Suitcase Fusion 7 Syncs Fonts in the Cloud, Supports After Effects
Extensis has released version 7 of Suitcase Fusion, font management software that designers use to store, maintain, manage and search their font collections. Suitcase Fusion 7 adds the ability to store collections in a secure, cloud-based font repository called TypeSync that synchronizes the fonts on any two computers. Designers who work outside a conventional office or uses two devices can still access their own font collections through TypeSync.
Suitcase Fusion 7 also includes a font plug-in to activate fonts within Adobe After Effects, which extends the Suitcase fonts and management tools to motion graphics projects. Fonts play a central role in motion design, in which searching for and activating fonts is normally a multiple-step process that requires leaving and returning to After Effects. Suitcase Fusion’s Font auto-activation makes your fonts accessible directly inside of After Effects. Suitcase already has auto-activation plug-ins for several other Adobe Creative Cloud 2015 applications - Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, InCopy and QuarkXPress.
To extend the cloud functionality of TypeSync to teams, Extensis has also released Suitcase TeamSync, a font manager that opens shared access across a design team to a private font library stored and secured in the cloud. It uses the Suitcase Fusion application as the front end, stores fonts in an Amazon cloud repository, and sends invitations to others to join a workgroup.
One of its main advantages is avoiding font synchronization issues such as trying to use different versions of the same font that have the same name, reflowing text, missing fonts and missing glyphs - which take time to resolve.
Suitcase TeamSync allows teams that use Suitcase to browse, compare and organize a font collection using tools they are already familiar with, without a dedicated server, IT assistance or user management. TeamSync was designed for workgroups ranging from small, in-house teams to agencies or for collaborating with freelancers on a project basis.
Managing Fonts with Suitcase Fusion
When a font is added to Suitcase Fusion it is scanned using the Font Sense system built into the software, which examines its particular combination of metrics and gives it an identifier unique to this specific version of a font – wherever it exists. The next time the document is opened, the precise fonts required for that document are activated. Using the identifier is also a fast way to match fonts.
Previewing fonts shows a number of details - your project’s text in that font, the entire alphabet plus numbers, where it is located in the collections in your library, corruption information and the unique identifier. If you don’t have any collections yet, Fusion gives you a connection to the Google Font library to start building your own.
Smart searches are customisable. Starting with a chosen font, you can customise and continue searching through a collection based on criteria such as specific characteristics, favourites, activation in particular applications or how recently you added fonts to your collection. The search results can be saved into smart sets.
Suitcase TeamSync is licensed through a subscription that supports workgroups of any size. Teams can invite users to access their libraries, and reassign or add licenses if project teams change. Upgrades are included free with subscriptions.
Suitcase Fusion 7 itself is available for download now and is compatible with Mac OS X or Windows systems including Mac OS X El Capitan and Windows 10. Each copy includes Suitcase Attaché extending font management to Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, and Font Doctor to diagnose and repair corrupt fonts. www.extensis.com
