This document can assist you in resolving problems that occur when you install fonts or when using fonts with Adobe applications in Mac OS X. Font problems can manifest themselves in many different ways, including (but not limited to) the following:
To benefit most from this document, perform the following tasks in order.
If you use an unsupported font format, the system can't display or print the font in applications.
Mac OS X supports the following font formats:
Mac OS X includes five font folders that allow you to use fonts in different ways. You can install fonts to as many folders as required because Mac OS X permits duplicate copies of a font in the system. If fonts have duplicate names, Mac OS X uses fonts—without regard to font format—from the following locations in the order listed:
Note: Fonts installed in System Folder/Fonts are available to all Classic, Carbon, and Cocoa applications.
To install a font in Mac OS X, do the following:
Drag the font files from the original media (for example, a CD) to one or more of the following folders on the hard disk:
Note: When installing PostScript fonts, drag both the outline font file and bitmap font suitcase to the appropriate folder. (In Mac OS X, font suitcases look and behave like other font files. You can't open them by double-clicking the file as you can in Mac OS 9.)
To use PostScript fonts in Mac OS X, install the bitmap (screen), or the suitcase containing the bitmap fonts, and outline (printer) fonts to the same folder. (Adobe bitmap font files use the font name. The outline files use a shortened, PostScript version of the font name [for example, "Isabe" for the Isabella font].) If an outline font file isn't installed, the font can print incorrectly. If the bitmap font file isn't installed, the font isn't available in the font menu.
ATM prevents fonts from appearing jagged onscreen and therefore helps PostScript fonts print more smoothly on nonPostScript printers when running applications in Classic mode. You can download a free version of ATM Light 4.6 from the Adobe website.
Deactivate all font management utilities, such as Extensis Suitcase Fusion, Insider FontAgent Pro, or Linotype FontExplorer X. Attempt to perform the action that previously produced the problem (launching your application, accessing the font menu, and so on). Then do one of the following:
Move font files from the Fonts folders in the Users, Library, and Network folders to the desktop or other location, and restart the computer. If the problem doesn't recur, one or more of the font files you moved is causing the problem. Replace font files a few at a time to determine which font is causing the problem. (For example, replace font files that start with A-E to the System/Library/Fonts folder, and then restart the computer. If the problem doesn't recur, add another small group of font files. If the problem does recur, one of the font files you just added could be the cause. Remove the font files, and add them back one at a time. Restart the computer each time until you find the particular font file that causes the problem.) When you find the font file that causes the problem, reinstall the font from the original media.
Make sure you are using the latest version of the font.
To check a font from the Adobe Type Library, select the font file, and choose File > Get Info > General to check the creation date. (If you're using PostScript fonts, check the creation date for each outline and suitcase file.) If the font's creation date is before 1992, a new version of the font could be available. For upgrade information, contact Adobe Customer Support at 1-800-833-6687.
Corrupt font cache files cause fonts to appear damaged even if they are not. A common symptom is garbled text onscreen. Once the cache has been cleared, a corrupt font cache can be eliminated as the possible source of the problem.
A system error can occur if an application accesses a damaged font.
Note: If no adobefnt.lst file is found in the search, make sure the search criteria are set to 'any' in the Find dialog box.
To troubleshoot fonts if you use Font Book, do the following:
Important: Do not empty the Trash before the final step in this process.
Note: The first file is the preferences file for Font Book. The second file specifies the fonts you disabled in Font Book. After you delete com.apple.ATS.plist, all previously disabled fonts load when you next log in. If you installed hundreds or thousands of fonts, the performance of your system could be slow when all previously disabled fonts are loaded.
Locate and delete your font cache folder. For example, if you are the first user defined on your Mac, the folder is named 501. If you are the second user, the folder is named 502.
Note: If you use Fast User Switching, several 501.xxx, 502.xxx folders could be in the ATS folder. Move them to the Trash.
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