Copyright: MyFonts Help, © 1998 MyTools.com (314-770-2770)
Citation: MyFonts, © 1998 MyTools.com (314-770-2770)


Def: FontPack
A FontPack is a collection of fonts which you can create. It is used to install or uninstall multiple fonts all at one time.


Def: Print List
The Print List is a list of fonts waiting to be printed.


Requirements
Welcome (Requirements)

Your Computer

To use MyFonts you should have at least a Pentium-class computer and a video card configured for 16-bit color (HiColor) or 24-bit color (TrueColor). If your video card can only display 256 colors then MyFonts will still work but the limited colors will really look weird. Using anything less than a Pentium-class machine will work as well but the program will run very slowly.

Windows

MyFonts is a 32-bit application so you must be using either Windows'95 or Windows NT 4.0. Our software should work just fine with any future releases of Windows but, if you encounter any problems, please call us at 314-770-2770 or e-mail us (our e-mail address is MyFonts@MyTools.com) so we can take care of whatever problem you might encounter.


Installation
Welcome (Installation/Removal)

Installing MyFonts

This is probably the easiest program you will ever install in Windows. There is just one file, MyFonts.exe (and the Help files), which you can put into any folder you choose. How much easier can it get, right? As a suggestion, you might consider placing MyFonts into its own folder since it will create additional files as you use the program.

Removing MyFonts

You can easily remove MyFonts from your system by erasing the folder you created for it. All the files used by MyFonts will be contained within this folder (nothing else to worry about). But we hope you'll like it enough so this will never be necessary.


Getting Started
Welcome (Getting Started)

This Help file is accessible anywhere within MyFonts by pressing the F1 key. You should then see Help relevant to the area of the program in which you are working.

PRINTED DOCUMENTATION:

If you prefer to get a printed copy of this entire Help file -- about 30 pages -- click this button:

What is MyFonts?

MyFonts is a shareware Font Management System designed for all 32-bit Windows. But don't let the word "shareware" fool you. MyFonts is a first-rate application which equals or surpasses any retail package. So, with all that money you save, we really hope you decide to part with some of it and register MyFonts.

What Can You Do with MyFonts?

With MyFonts, you can view or preview all of your TrueType® and Postscript Type 1 fonts in any size all the way up to 99 points with the widest degree of flexibility. Powerful filters help you separate and identify any font (and its source file). Fonts do not have to be installed. MyFonts enables you to work with uninstalled fonts directly from your disk or CD-ROM.

Powerful printing capabilities will produce some of the very best specimen sheets in the industry. Create handy catalogs of all your fonts, or special pages using the included point-and-click templates, such as the "Grid Template" which prints every character in your font (shows exactly what key combinations are needed for selecting symbols from dingbat or wingding-type fonts).

Easy-to-use font management tools help you to install or uninstall fonts, individually or in FontPacks, with a high degree of flexibility. You can even install fonts directly from your CD-ROM, saving precious hard disk space. Now that's freedom of choice!

Plus many more features, like saving font samples as bitmap files which can later be used in almost any Windows application.

Getting Started

If you want to "jump right in" and start using MyFonts right away without reading any of this great documentation (that we stayed up nights making just for you) then go right ahead. There is plenty of real-time help built into the application so you may never have to read this anyway (do you really believe that?). Of course, you might miss some of the less obvious features but you can always come back to this document anytime... it will not self-destruct, we promise. It's your choice.

By the way, we've tried to make reading this document as interesting (and maybe even fun) as possible while still giving you the info you need to master your font needs. We hope the humor doesn't offend or get in the way of understanding the application.


Why Register?
Register Today (Feel really great!)

Why Should You Register?

Because it will make you feel really good, that's why. You'll become a member of a very small percentage (less than 2%) of people who actually register. It keeps us in business hopefully making more useful stuff to sell you. And, maybe even because the software is really worth the small price we're asking (at least, we hope you think so).

What is our Upgrade Policy?

If you are honest enough to register then we will do our part by keeping MyFonts up to date for you and it won't cost you a penny! That's right. Updates to MyFonts are free. All you have to do is visit our web site and, if you see a more recent version, simply download it and put it into the same folder in which you had previously installed MyFonts. Doing so will replace the older version while retaining any data files which may have previously been created.

An update is a new version of the program within the same whole-number revision. So, for example, if you register version 2.0 then 2.1, 2.2, etc would be free.

When some major event occurs which forces us to make major changes to the product then we will issue a new whole-number revision. An example of this is when Windows'95 was introduced. The platform was so different we had to re-write the program completely. A time-consuming task. Another example is when some new feature is added which substantially changes the product. These types of significant changes require us to issue an upgrade which is not free.

In the past, we have always offered product upgrades to our past customers at about half-price. Your payment helps keep our business healthy and insures someone is here to answer your questions promptly. We think this is both fair and reasonable. We hope you agree us.

