Super Ginormous

Tag: extensis

  • Using Extensis Suitcase for Windows

    I’ve been pretty busy as of late, so I didn’t get around to writing this review because I didn’t fully make the switch from Extensis Suitcase 9.2 to Extensis Suitcase for Windows 11 until this morning. I’ve been delaying the switch for a couple of reasons:

    1. Upgrading to the new version didn’t replace Extensis Suitcase 9.2. This is bad, because it didn’t copy over all of the font sets I had created in 9.2. Recreating my font sets took time, and that’s something I haven’t had a lot of lately.
    2. A number of fonts I had loaded into 9.2 were being referenced in my C:\WINDOWS\FONTS\ directory. When I loaded the new application and copied fonts in for the first time, a number of the fonts wouldn’t activate because they were already in my system folder. I am not sure if Suitcase 9.2 did this… but it was a nuisance to go in and clean those fonts out of the system font folder.

    Now that I’ve got that out of the way… Suitcase 11 seems to be working pretty well. Auto-font activation works well with both Illustrator CS2 and Photoshop CS2. (I haven’t had a need to try out InDesign CS2…) I’ve got about 600 fonts activated currently and it appears to perform pretty well given it’s current load.

    I haven’t seen much in terms of difference between Suitcase 11 and Suitcase 9… other than the addition of the “Font Vault”. I’m not sure if that’s a compelling enough reason to get most people to upgrade.

  • Suitcase for Windows Released

    Well, it finally happened: Extensis released a new version of Suitcase for Windows today. I’ve been hoping for an update for quite some time, and the day I complained about it – a new version was announced.From the Manage This blog, here are some of the new features:

    Updated Suitcase Server client – When serialized properly, Suitcase for Windows is an updated client for a Suitcase Server. It can also be used in a stand alone, or single-user capacity, if desired.Microsoft Vista™ compatibility – We are now compatible with the 32-bit version of Vista, as well as Windows XP and 2000.Automatic font activation plug-ins – Through the use of plug-ins, fonts can be automatically activated when a document is opened. We provide activation plug-ins for the most common creative applications, including Adobe InDesign CS2, Illustrator CS2 and QuarkXPress 7.The Font Vault – When used in a single-user or stand alone capacity, users can take advantage of the new Font Vault. Basically, this is a secure repository in which Suitcase for Windows can store all of your fonts. This keeps all of your fonts in a single location, rather than all over your hard disk.

    Once I’ve used the new version, I’ll try to post a more thorough review.

  • Font Management for Windows Made Easier

    Extensis Suitcase for WindowsA new version of Extensis Suitcase for Windows was just announced. It’ll work with Illustrator CS2, InDesign CS2, Quark 7, etc. This release of Suitcase for Windows adds a number of new font auto-activation plug-ins, a font vault, as well as compatibility with the next operating system, Microsoft Vista.It’s been quite some time since the software’s been updated… This news couldn’t have come at a better time for me. I was just complaining about the lack of updates this morning…read more | digg story

  • Font Management

    Usually you hear people complaining that certain applications are available only on the PC side, and Mac users get screwed. In this case, the opposite is true. I’ve been a long-time user of products from Extensis, and I’ve used them on both Windows and OS X.I’ve been using Extensis Suitcase 9.2.2 for Windows for well over a year now. Prior to that I used Adobe Type Manager (ATM) Deluxe. I opted to go with Extensis’ offering because ATM Deluxe was no longer being supported by Adobe.Here’s the problem, though… Extensis Suitcase for Windows has been stuck at version 9.2.2 for at least a year, if not longer. In that time, Extensis has released the new Suitcase Fusion for OS X, which is lightyears ahead of the PC version. Where’s the love, Extensis? Maybe font management isn’t high up there for a lot of designers on the PC side, but your solution could be a lot better!A follow-up to this post can be found here: Font Management for Windows Made Easier