Catalina release
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After 4 months of beta testing Apple has released macOS 10.15 Catalina into the wild. Catalina brings many new features (spoiler: iTunes is gone, hello Music!), but it will drop support for old 32-bit apps as well. This article will talk about what Catalina means for apps and font managers such as Typeface. tldr: Typeface is fully optimised to run on Catalina and keeps your data safe using the latest security tech. So keep on creating that beautiful typography!
No more 32-bits
Say goodbye to old apps: Apple has removed support for 32-bits apps in macOS Catalina.That means that older application that haven’t been updated in a while will not run anymore.64-bit has been the standard for some time now and allows your Mac to use more memory and enable faster system performance.Apple explains more about the transition to 64-bit and why 32-bit support has been dropped.
Before upgrading to macOS 10.15 you can check which of your currently installed apps are 32-bits and thus will not work on the new macOS:
- Choose > ‘About This Mac’ from the main menu, then click the System Report button.
- Select ‘Legacy Software’ in the sidebar. The legacy software displayed here is 32-bit.
If ‘Legacy Software’ is not available select ‘Applications’ in the sidebar instead, this will show 64-bit support for all your apps in the right-most column.
Some notable apps that will not work anymore are the Adobe Create Suite applications.Adobe CS6 was the last release that didn’t require a Creative Cloud subscription, so there are probably many designers around that are still using it.Be aware that some CS6 apps might show up as 64-bit enabled, but they will not work on Catalina due to some components they use being 32-bit.So if you decide to upgrade to 10.15 make sure you have chosen an alternative.
You can upgrade to a Creative Cloud subscription or perhaps switch to the more affordable Affinity Suite.Either way the fonts you activate using Typeface app (yes Typeface is 64-bit) will be available right away in these design applications and auto activation is supported for both suites as well.
Notarisation keeps you safe
Typeface app uses the latest security technologies to keep your Mac and digital files safe.One of these technologies is the Apple Sandbox, a requirement for distributing on the Mac App Store.The Sandbox prevents Typeface from accessing your files unless you explicitly give access.That means that the app won’t be able to read your private files and —as a last line of defence— the app can’t edit or harm your data in any way either.Luckily giving access to your fonts is very easy: just drag and drop your font folder onto Typeface app and the app will immediately import your fonts so you can preview them.
A new security restriction in Catalina is that app notarisation is now required.You’ve probably seen these popups before that ask you if you’re sure you want to open an app from an unidentified developer.Previously macOS checked if apps downloaded outside the Mac App Store were created by a registered developer, but didn’t check the app itself, just the creator.Only apps available on the Mac App Store, such as Typeface app, were fully (manually) checked by Apple.
Now in macOS Catalina every app should be notarised and checked (automated) by Apple before distribution.That means that Apple scans apps for malicious content and protects you from running apps that will harm your Mac or data.So if you see a message popping up that an app is from an unidentified developer or that an app cannot be opened because Apple cannot check it for malicious software, your best option is to not use the app.You can right click on the app package and choose ‘Open’ as a workaround, but that’s not advisable—better be safe than sorry!
Font manager for Catalina
Some older font managers might not support the new Catalina release from Apple, due to the removed 32-bit support, the extra security restrictions or because they still need to be updated.Some might charge you for a new update and won’t support their older release anymore.Typeface has already released a free update (including new dynamic previews) that allows you to manage your fonts on macOS Catalina, so you can safely update and continue designing.
Want to migrate from another font manager like Font Explorer or Suitcase and use Typeface to activate and preview your fonts on Catalina?Send me a message so we can extract your font sets and collections and convert them into flexible Typeface tags.You can continue your font management on macOS Catalina using your current carefully created font library.
Get Typeface
Requires macOS 10.12 or higher — Also available on the Mac App Store and Setapp.
Typeface is a wonderful font manager for macOS that helps you pick the perfect type for your designs. A minimal interface and total focus on your fonts makes browsing your collection a delightful experience. And Typeface 3 lets you effortlessly organize even the largest collections with new powerful font management features.
Requires macOS 10.12 or higher — Also available on the Mac App Store and Setapp.
Enhanced for
macOS Big Sur
Seeing what your fonts look like is essential when you're designing and exploring fonts. The flexible grid with customizable previews gives you a convenient overview of your library so you can easily determine which font conveys just the right emotion you're looking for.
Get inspired
Browse through your library without any distraction. Typeface lets you explore all your installed and imported fonts with live customization of preview text and size.