How To Send Us Your Money (Register)

It's easy. Just click the "Information" button from the MyFonts Welcome screen. From there you can print out a Registration Order Form or even send in your order via e-mail if you have a major credit card.

But, hey, why wait? If you're reading this and want to register by phone or mail then here's how to do it:

Credit Card orders: Call us at 314-770-2770 (voice or fax). Visa/MasterCard only (we're a very small company). You will need to supply your credit card number, expiration date, name and address (including country).

Please do not fax questions (we cannot reply by fax). If you have questions just call the same number and ask them or click on the "Support" button from the MyFonts Welcome screen for a list of support options. Support is always free.

Everyone else: Send $35 (cash, check*, or money order) to:

UniTech / MyTools.com

2697 McKelvey Road

Maryland Heights, MO 63043 USA

*Checks must be drawn on a U.S. bank, no Euro-checks please. The reason is our bank charges us $18 just to cash them. If you live outside the U.S. your bank can help you with this.

Our Internet addresses:

E-mail is MyFonts@MyTools.com

Web site is www.MyTools.com

Special Offer for

Registered Users of FontSpec Pro

If you have previously registered our other font utility, FontSpec Pro version 7.0 or higher (that's at least a 2 year time span), we would like to offer MyFonts to you for the very special price of just $20.00. Please recognize this is a special offer for registered owners of FontSpec Pro 7.0 or higher. No exceptions, sorry. If you are not in our database then this offer is not valid.

What is "Shareware"?

The short answer is: "it's how we get to eat!". You get the opportunity to try the software for 30 days to see if it really meets your needs without paying anything. Then, if you decide you would like to get the full version, you register it.

"Register" is another word for "buy". But not too many shareware authors use the word "buy" -- we don't know why, it's only 3 letters -- so instead, you see the word "register" a lot. The bottom line is you get to send us some money and, in return, you get a fully registered version of the software (then we run out a buy a pizza).

To help you make up your mind and send us your money, the program will remind you that we really like pizza by limiting some of its functions. So, it's not as convenient to use as the fully registered version. But, every function is available and operational, even if you never send us a dime.


About CD-ROMs
Important Tips (CD-ROM)

Note: This information is not required to run MyFonts, but we have found MyFonts performs best when the following suggestions are followed.

About CD-ROMs

If you haven't noticed yet, CD-ROMs are slow!  Even the 12x or 20x drives are much slower than your hard disk. If you intend to print font specimen sheets directly from CD's then expect to do a lot of waiting for your documents. If you have the room you might consider moving your font files to a temporary folder (directory) on your hard disk, print them, then delete the files. Of course, if you just want to print a few selected fonts then there's no problem and you can certainly use MyFonts to print directly from the CD.


About Your Printer
Important Tips (Printer)

Note: This information is not required to run MyFonts, but we have found MyFonts performs best when the following suggestions are followed.

About Your Printer

The most common problem, by far, is trying to print many un-installed fonts with the Windows Print Spooler turned on. Turn the print spooler off! It only slows down printing and, because of the massive amount of font data, consumes gigantic amounts of disk space.

More to the point, unlike printing from a word processor (whose fonts are always installed), this software prints fonts by first installing them into memory, then printing them, and then uninstalling them. That means the printing must occur in real time. If you are using a print spooler then by the time the spooler gets around to printing the font it may already have been uninstalled (and is gone). This usually results in the printer printing a generic-looking font instead of the font you wanted.

We'll say it again: Turn the print spooler off!

Making a Copy of Your Printer Driver

Many people simply make another printer driver and apply the changes to it rather than changing their current driver. It's up to you, but this would give you the most flexibility and it is recommended. Navigate to your printer driver (in Win95 or NT: click Start, then Settings/Printers). Select Add Printer, and create a second copy of the printer driver you use or intend to use with MyFonts. Remember, you are making another copy of your printer driver not replacing it. Give it a name like "MyFonts Printer" or "Print Direct". Make the changes listed below to this driver. By the way, you will find this new driver most useful especially when printing from any graphics program.

Turning Off Your Print Spooler

Navigate to your printer driver or, if you made a new driver as recommended above then navigate to your new printer driver (in Win95 or NT: click Start, then Settings/Printers). Right-click on your printer icon. From the tabbed dialog, click on the Details tab, then click on Spool Settings. Select the option which says "Print Directly to Printer" or similar words. That's all there is to it. Easy!

And, while you're at it . . .

Some (not all) printer drivers can also accept two more modifications. Make these changes if your printer driver has the options:

Print TrueType as Graphics:  Click on the printer driver's Fonts tab. Select this option if available. Most printers have this option and, if your does, it is important that you make this change.

Print Raster Graphics: Click on the Graphics tab. Select Raster graphics instead of Vector graphics if your printer has this option (not all do).

