This chapter provides detailed information to configure and start the Font analysis of a volume.

•  read the Precautions section in the Trouble-shooting section

•  launch the program

•  click the Start button

•  save the report
Navigate to a convenient folder to save and, optionally, rename the Font Box report. The Volume (hard disk) where you save the report will be analyzed. If you don’t save the Report, the Volume where Font Box is located will be analyzed.

The Setup window opens to accept your Analysis preferences.

Font Box defaults to the recommended setting of performing all tests. Click on a test that you don’t want executed. Balloon Help is available.

•  Check for corrupt fonts
Loading a corrupt font will eventually crash your computer. A font usually gets corrupted by an unusually spectacular System crash. The Mac is further aggravated because the corrupt font then leads to more crashes, which may lead to more corrupt fonts. System problems due to corrupt fonts are particularly difficult to isolate because one doesn’t usually think of checking fonts and checking requires tediously opening (double-clicking) each suitcase and displaying (double-clicking) each font. Note that you can’t disable this test.

Results: If a font is corrupt, Font Box displays a dialog indicating the problem with a Delete button, which immediately deletes the font and a Continue button, which allows you to continue. Be warned that if you choose to continue, Font Box itself may crash.

•  Check Duplicate Bitmapped fonts
Duplicate fonts consume disk space and make font management more difficult. Opening duplicate Type 1 and True Type fonts can cause unpredictable format results and crash your computer. Font Box performs a low-level analysis of each resource in each font, which is simply not feasible manually.

Results: If duplicate fonts are found, a scrollable list is displayed. The Exclude button ensures that only one copy of the font is moved to the Font Box folder. The Include button allows duplicate fonts in the Font Box folder.
If duplicate Type 1 and True Type fonts are found, you are presented with a Keep Type 1 button which moves the Type 1 fonts to the Font Box folder and a Keep True Type button which moves the True Type fonts to the Font Box folder.

•  Check Duplicate Postscript fonts
Duplicate Postscript fonts only waste disk space and make font management more difficult.

Results: If duplicate fonts are found, a scrollable list is displayed with an Exclude button which ensures that only one copy of the font is moved to the Font Box folder and an Include button which allows duplicates. You should always select the Exclude button because a renamed Postscript font cannot be referenced by the corresponding bitmapped font.

•  Check Bitmapped fonts without Postscript fonts
Bitmapped fonts (screen fonts) require the corresponding Postscript fonts (printer fonts) to properly print. Orphaned bitmapped fonts appear in the Font menu and display correctly in the installed sizes, but print as Quickdraw, not Postscript, fonts. This test ensures that all your bitmapped fonts print correctly.

Results: If a scrollable list is displayed, click the Exclude button to prevent the orphaned font from being included in the Font Box folder or click the Include button to include it.

•  Check Postscript fonts without Bitmapped fonts
Conversely, Postscript fonts (printer fonts) without Bitmapped fonts (screen fonts) will never be referenced and are only wasting disk space. Font Box locates the orphaned Postscript fonts.

Results: the Exclude button prevents the orphaned Postscript font from being moved to the Font Box folder. The Include button includes the Postscript font in the folder.

•  Remove Type 1 sizes except 10 and 12 point
If a font is viewed in any other than the installed sizes, ATM uses the Postscript font to generate a bit mapped font. Therefore, with ATM, you can save RAM and disk space by removing extraneous type sizes.

Results: clicking the Exclude button instructs Font Box to create new fonts without the extraneous bitmapped sizes. The Include button causes Font Box to include the extraneous sizes in the new fonts.

•  unregistered users - review the report
If you have not registered, you should Quit Font Box and open the Font Box Report by double-clicking it. If the report is too large for SimpleText, open it with your favorite word processor. If you determine that you can benefit from having the reported problems fixed, launch Font Box and select ‘Full Version’ from the ‘File’ menu or read the ‘Unlocking’ section.

•  registered users - go to the next chapter