Reveal every detail
View Unicode characters, inspect OpenType features, tweak variable fonts and study font info. Typeface let's you discover all the intricate details of your fonts.
NewBody text layouts
Find out how a font looks in a book, magazine or website article. You can preview one of the full body text layout presets and create your own custom templates.
NewVariable fonts
Tweak variable fonts to perfection. Get live previews of your adjustments and easily copy CSS values.
NewOpenType features
Take a deep dive into your fonts by inspecting all OpenType font features. Discover ligatures, figure styles, character alternates, fractions, capitals and more.
Unicode characters
Preview every character a font supports and copy their HTML or UTF codes. You can even compare characters between fonts to see the small — and big — differences.
Tag, you're it
Typeface offers a very flexible and easy to use tagging system that lets you keep even the largest font libraries under control. Nest tags, combine tags, invert tags and filter tags; spend less time searching, more designing.
Synced directories
Imported locations are kept up-to-date automatically. Just point Typeface to a directory on your Mac and newly downloaded fonts are added on refresh.
Filter fonts
Find just the one font you need, whether you're looking for a bold serif, or rather fancy a slanted script. Typeface's font filters make searching easy.
Find duplicates
Become a cleanup wizard by making needless copies magically disappear. You can remove duplicate fonts from your library with just a snap of your fingers.
Smart sidebar
Designed to get out of your way: swipe to collapse the sidebar and focus on font previews. While dragging it will automatically expand and highlight already attached tags.
Quick tagging
The new Quick Tagging panel allows you to attach multiple tags (to multiple fonts) at once, fully keyboard-controllable with fast fuzzy search. Neatly organising your fonts will be an absolute breeze.
Best Font Managers
Tag export
Losing your tags is bad, m'kay. Typeface allows you to export & backup tags to an easily readable json format. So you'll always be able to recover your carefully organised library.
The persistent Quick Collection helps you improve your design workflow. While exploring fonts you can quickly mark (and eliminate) potential candidates for your design, without having to worry about losing your selection.
1. Collect candidates
Use the Quick Collection to mark interesting fonts.
2. Refine selection
Review candidates and remove the least favorable.
3. Store to tag
Attach tags to organize and easily find fonts back later.
Typography by night
Use the lovely night theme to comfortably preview your fonts in the dark. Of course you're free to use this theme during the day as well.
Font compare
Learn to distinguish Helvetica from Arial like a pro, with font overlays that show every little difference.
OpenType features
Toggle ligatures, swashes, figure styles, character alternates, fractions, capitals and more.
Google Fonts
Expand your library with 2000+ free fonts from the Google Fonts catalog. Typeface automatically keeps them up-to-date.
Custom tracking
Give your characters some room to breathe— just hold down the Option key on your keyboard and pinch or use the tracking slider.
Outlines & Metrics
Show baselines, x-height and cap height. Preview outlines to closely inspect glyph curves and use font smoothing to improve legibility.
Auto size
Easily compare font appearance, by keeping previews all the same size.
Export to PDF
Share a beautiful PDF of your hand-picked font collection with your client, boss and colleagues. Or print your favorite font to paper and hang it above your bed.
Auto activation
Hands-free activation of fonts and you won't even notice it. Of course you can also manually activate and deactivate any font when you need to use them.
System fonts
Properly organize all macOS system fonts. Or hide them from the app to view only your own fonts instead. You decide what you want to see.
Preview presets
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet. Choose one of the default presets or create some of your own to quickly access them later.
Dynamic previews
Preview fonts based on their language and character support. View symbols, emojis and foreign language characters at a glance.
Color fonts
Behold your vibrant color fonts right in Typeface app. Eye candy doesn't get more sweet than this. Supported on macOS Mojave+
Temporary activation
Automatically deactivate fonts when you close the app or shut down your Mac. Useful when you're trying out some fancy fonts and forget to manually deactivate them later.
Missing glyphs
Automatically hide fonts that don’t contain the characters you specify. Turn on Hide fonts missing glyphs in the display options.
Typeface app is used daily by award-winning studios, freelance designers
and everyone in between. Download the free trial to give it a spin yourself.
- 'The Best Font Manager'
- 'Great app'
- 'Simple and easy to use'
- 'Designer's Dream'
- 'Best Font Manager for Mac'
- 'My favourite font app'
Get Typeface
Requires macOS 10.12 or higher — Also available on the Mac App Store and Setapp.
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