Some Fonts Print Small Squares

Instead of Correct Characters

This may occur in all point sizes or in just certain sizes. It is a Microsoft TrueType problem and is described in their publication PSS ID number Q94715 entitled "Cannot Print Ornate, Complex TrueType Fonts". A better title would have been "Cannot Print Cheap Fonts" because that's usually the cause of the problem.  The publication should be available from Microsoft at no charge if you are interested in reading boring stuff. In any event, MyFonts is doing its job when it prints specimen sheets which reveal problems like this (these fonts can be given early retirement -- get rid of 'em).


About Video Cards
Important Tips (Video)

Note: This information is not required to run MyFonts, but we have found MyFonts performs best when the following suggestions are followed.

About Video Cards

If you are using a video accelerator board and experience problems running MyFonts, or if MyFonts won't run at all, then the source of the trouble may be your video driver! Try another driver. Maybe there's a more recent release from the manufacturer, or you can try any of Microsoft's native drivers which seem to work amazingly well (and come free with every copy of Windows). There is an interaction between the memory address of video drivers and printer drivers, so if you experience trouble then you'll need to adjust either one or both of your drivers.

Other publications you might want to look at include PSS ID number Q115596 entitled "Problems with TrueType Fonts and Diamond Video Drivers" and PSS ID number Q85286 entitled "Checklist for Troubleshooting TrueType Font Problems". Each of these papers should be available from Microsoft at no charge.


Making Backups
Using MyFonts (Making Backups)

First Time Backup

When you run MyFonts for the first time, a complete backup is made of all your installed fonts automatically. The backup is in the form of a FontPack which can be used to re-install or restore your installed fonts to the way they were before you ever ran MyFonts.

Updating Your Backup

As mentioned above, the backup for your original installed fonts is automatically created for you in the form of a FontPack. This FontPack is saved in the MyFonts folder with the file name DEFAULT.MFP.

You can update this backup simply by deleting the file. MyFonts will re-create the backup file for you automatically the next time it is run. As long as this file is present in the MyFonts folder then your original font information will be preserved.

Why would you want to update your backup? Here are a few multiple choice answers:

1. Because it's really cool to watch the new file created.

2. Because you have nothing else to do.

3. Because you have moved some of your font files, so the original backup no longer reflects the font files available on your system.

4. Because you have changed your default font setup and want to be able to restore to this condition any time you feel it necessary in the future.

If you picked items 3 or 4 then congratulations! If you picked items 1 or 2 and continue to run this program you do so at your own risk <grin>.


Welcome Screen
Using MyFonts (Welcome screen)

First Impressions Are Important

MyFonts could have been packaged in a much smaller file size if we left out all the graphics, animations and sounds. But we wanted to make a product which was state-of-the-art. When you place the mouse over objects, they light up. All actions take place immediately with just one mouse click (forget all that double-clicking stuff). Animation and sound add interest and provide visual and audible feedback.

Support, Always Free

Whether you register MyFonts or not, support is always free and just a click away. Click the Support button to access our phone number, send us e-mail, or visit our web site.

The Most Important Button

Click the Information button for an overview of the product or to register MyFonts (that's why it is the most important button). From here, you can click on the Order Now button which will print a Registration Order Form. After the form is printed you will be given an opportunity to register immediately via the Internet, if you wish.

Our Web Site

If you have Internet access you can visit our web site at any time by simply clicking the Web Site button.

Window Shade Button

At the top right corner of the title bar is a button with up-down arrows (not something you normally see in other applications). Clicking this button rolls up MyFonts (like a window shade). Click it again to roll it back down. It's a convenient way to keep MyFonts open while accessing something else.


Setup
Using MyFonts (Setup)

Popup Balloon Help

Besides this help file, which is available at anytime in the program by pressing the F1-key, MyFonts also offers extensive instant help in the form of popup cartoon-style balloons. Whenever you position your mouse over an object the balloon help will popup (if available) depending on how you configure it.

You can select the amount of seconds to delay before showing help, and the amount of time to display it for. After you learn the program, you can turn it off completely (it can become a distraction after a while).

Using Sounds

With all the money you probably spent on getting a computer capable of playing really cool sounds, we thought you would appreciate our including sound support into MyFonts.

On the other hand, if the sounds are distracting or you just don't like them you can turn them off by un-checking this option.

Save Screen Position

When this option is selected MyFonts will remember its position on the screen and will return to that position the next time it is run. If you un-check this option then MyFonts will always start in the center of your screen.

Relax TrueType Validation

MyFonts compares every font it uses against published official TrueType specifications and strictly follows them. If the font fails to meet specifications then it is not used.

This can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your point of view. We think following the specs in the long run is much better than not since it assures the fonts you intend to use were made in accordance to TrueType recommendations.

A point of confusion is Microsoft sometimes fails to follow the specifications themselves (which is a shame). So, some fonts which really do not meet specs can currently be used in Windows but this is no guarantee the same fonts will work in future versions of Windows.

