We continue improving Fontmatrix and we will never stop! The new version refines features already introduced in earlier versions and adds some exciting new revolutionary capabilties.

Getting

Grab Fontmatrix from from your favorite distribution repositories. If
you are adventurous, get the source here.

Grabbed it? Good. Let's start...

Collected System Fonts

This is the name of newly introduced TagSet that contains names of all fonts installed at your system. Those are, in most cases, essential for your system to work properly. This is the main reason you'll not be able to make any changes to this TagSet. It's primary use — is to display the current state of your system's fonts and secondary — nice introduction-like explanation of TagSet feature.

Emergency Strategies

Now, there is a mechanism for examination of your system's font collection in search for problem fonts. Since Fontmatrix is undergoing rapid development crash can happen from time to time > Since Fontmatrix is undergoing rapid development crashes can happen occasionally. New Check Database code checks for possible issues in meaningful and intuitive manner. Lost Links and Dead Links will be shown on demand in separate tabs, along with Deactivated Fonts.

Centralized Font Distribution

The new release adds a revolutionary new way of managing fonts in a team-working environment. Even a single user scenario can benefit. Publish fonts at your private online location and access then anytime. Pulling desired fonts from "shared media" network places has never been this easy. Just define folder locations in Preference dialog and enjoy
collaborating.

New Shaper

First of all, if your not familiar with this subject, you can have a tour at Microsoft typography which is the main resource available on-line.
With our own shaper, we try to bring shaping in the user’s hand. When we do not pretend to replace ambitious i18n projects such as ICU, Harfbuzz or m17n, we felt it was interesting to setup a light-weight infrastructure to experiment with shaping of non-latin scripts. Based on regular text files describing operations needed to achieve shaping, it lets user easily involved in the shapers writing. Bringing fresh air in this area.

Text Progression

As of version 0.4 it's possible to accommodate various writing directions in font preview tab. Text written from right to left starting at the bottom of the page up to the top? Yes, and not just that. Combine directions as needed.

Font book

The Font Book export feature is now completly template-driven. Take a minute or two to become familiar with the posibilities and write your own XML template to produce customized PDF font books.

Exporting Font Sets

Pretty self-explanatory feature. Choose menu option, fontset name, output directory and you're done.

Font Import

A new, significantly improved dialog has arrived.

Let's Have Fun!

Interactive typography playground allows you to play with custom font sizes and faces. When inserted on the canvas, glyphs can be rearranged according to your artistic taste. This is not an end-user typesetting solution, but a playground for preliminary glyph examination.