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Extensis
Suitcase 9
"Manage
Your Fonts With Ease!"
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Suitcase
9 is the Windows version of the font management utility created by Extensis
Corporation.
Suitcase has been a popular font management utility for previewing, organizing,
managing, and controlling fonts for the Macintosh platform and now it is
available for Window users. The interface works the same way on Macintosh
and Windows, so those familiar with one operating system can use the other,
without having to relearn how to use fonts. The program is a breeze to install.
With its easy-to-use features, drag-and-drop abilities, multiple previews,
and cross-platform compatibility, it makes working with a large numbers
of fonts fast and easy. Suitcase 9 allows you to group and open fonts only
when you need them, saving valuable system resources. The program manages
TrueType, PostScript, and OpenType fonts. As yet, it does not support MultipleMaster
fonts. There are two editions: (1) Suitcase 9 Desktop Edition is the standalone
font management utility; and (2) Suitcase 9 Network Edition is the font
utility for connecting workgroups and giving everyone access to the same
set of fonts, whether they are across the room or around the world, or use
Macintosh or Window fonts. While this review will contain some information
about the Network Edition, it primarily discusses the Desktop Edition. Suitcase
9 is available for Windows and Macintosh. Pricing for Desktop Edition: $79.95;
upgrade is $49.95; and competitive upgrades for users of Adobe Type Manager
Deluxe, Font Reserve and Master Juggler are $59.95. Pricing for Network
Edition: $129.95. See the Extensis Web site for information on other products:
http://www.extensis.com |
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Beginners, intermediate, and advanced computer
users. The program is useful to a variety of types of users:
(1) creative professionals, graphic designers, prepress professionals, service
bureaus, commercial printers, corporate in-house creative departments, and
self-employed designers; (2) associates of creative professionals who find
that hundreds of fonts are installed on their systems; (3) multimedia and
Internet content creators (Web, CD-ROM), and digital camera users; and (4)
small-office/home-office operators who create newsletters, presentations,
fliers, Web sites and other material. |
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Features
in Extensis Suitcase 9 include:
- Print
Type Samples;
- View
and Sort Fonts;
- Activate
Individual Fonts;
- Activation
Flexibility;
- Live
Font Previews;
- Configurable
Interface;
- Desktop
and Network Editions;
- Font
Info Window;
- Compatible
with Macintosh and Windows;
- MenuFonts;
- Suitcase
XT.
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Unified
Dialog Box |
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In
Suitcase 9, all the important features are pulled together in an intuitive
interface, so you can preview, manage, and activate fonts at once. Using
the unified main window, you can create and modify sets, activate fonts
or sets of fonts, and preview fonts in a number of different ways. You
have access to the Toolbar, the Sets pane, the Font pane, and the Preview
pane.
- Toolbar--provides
access to the most commonly used Suitcase commands: New Set, Add to
Suitcase, Remove, Activate Permanently, Activate Until Restart (Temporarily),
and Deactivate.
- Sets
Pane--lets
you organize your fonts by creative groups, or sets, that you can activate
or deactivate at the same time.
- Font
Pane--displays
lists of fonts that you select from a pop-up menu, including status
and other information.
- Resize
Horizontal and Vertical--lets
you change the pane size. By moving the resize bar all the way to the
top, bottom, right or left, you can hide or show the different panes.
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Multiple
Font Previews |
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You
can preview your fonts in three different ways in Suitcase 9: Waterfall,
ABC 123, Paragraph, and QuickType. Not only can you choose the style of
preview, but you can also select the font size. All previews allow text
to be customized. Multiple fonts can be previewed side by side, so choosing
the correct font is easier than ever. Any of the font preview options
can be viewed side by side.
- Waterfall--creates
a cascade of the selected font, displaying a selection of alphanumeric
characters, in three different point sizes.
- ABC
123--shows
the selected font in alphabetical and numerical order, in upper and
lower case.
- Paragraph--displays
the font in a text paragraph, showing how a paragraph would actually
look in the selected font and size.
- QuickType--displays
text that you type in the QuickType box so you can create your own customized
preview.