We have included the option to relax TrueType validation in MyFonts so that the widest possible flexibility is afforded to font usability. If you are trying to identify only quality fonts then turn this option off. If you want to use just about any kind of font then keep this option turned on and, if it's even remotely possible, MyFonts will use the font.


Viewing Fonts
Using MyFonts (Viewing Fonts)

Click here to see an explanation of each component on the Viewer screen.

Using the Viewer

Actually, you will probably find using the Viewer to be extremely easy and intuitive. But before using it, let's take a look at the setup options available for the Viewer.

Setup Tab

Click on the Setup tab (in the Viewer, not the Welcome screen). These are the options available to you:

Add/Remove Text Sample: The drop-down listbox contains all the specimen text available to you. You can add your own text simply by clicking in the edit area and typing your text (then press the Enter-key, of course). To remove, just select the text sample you want to get rid of and click on the Remove Text Sample button.

Special Codes: When entering your specimens, there are two special codes you can use to help get just the effect you want:

•   If you enter the 3 characters "<F>" (no quotations) anywhere in your text then this code will be replaced with the font's full name when you view your specimen.

•   If you enter the 3 characters "<+>" (no quotations) anywhere in your text then this code will be replaced with a new line (like pressing the enter key).

We have included an example specimen which starts with "<f>. Typography..." -- this sample uses both of the above codes. You can see the effect using a smaller point size (try 14 point).

Text Justification: The specimen can be displayed flush left, centered, or flush right in the Viewport by selecting the appropriate option.

Send To Printer: You can print the specimen being displayed in the Viewport immediately or elect to delay printing and print it later. You can print it later by leaving the Viewer and going to the Printer screen. Your specimen will be waiting there for you to print it.

If you use the Print Immediately option the sample will be printed using a pre-determined template. The template is always the same. You can change this template by selecting a different one from the Printer screen. This is explained in more detail in the Printer section.

The Send To Printer button is here as a way to get a quick 'n' dirty print sample. Much more powerful printing options are available from the Printer screen.

Viewer As Default: If you would like MyFonts to start with the Viewer instead of the Welcome screen you can select this option. Then, the next time you start MyFonts it will automatically start with this screen.

Customize Colors: Well, we really tried to pick interesting colors for MyFonts but, realizing we can't please all of the people all of the time, we've included this as a way for you to change most of the colors we've used. Each screen (Viewer, Printer, Manager) has its own color setup. So, if you really want to go nuts you can pick some far-out colors for each screen. Go ahead and give it a try. If you later decide our color choices were better than yours, then there's a button which will restore everything to the way it was when we designed MyFonts.

Viewing Installed Fonts

Click on the Installed Fonts tab. If you scroll up and down the list you'll notice each font is identified with an icon showing the type of font it is. The possible icons are:

TT-icon: 	for TrueType fonts.

PS-icon:	for Postscript fonts.

Monitor-icon:	for Screen (Raster) fonts.

Question-icon:	Heck, we don't know what it is!

Below the font list are three filters which can be used to include or exclude fonts types, and to the right of these is an LED which shows the total number of fonts in the listbox. For a total of all installed fonts you must have all three filters checked on, otherwise the total reflects the fonts you have elected to include in the listbox.

Finally, to view the font all you have to do is click on any of the listed font names. Piece of cake!

Viewing Font Files and

Previewing Uninstalled Fonts

Click on the Font Files tab. Before you can view font files you need to select which folder to use. Click on the ABC Font Files button. A dialog pops up with your default font folder already selected for you.

Select Font Folder Dialog: You will notice the folders are all shown in red. You DO NOT have to double-click anything. A single click will do just fine. Navigate through the folders until you reach the one you want then click the OK button. Notice that the dialog has a filter which you can use to limit the font type, and a listbox showing the font file names in the current folder along with the total font files in the folder. All of this is here to help you select the exact folder you want.

Auto-Scan Entire Hard Disk: If you are too lazy to navigate from folder to folder or just don't know where your fonts are located then MyFonts can find all the folders on your hard disk which contain font files automatically. Simply click the Search button and in just a few seconds you'll know exactly how many fonts are on your hard disk and what folders they're in. Now all you have to do is click on any of the listed folders to see the font files. To search another hard disk simply select the drive and search again.

After selecting the folder you want, all you have to do is click on a font file to see a sample of the font. The Information Panel shows the font's full name, description, and font file location. In addition, it also tells you (in red text) if this font is already installed in your system or not.


Viewer Screen
Viewer Screen (Layout)

Working from the top left part of the Viewer Screen, here's an overview of what each component does or is used for:

Tabbed Index Component: Used to select fonts to view. The Installed Fonts tab lists all the fonts installed in Windows. The Font Files tab lists font file names which you can use to display fonts whether installed or not. The Setup tab contains options which modify how fonts are to be viewed.

