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Since I’m just starting off, I’m going to repost some older, but still relevant content that has long since been removed from where it was originally posted:
(For use with Windows OS and PSP, PhotoImpact, or PhotoShop)

As most webdesigners (either professional or hobbyist), I have always had a deep love for fonts. And though I downloaded tons of them, and knew how to install them; I truthfully didn’t know much about using them effectively.

I first began to understand the scope of my problem when my graphics program began to take several minutes to load - Photoshop in particular was getting hung on the “loading fonts” screen. Did you know that if you keep all your fonts in your C:\Windows\Fonts folder, you may be slowing the start of every application on your computer, as well as your initial boot time? (Don’t feel bad, I didn’t either).

I had heard several designers talk in forums about loading and unloading fonts* “on the fly”, and not only did I not know what they were talking about; I was too embarrassed to ask. So I set out on a mission. I scoured Google for information about font management, I read tutorials, I read software reviews, and finally, I tested out several programs.

What I came up with is a plan for managing my fonts that works wonderfully for me, and maybe for you as well. What follows is what I did, step by step.

1 Copy all fonts in C:\Windows\Fonts into another Font folder, I used C:\Fonts http://www.microsoft.com/typography/faq/faq1b.htm will tell you how to do this safely

2 Delete all unnecessary fonts from the C:\Windows\Fonts folder, keeping in mind that there are several fonts you should not delete -you can find a full list of fonts installed with your version of Windows (and other MS products) at http://www.microsoft.com/typography/fonts/default.asp. (A good rule of thumb, don’t delete it unless you remember installing it)

3 In your newly created fonts folder, you can now separate like fonts into folders - based on whatever criteria is most useful to you (I use folders based on font style - scripty, handwritten, old-style, grunge, dingbats, etc)

At this point, you have 2 choices. You can load your fonts individually through your new folder - do this by double-clicking the icon of the font you want to load, then leave the view box open - this should make the font immediately available in PSP or PhotoImpact (if you use PhotoShop, you will have to save your work and restart the program for the font to be available)

Your other option, and the one I prefer, is to use a font manager. Although there are several great managers out there, I use The Font Thing, because not only is it freeware, it is easy to use and full of wonderful features. It gives you the ability to easy load and unload, as well as install and uninstall all your fonts with a single mouse click. Best of all, loading your fonts in this way will make them immediately available in Photoshop, as well as PSP and PhotoImpact. It also lets you preview your fonts, either all together, based on the folders you created, or based on font type.

Although organizing your fonts in this manner does take a bit of time and effort initially, I think you will find that it makes using your fonts so much easier in the long run.

* Loading a font just means that you are making that font available on your system, without actually installing it .

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