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Printing
Type Samples |
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For
users who like to see what their fonts will look like in print, Suitcase
9 allows you to print sample pages. You can select individual fonts, multiple
fonts, or print the font sample pages of an entire set of fonts at the same
time. You can create a type sample book of fonts on your system. Sample
pages also provide you with useful information, including the type, version,
Font ID, and the location of the screen and printer fonts. |
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Sorting
and Viewing Fonts |
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Within
the main window, you can view and sort fonts by different criteria. Fonts
can be sorted by Font name, Font Type, or Foundry, so you can quickly see
what fonts you have in each group. |
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Configurable
Interface |
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Suitcase
9 can be customized to suit various needs. Several commands and controls
can be modified to suit individual preferences, and the main window can
be configured to display Sets, Fonts, Previews, or any combination of these.
The text that appears in the preview pane can also be customized, and the
text displayed in the Waterfall and ABC 123 previews can be customized as
well. Default displays can be restored at any time. |
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Viewing
Font Information
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You
can use the Get Info option from the file menu to get important information
about your fonts. A font info window shows you the type of font, the foundry,
version number, and more. |
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Consistent
Cross-Platform Interface |
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Macintosh
and Windows are very different operating systems, but both the Macintosh
and Windows versions of Suitcase 9 work in a consistent way. Sets can be
created and previewed. Two features of Suitcase 9 are available only for
the Macintosh--MenuFonts and Suitcase XT. |
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Enhanced
Font Menus (Macintosh Only) |
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Suitcase
9 for the Macintosh includes MenuFonts, the system extension that improves
the usefulness of font menus. You can preview how fonts really look, making
it easier to choose a font as you go. |
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Automatic
Font Activation (Macintosh Only) |
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Suitcase
9 includes Suitcase XT, an XTension for QuarkXPress that automatically
locates missing fonts and opens them. Suitcase XT works with Suitcase
9 and Apple's FontSync technology to open missing fonts.
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I
have always been a font collector, amassing disks and CDs full of fonts,
and then I am faced with the problem of using and managing them. Do I install
all of them so that I have immediate access, and thus bog down my computer,
or do I just leave them on disks and then have to hunt down just the right
one for the current job. I repeatedly have installed too many fonts and
have either slowed my computer to a snail's pace or actually had trouble
even starting my computer. With the last fiasco, I had installed over !,000
fonts and suddenly wondered why my dialog boxes in various programs displayed
garbled text. That's when I thought it was imperative that I find a font
manager. Numerous friends tried to break me from this bad font habit, but
I was hooked, and I actually need to have access to a variety of fonts.
For individuals that create for both print and the Web; create various types
of documents such as flyers, business cards, presentations, brochures, and
newsletters; need to have access to a variety of type faces from plain Times
Roman to Script to novelty fonts; and desire to have them available over
time if changes need to be made, or the material needs to be updated, the
ability to manage fonts becomes a major issue. So, I contacted Extensis
about Suitcase, but was told that it was available only for the Macintosh.
When I finally heard that the program was available for Windows, I was immensely
relieved. Finally, I thought I could intelligently manage all of those wonderful
fonts that I had collected over the years. I had been using another font
manager, but it had limited capabilities. After installing the program and
using it for awhile, I can say that I am not disappointed. Suitcase is one
of those utility programs that I would suggest no designer be without. It
simplifies your life! Now I can save sets of fonts in categories such as
serif, sans-serif, script, novelty, and decorative, plus sets of fonts for
specific jobs, and then just activate them when I need them. I like having
my postscript and TrueType fonts under one management utility. The four
views and ability to print type samples is an excellent tool when you are
trying to select fonts for desktop publishing. I would highly recommend
this utility. |
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Desktop
Edition for Windows:
- Pentium
II and higher;
- Windows
98, Windows ME, Windows NT 4 - Service pack 5 or higher, and Windows
2000.
Desktop
Edition for Macintosh:
- System
8.5 and higher;
- Power
PC.
Network
Edition for Windows:
- Microsoft
Windows NT 4.0 or higher (Server or Workstation);
- Pentium
PC (best: 233 MHz or faster);
- 32
MB RAM (best: 64 MB);
- NTFS
volume required for storing fonts.
Network
Edition for Macintosh:
- System
8.6 and higher;
- Power
Mac or equivalent;
- 12
MB application RAM;
- Open
Transport 1.3 or later.
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