Viewport Panel: This is where your font sample is actually displayed. It's easy to identify so not much more can be said about it.

Information Panel: Just below the Viewport is the Information Panel. It shows you the font name being displayed, if it is proportional or fixed space, if it is TrueType or Postscript, and the full pathname (location) of the font file being used.

Send To Printer Button: This is a dual-function button which can be used to send a sample of the font being displayed to the printer. You can set this to print the font sample immediately or defer printing for a later time through the Setup tab of the Tabbed Index Component.

Specimen Selector: To the right of the printer button is a drop-down listbox which lets you select a specimen to display in the Viewport. Several specimens are already supplied. You can add your own to this list as well through the Setup tab of the Tabbed Index Component.

Font Size Panel: Below the printer button is a panel which contains controls to set the point size of the font being displayed in the Viewport. Take a look at the neat size adjustment knob, along with the point size LED display (kind of like what you'd see on a stereo system). To "turn the knob" you click on it and hold down the mouse button as you move your hand in a circle. While holding down the mouse button, you can get finer control by moving your hand in larger circles. The larger the imaginary circle is, the finer the point size adjustment. That's one way to adjust the point size. Another is to just click on a point on the knob which will then jump to a point size. You can get "close enough" to the size you want this way, then use the fine adjustment control (up-down arrows) to make adjustments in one-point increments. Either way, the idea is to select a point size you are interested in viewing.

Status Panel: Located to the right of the Font Size Panel. A bank of six LED's provide visual feedback of the type of font being displayed in the Viewport. Below this are indicators showing whether or not Adobe Type Manager (ATM) is installed and which version you have, if any. ATM is a software driver which is required to display Postscript fonts in Windows. MyFonts detects and automatically supports ATM if it is installed on your system.

Grid Switch: In the up position it lets you see your selected specimen. In the down position it displays every character of the selected font.

Back Button: In the lower left-hand corner of the screen takes you back to the Welcome screen.


Printing Fonts
Using MyFonts (Printing Fonts)

Click here to see an explanation of each component on the Printer screen.

Setup Tab

Before using the Printer let's take a quick look at the Printer Setup tab. Click on the Setup tab (in the Printer, not the Welcome screen). These are the options available to you:

Add/Remove Text Sample: This works exactly the same as in the Viewer. Click here if you want to review this option. The only difference is with the special code "<+>".  This code is not available during printing (if you enter it anyway then it will be replaced with the space character). Multi-line printing is controlled by settings in the Options Tab instead.

Print Fonts Filter: Depending on how you set this option, fonts will either be included or excluded from being added to the Print List. You can elect to include just the installed fonts, just uninstalled fonts, or all of the fonts.

Show Advisories: When a font cannot be included in the Print List an Advisory Dialog pops up to let you know about it. If you want to skip the advisories then select that option here. The fonts will still be excluded if any error is encountered.

Printer As Default: If you would like MyFonts to start with the Printer instead of the Welcome screen you can select this option. Then, the next time you start MyFonts it will automatically start with this screen.

Customize Colors: This option is just like the one in the Viewer. Click here if you want to review it.

Printing Fonts

After you have made changes to the Setup tab to suit your tastes, all you have to do is select the fonts you want to print. This can be any combination of installed or uninstalled fonts... from any combination of folders... it doesn't matter. You can select individual fonts or you can multi-select groups of fonts all at one time. Your selections are all added to the Print List.

The Print List can be sorted and you can remove fonts already added to the list by either right-clicking on the font(s) you want to remove from the list, or by clicking on the Clear Print List button to remove all the font entries.

Once you have selected your printer options, all you have to do is click on the Print NOW button to begin printing. If you haven't looked at the Printer Tips yet then you might want to do so now.

That's all there is to it... easy!


Printer Screen
Printer Screen (Layout)

Working from the top left part of the Printer Screen, here's an overview of what each component does or is used for:

Tabbed Index Component: Used to select fonts to print. The Installed Fonts tab lists all the fonts installed in Windows. The Font Files tab lists font file names which you can use to print fonts whether installed or not. The Setup tab contains options which modify how fonts are to be printed.

All Characters Viewport: Shows all the characters in the selected font. The number to the left of the scroll bar is the ASCII value for the first character in the Viewport.

Specimen Viewport: Shows a sample of the font as selected from the available specimens. The number to the left of the scroll bar is the ASCII value for the first character in the Viewport.

Add This Font to Print List Button: The button name is very descriptive of the function. The font which is being displayed is added to the Print List when clicked.

Add All Fonts to Print List Button: Click to add all fonts from the selected Tabbed Index Component to the Print List.

The Print List: All fonts to be printed are listed here. The list shows the font name as well as the font's file location. Both the Font Name column and the File Pathname column can be sorted by clicking on the column heading. Click once to sort alphabetically in ascending order. Click again to sort in descending order.

