OK, or press return to dismiss the dialog.

Clear All AKAs

All currently assigned AKAs may be cleared at once by selecting “Clear All AKAs” from the Fontlist menu. A dialog will appear asking you to confirm the removal of all AKA assignments.

Sort on AKA Name

Sorting by AKAs allows almost complete control over what order the typeface specimens are printed. For example Adobe sells both a Kabel and ITC Kabel font packages. They are entirely two separate families but most consider it desirable to have them appear consecutively in the list of available faces and when printed. This is easily accomplished by assigning “ITC Kabel” an AKA name of “Kabel(ITC)”. When sorted they will appear consecutively. Keep the ITC identification distinguishes it as a separate family. This is desirable for this particular situation because both families have the same weight names.

When sorting by AKA names the weight factor is still parsed. That is if you keep the same style variation names (or long versions for those abbreviated) the typefaces will still sort in the correct order by weight and slant for each font family. Space characters entered into AKA names have no effect on this sub-sort by weight and slant. Capitalization of name is signification to both the sorting order and identification of style names.

Changes the weight names can also be an advantage in a few cases. Adobe’s “Copperplate” family uses numbers instead of weight names. Because the numbers are written as words the style variations do not sort correctly. By assigning AKA names and using numeric keys in place of words for the style names the styles can be forced into the correct order. “32AB” instead of “ThirtyTwoAB”. This is still a text sort so leading spaces must be used when the number of digits is less than those of the highest number in use by a particular font family.

Sort on Outline Name

Sort on Outline names allows you to return to standard typeface order. AKA names are maintained when switching between the two sort modes