Specifications

Removing or deactivating fonts in Mac OS X

Font Book makes it easy to remove fonts from the Mac OS X system, regardless of

where the fonts reside.

1 Open Font Book.

2 Click the triangle next to All Fonts.

3 Select Computer. This option shows the fonts from two physical locations on your

hard drive: /System/Library/Fonts (requires administrator access) and <startup

volume>/Library/Fonts. This is the place for fonts that you want to make available

to all users of the computer.

4 Select the fonts you wish to remove. To select multiple fonts that are contiguous

in the list, use Shift-click. To select noncontiguous fonts, use Command-click.

5 Now choose either Remove Font from the File menu or Disable Font from the

Edit menu.

The following fonts are commonly removed:

• Courier

• Futura

• GillSans

• Helvetica

• Helvetica Neue

• Times New Roman

These fonts are usually replaced with your preferred version by using Font Book or

a third-party font manager. You can also remove the various foreign language fonts

if the system is going to be used only with Roman languages. If you are using a

localized system, you may also need some specific system fonts for that language.

Lucida Grande is an essential system font. Never remove it. Doing so will prevent

the system from starting up and will likely require reinstallation of the operating

system. You should also leave these fonts:

• Geneva.dfont

• Keyboard.dfont

• LastResort.dfont

• Monaco.dfont

Otherwise, some of your applications might not display text correctly.

If you selected any fonts for removal that were in the /System/Library/Fonts folder,

you are asked to authenticate your ID as an administrator before the fonts are

moved to the Trash. You are not asked to authenticate your ID if you are simply

disabling the font.

The deleted fonts are now in the Trash. If you prefer, you can remove the fonts from

the Trash and place them in a folder in case you wish to add them back at a later

time. Store the fonts in a safe place, such as a new folder named “Fonts Removed

from Mac OS X” in your home folder or in the /Users/Shared folder.

Technology Tour

Advanced Typography

with Mac OS X