Advisory Dialogs: When adding fonts to the Print List, an Advisory dialog will popup when a font can not be added to the Print List along with a brief explanation.

Selection of more than one font at a time: Using standard Windows procedure, you can select more than one font at a time to add to the Print List. Simply click on the first font then, while holding down the Shift-key, click on the last font in a consecutive list. All fonts will be highlighted. Now click the Add All Fonts to Print List button to copy all the highlighted fonts to the Print List.

Express Add to Print List (shortcut): Instead of clicking the "Add To" buttons you can use this shortcut -- position the mouse over a selected (highlighted) font name and click the right mouse button. This works for selections of more than one font as well. So, select (highlight) using Left-click and copy using Right-click.

The Print NOW Button: Click this when you are satisfied with the composition of your Print List. A Print Dialog will popup so you can select the correct printer and other options. If you haven't looked at the Printer Tips yet then you might want to do so now.

Specimen Selector: To the right of the printer button is a drop-down listbox which lets you select a specimen to display in the Viewports. Depending on the template you select (see below), this is also the text sample that prints. Several specimens are already supplied. You can add your own to this list as well through the Setup tab of the Tabbed Index Component.

Printer Options Component: Click to pop-open this multi-options tabbed control. Here's an explanation of each tab:

Templates Tab:  This is what your printed sample sheets will look like. A small picture of each template is displayed as you cycle through the list. This is also where you set the default template for the Viewer. When you see the template you want for the Viewer click on the button to "lock in" that template -- it will not change until you select another template for the Viewer.

Page Layout Tab: This is where you adjust paper margins, the size of the specimen to print, page headers and footers. All standard stuff.

Options Tab: Stopping sample text at margins effectively prints one-line samples, otherwise the sample prints as a paragraph of up to 5 lines before being truncated. On the other hand, if your specimen is short (i.e. "Sample Type") but you want to fill the column with the text so it appears blocked then check the Repeat Text option. The rest of the stuff is self-explanatory.

Save Bitmap Tab: Why is this here? We have no idea... it seemed like a cool feature to add so we did. To save a font sample as a bitmap simply adjust to the size you want (the read-out tells you the current size), change the font color and/or background, enter a file name and save it. Actually, this could come in handy if you want to include a word or two in a drawing or word processor without installing the font, so it really does have some value.

Back Button: In the lower left-hand corner of the screen takes you back to the Welcome screen.


Managing Fonts
Using MyFonts (Managing Fonts)

Click here to see an explanation of each component on the Manager screen.

Setup Tab

Before using the Manager let's take a quick look at the Setup tab. Click on the Setup tab (in the Manager, not the Welcome screen). These are the options available to you:

FontPack Installation: When installing FontPacks you will want to decide how the fonts should be installed. There are two methods to consider:

Replace all existing installed fonts with the contents of the FontPacks you are installing. Frankly, we like this method best since it guarantees the only fonts left installed are the ones you have selected (everything else is removed).

Add-To the existing installed fonts. This method is much faster than the Replace method since nothing has to be uninstalled first.

Font Relocation: Also when installing fonts you have the option of first copying the font file to a selected font folder then installing the font from that folder. An example of using this method would be if you have a CD-ROM which contains fonts. If you want the font to be available all of the time then it needs to be copied first to a folder on your hard disk. On the other hand, you could also install the font directly from the CD-ROM. The advantage of this would be that it would take up zero hard disk space. This disadvantage would be that the font would only be available if the CD was in your drive.

Erasing Font Files: If this option is selected then the font file will be deleted (forever) whenever you uninstall a font. If you select this option you will also be asked if you want to be prompted before deleting a font file or if it should happen quietly in the background. Our recommendation is not to use this option unless you are very familiar with what you are doing.

If you delete a font file by mistake all is not lost. The file is moved into your Recycle Bin when it is deleted, so you can restore it up to and until you empty the Recycle Bin.

Manager As Default: If you would like MyFonts to start with the Manager instead of the Welcome screen you can select this option. Then, the next time you start MyFonts it will automatically start with this screen.

Customize Colors: This option is just like the one in the Viewer. Click here if you want to review it.

Installing Fonts

MyFonts makes it so easy to install a font that it hardly needs explanation. All you have to do is click on the Font Files tab, select the folder containing the font files you want to work with, click on the individual font files to see a sample of the font. The font status is displayed in the Information Panel and, if the font is not already installed then you can click the Install Font button. If the font is already installed then the Install Font button will not be available.

Un-installing Fonts

Believe it or not, it's even easier to uninstall a font than installing it. Click on the Installed Fonts tab and select the font to uninstall then simply click the Un-install button.

Working with FontPacks

Click on the FontPack Manager button to access the area where you can create, install and uninstall, edit or delete FontPacks.

