Specifications

Here is a list of the places you can install fonts in Mac OS X v10.3. Any fonts that you
put into subfolders of these folders are also activated.
Application’s own font folder Some applications create their own font folder
(if it has one) either in the application’s folder or in the shared
Application Support folder. Note that these
applications have their own methods for choosing
between conflicting fonts. These methods apply
in both Mac OS X and the Classic environment.
(For more information on how InDesign handles
conflicting font families, see www.adobe.com/
support/techdocs/2d1ce.htm.)
Your private Fonts folder If you’re on a single-user system and you use only
/Users/<your user name>/Library/Fonts Mac OS X applications, this is the place you should
(also referred to as ~/Library/Fonts) put all your fonts. No one but you can use these
fonts. If you also run Classic applications, put your
fonts in the Classic System Folder Fonts folder
instead.
Main font collection This collection is the equivalent of the traditional
/Library/Fonts Fonts folder in Mac OS 9. Fonts in this folder are
available to everyone who shares a particular Mac.
However, only a user with administrator access
can change the contents of the folder. In a lab
environment, common fonts would be placed here
by the Mac system administrator. In a design or
production environment without a font manager,
shared fonts should be placed here.
Network fonts This folder is represented by the Network icon in
/Network/Library/Fonts your Computer folder, but it is located on another
computer on the network. It can contain a central
font collection to which Mac systems in a network
can subscribe. This collection gives everyone a
consistent set of fonts. All fonts in this location are
always active.
System fonts This folder contains all fonts used by Mac OS X for
/System/Library/Fonts menus, dialogs, and icons. You can see the fonts
here, but you can’t modify this folder. Page 23
describes a method for modifying this folder and
its fonts.
Classic fonts If you’re running both Classic and Mac OS X
<startup volume>/System Folder/Fonts applications and you don’t use a font manager,
this is the place where you should put all your
fonts. This way, Classic applications can use fonts
preinstalled in Mac OS X, because this is the only
folder from which Classic applications can use
fonts. Mac OS X applications can also use fonts
in this folder.
33
Technology Tour
Advanced Typography
with Mac OS X