Creative Suite CS4: Problems with font managing software

Question

It seems that there are some issues of the applications of the creative suite CS4 with the font managing software MainType (http://www.high-logic.com/maintype.html).
With standard settings, CS4 no longer recognizes PostScript Type 1 Fonts loaded by MainType (which did not occur with CS3 and older versions). The only solution so far is this workaround:  Within MainType enable under "Tools -> Options" the option "Copy Type 1 Postscript fonts to Windows fonts folder" and CS4 will load these fonts again.
This seems to be a bug of CS4. Are there problems with other font managing programs?
regards
fabian

Answer 1

After reading tons of forums about this issue, it does seem to be an issue with CS4 not recognizing fonts the way that CS3 did. Wish they had mentioned that little feature when they released it. They even go as far as to say they do not support certain programs for type handling in Windows. Copying them to the system folder is a workaround, but it is not available easily in programs like Extensis' Suitcase, which is long overdue an upgrade. LinoType beta tested a new application for Windows, but when I sent an email to them asking about the release date for the their final version, their ignorant customer support sent me a link to their website pointing out that it is not yet available, and not answering my initial question of when.
I don't entirely blame Adobe, it seems as though a lot of companies have dropped the ball on this issue, and since many people have Type 1 fonts they've been using for years, they will have to repurchase (if available) those fonts in the newer OTF format which everyone seems to support. OTF is a much nicer format and more portable cross-platform, but it's simply inconvenient to not be able to use all of your fonts at your own discretion easily. I'm not sure what the big deal was with not including support for Type 1 fonts, unless that's most of the reason that the Adobe apps were crashing before... corrupt versions of the fonts they talked us into purchasing, etc... Adobe used to make ATM for managing postscript fonts, but it doesn't work on Vista to my knowledge. It would be nice if they would recommend a font manager other than the Windows system folder.
I figure Adobe was hoping that it would not be a major issue since their wonderful PDF format has taken hold for printing. Print shops do not have to install fonts before printing a piece anymore. Most people will read in these forums about the loss of support, throw up their hands and shake their heads, but do nothing about it. After all they too probably purchased the CS4 suite without knowing about this issue and have already spent their money. It doesn't look as though it's an issue on the Mac, but by the time you throw $3000 at an entry level Mac workstation and $1600 at the basic adobe apps, that's not a solution either. Especially when you have to go out and buy all new fonts anyhow, since the macs will not support the Windows postscript typeface formats either.
After doing a little price shopping for typefaces, I'm trying to try to keep using the few OTF and TTF fonts I've purchased since they're still working, since the prices of fonts these days are astronomical. I've installed a few fonts in the system folder, but too many and Acrobat distiller crashes. It's not cost effective to spend all of your income from design on $1600 font family sets, just to make changes to a document where you might have used a postscript face. Especially in this economy... It's another case of the investor getting rewarded for the release of an application and the customer is left holding the bag. Hopefully it's a bug, but not likely. It's probably some mandated decision by the higher ups in Adobe.
I'm sure larger companies with hundreds of employees probably have site licenses for typefaces in the OTF format, so for them it's not a problem, and since most people using PCs to do design opted for that platform because of the cost issue, Adobe probably doesn't care about them either. Maybe a solution will arise in the future, but it doesn't look likely. You will probably have to get the new formats of typefaces one by one.