Making a FontPack

This is handled exactly the same way as adding fonts to the Print List when printing fonts. But, instead of printing, we will be saving the list as a FontPack for later use.

Simply click on the fonts to include in the FontPack List. This can be any combination of installed or uninstalled fonts... from any combination of folders... it doesn't matter. You can select individual fonts or you can multi-select groups of fonts all at one time.

The FontPack List can be sorted and you can remove fonts already added to the list by either right-clicking on the font(s) you want to remove from the list, or by clicking on the Clear Pack button to remove all the font entries.

When the list is complete click on the Save Pack button, supply a name to your new FontPack and you're done! Your new FontPack will be listed in the lower right-hand corner of your screen.

Editing a FontPack

Select a FontPack from the list and click on the Edit Pack button. The contents of the FontPack is copied to the FontPack List. You can now freely add or remove fonts from the list, then save the FontPack. To review how to add or remove fonts, click here.

Removing a FontPack

Select the FontPack to remove then click on the Delete Pack button.

Installing & Uninstalling FontPacks

Simply select the FontPack(s) to install or uninstall and then click on the appropriate button. Before you do this you might want to review the options in the Setup tab to make sure you have them set as you expect them to be.

As a side note, the Uninstall button is really just a convenience item. You can actually achieve the same result using just the Install button instead. How? Well, instead of asking yourself what FontPacks you want to uninstall, ask yourself what FontPacks you want installed. Select the FontPacks you want installed then click on the Install button using the Replace All Fonts option in the Setup tab. All other fonts will be uninstalled. The result is the same. But use whatever method you feel most comfortable with. Hope that didn't confuse anyone!

Printing a FontPack

Select the FontPack you would like to print specimen sheets of, then click on the Edit Pack button. The contents of the FontPack are copied to the FontPack List.

Navigate to the Printer screen. The FontPack List becomes your Print List. Follow the directions of printing fonts and you're done!


Manager Screen
Manager Screen (Layout)

Working from the top left part of the Manager Screen, here's an overview of what each component does or is used for:

Tabbed Index Component: Used to install or uninstall fonts. The Installed Fonts tab lists all the fonts installed in Windows. You can uninstall fonts from this list. The Font Files tab lists font file names which you can use to install fonts. The Setup tab contains options which modify how fonts are to be installed or uninstalled.

Uninstall Button: Used to uninstall the font displayed in the Viewport. This button only is available from the Installed Fonts tab.

Install Button: Used to install the displayed font. This button is only available from the Font Files tab, and only when the displayed font is not installed.

FontPack Manager Button: Click to install or uninstall groups of fonts.

All other controls: All the other controls on this screen are identical to those already described in the Viewer Screen.

FontPack Manager Controls

You get to this screen by clicking on the FontPack Manager button. All of the controls on this screen have already been explained in the Printer Screen, except for the following:

Available FontPacks: In the lower right-hand corner of the screen. These are the FontPacks available to you. You select FontPacks by checking the check box.

FontPack List: This is a list of fonts which make up the current FontPack. Maybe you are creating a new pack or editing and existing FontPack, or combining several FontPacks. Whatever you are doing, the fonts listed here represent the list of fonts you are working with. Both the Font Name column and the File Pathname column can be sorted by clicking on the column heading. Click once to sort alphabetically in ascending order. Click again to sort in descending order.

Selection of more than one font at a time: Using standard Windows procedure, you can select more than one font at a time to add to the FontPack List. Simply click on the first font then, while holding down the Shift-key, click on the last font in a consecutive list. All fonts will be highlighted. Now click the All Fonts to FontPack button to copy all the highlighted fonts to the FontPack.

Express Add to FontPack List (shortcut): Instead of clicking the "Add To" buttons you can use this shortcut -- position the mouse over a selected (highlighted) font name and click the right mouse button. This works for selections of more than one font as well. So, select (highlight) using Left-click and copy using Right-click.

Save Pack Button: Click this to create a new FontPack containing the fonts in the FontPack List. When creating FontPacks you might want to think about how you intend to use them later. For example, FontPacks based on usage such as a NewsLetter pack containing fonts for working with newsletters would be better than FontPacks containing all script fonts (unless, of course, you have use for such a pack).

Install Pack Button: Used to install existing FontPacks. You can select as many FontPacks as you wish, you do not have to install FontPacks individually.

Un-Install Button: Used to uninstall existing FontPacks. You can select as many FontPacks as you wish, you do not have to uninstall FontPacks individually.

Edit Pack Button: Check an existing FontPack then click this button to open the FontPack and list its contents in the FontPack List.

Delete Pack Button: To remove (forever) a FontPack first select the FontPack then click on this button. Your font files are not deleted. Only the FontPack is deleted.

Back Button: In the lower left-hand corner of the screen. Click once to return to the Manager screen (management of individual fonts). Click again to return to the Welcome screen.


Font Location
Font File Location

Font File Location

If you are a beginner (and that's okay) then you might want to defer reading this until a later time when you feel more comfortable with your system. Reading this information will advance your ability to take complete control over your system's fonts.

Before you can effectively manage your fonts you need to understand how fonts are handled in Windows.

By default, fonts are kept in your \Windows\Fonts folder. There are two problems with this. First, every software package dumps fonts into this folder (or so it seems), until it becomes sort of like a junk yard for files, making management almost impossible. Second, Windows tries to install every font file in your Fonts folder on start-up. So, if you have a thousand fonts in the folder then all of them get installed -- what a waste of memory and resources!

To take control you need to move your fonts to another folder. To a folder which you create and only you have control over. Leave only the original Windows fonts in the \Windows\Fonts folder (actually you can move them as well but since some software may not follow all the rules and take shortcuts -- not good -- then its a safe bet to keep the original fonts alone).

Here's a list of the fonts we recommend you keep in your \Windows\Fonts folder:

Arial	  Courier

Arial Italic	  Courier Italic

Arial Bold	  Courier Bold

Arial Bold Italic	  Courier Bold Italic

Times New Roman	  Symbol

Times New Roman Italic	  Wingdings

Times New Roman Bold

Times New Roman Bold Italic

The advantage of doing this is only the fonts you want installed get installed and, if some software package dumps a load of fonts in your \Windows\Fonts folder they will be easy to identify and sort through. If you want to keep them just move them to your folder, otherwise you can get rid of them.

How To Do It

Here's step-by-step instructions (it's very easy):

1. Make a folder. Something like "c:\TTF" will work, for example.

2. Copy (don't move) all TrueType font files from your \Windows\Fonts folder to your new folder. TrueType font files have a file extension of ".TTF". Only move this type of file. Do not move files that end in any other extension. For example, files that end in ".FON" are your Windows screen fonts and should not be moved.

3. Make a FontPack (explained in the Manager section) of some basic fonts from their new location. Maybe give the FontPack a name like Basic Fonts.

4. Install the FontPack you just made replacing all other installed fonts.

5. Restart Windows. Then before using any other software, go ahead and delete the TrueType font files from your \Windows\Fonts folder. You want to do this right after starting Windows because once a font is used by another software package then that font will not be able to be erased from your system for the rest of that Windows session.

CONGRATULATIONS! You are now in total control over your fonts. You are the only one who decides which fonts get installed or uninstalled. You are the master.


Windows Registry

What MyFonts Does to the Registry

Nothing in this section is necessary to run MyFonts. But, if you are interested in the entries MyFonts makes to the Windows Registry then you will appreciate the information presented here. Frankly, we hate using software that modifies the Registry without documenting what was done.

For those of you who don't know, the Registry is a central database which Windows maintains that holds all kinds of information about your system. Software developers usually store information about their products in this database (like the options you set when you run MyFonts).

Here's a picture of the folders (entries we make) as seen in RegEdit (the Registry Editor which is supplied with Windows):

Registry Path:

MyComputer\HKEY_CURRENT_USERS\Software\UniTech.

UniTech Folder: We use the name of our parent company as the anchor for the entries we make to the Registry because we make other products besides MyFonts. Entries for all of our products are kept in this folder.

MyTools Folder: All of the shareware we make is under the name MyTools.com which is also our URL on the Internet. This folder contains our name and address, phone number, e-mail address and other company-related information.

MyFonts Folder: All the settings related to this program are kept here. This folder contains other folders which hold information related to the program's functions:

Application Folder: Holds data related to the entire program such as the sample text you use in MyFonts and the different sounds in the program. If you are comfortable with modifying the Registry then you can change the sounds we use for some other sounds you like better.

Manager Folder: Holds data about font management which includes the FontPacks you make and any new color-scheme you might select.

Printer Folder: Holds data related to the Printer section of the program including any new color-scheme you might select.

Viewer Folder: Holds data related to the Viewer section of the program including any new color-scheme you might select.

Removing Registry Entries

Nothing we have added to the Registry is critical to the operation of Windows. You can totally remove all of our entries from the Registry without any side-effects. Of course, if you do remove the entries and then run MyFonts again it will be as if you were running MyFonts for the very first time (that could be a good thing depending on what you are trying to do).

Anyway, we wanted you to know what we did to your Registry if, for nothing else, just so you have the information. We hope you can appreciate our thoughts about this.


Cover Sheet

Documentation for

MyFonts

Version 2.0

Copyright 1998, MyTools.com

2697 McKelvey Road

Maryland Heights, MO 63043  USA

314-770-2770

E-mail: Support@MyTools.com

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED


End Sheet

-- END OF DOCUMENT --

If you have any questions about our products please feel free to contact us:

MyTools.com

2697 McKelvey Road

Maryland Heights, MO 63043  USA

314-770-2770

E-mail: Support@MyTools.com

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