FontAgent Pro auto-activation for InDesign CS 5.5.1 available now

June 27th, 2011

Adobe’s latest InDesign 5.5.1 release requires an update to the FontAgent Pro auto-activation plug-in for InDesign.  Not to worry, the updated plug-in is available for immediate download here.  After you download the plug-in, unzip the compressed file, then navigate to the /Applications/Adobe InDesign 5.5/Plug-ins folder, remove the FontAgentPro.InDesignPlugin file and replace it with the updated FontAgentPro.InDesignPlugin that you downloaded.

If you are running InDesign 5.5, you will need to restart the application so it can properly load the plug-in.

How did this happen? The current version of FontAgent Pro 4 (4.160) includes plug-ins for InDesign CS 5.5, but are no longer recognized in CS 5.5.1. According to Adobe, InDesign CS 5.5 incorrectly allowed the earlier version of the plug-ins to be recognized. You can read more about this here.

For more information on how Insider can help your font management challenges, or for a free 30-day trial of Insider products, please visit
 www.insidersoftware.com or contact us.

FontAgent Pro 4 ready for CS 5.5 – No upgrade required!

May 24th, 2011

Upgrading to Adobe Creative Suite 5.5? The current version of FontAgent Pro for Mac, Release 4.160, already includes plug-ins that maximize auto-activation speed and accuracy in Adobe InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop. The release comes with an all-new, 64-bit plug-in framework that takes full advantage of Mac OS X Leopard and Snow Leopard advanced architectures.

Installing the Plug-ins

If you don’t already have FontAgent Pro or want to move up to the latest version, download the software and documentation here.

After you have the software installed:

  • Launch Font Agent Pro
  • Select FontAgent Pro>Install Plug-ins/Xtensions from the menu bar
  • Select the applications you wish to update (we recommend selecting all  the apps)
  • Click Finish

Adobe Creative Suite CS5 applications will appear in the Setup Assistant as Creative Suite CS 5 applications.

Unique Technology that Ensures Correct Activation

Built on Insider’s unique FontSavant™ technology, the new release ensures that FontAgent Pro’s auto-activation manager always selects the right font in your documents—not just a close match or one that has the same name.

FontAgent Pro gives you full control over the font auto-activation process. It begins by detecting the most subtle differences among fonts to deliver the most accurate font activation possible. When no installed fonts match one required by a document, it provides a list of alternate fonts in your collection—with a relevancy ranking that shows how closely they match the font your document requested—so you can choose the best font. You can also activate a preferred font format (e.g., Type 1, OpenType, TrueType) automatically.

Availability and Pricing

Release 4.160 of FontAgent Pro is free to users who have already licensed FontAgent Pro 4. The product retails for $99.95 for new purchasers and is $49.95 for registered users of FontAgent Pro 3 and earlier. Cross-grades from qualifying competitive products are also available.

Font Server Replication: Smart and Simple

May 16th, 2011

A font server addresses serious compliance, control and consistency issues for users on your local network, but what if you have users spread across multiple cities or continents? FontAgent Pro Server’s replication solution is just the ticket. It enables organizations to establish redundant, replicated font servers across their enterprise so users can enjoy top performance as administrators distribute server load. Administrators make changes to a master font server that replicates the changes automatically and transparently to all remote servers.

Simple Installation, Configuration and Administration

FontAgent Pro Server replication services are simple to set up. Installing the central or master server requires no special configuration, and installing a replicated or slave server requires an IP address or a dedicated domain name and authentication information. Once the servers are configured, the replication process happens at regular five-minute intervals automatically. The slave server is an exact mirror copy of the master and serves users on its local network.

To configure FontAgent Pro Server to be a master server you simply enter the replication license key you receive when you purchase a replication server license. You then point any slave servers to the master and ensure that you have access through any firewalls that might exist in your organization between the two servers. It’s that simple.

Network Performance Considerations

If the network connection between the master and slave servers is less than optimal, FontAgent Pro Server allows you to easily change the default size of the data packets it moves across your connection. By default, FontAgent Pro Server moves data in four-megabyte packets for fastest performance, but you can change the packet size to be as small as 256 kilobytes for slow network connections.

Automatic Directory Synchronization

FontAgent Pro Server replicates users, groups and other directory information automatically when replicated slave servers sync with the centrally maintained master server. So after setting up directory services links on the master with a few clicks, directory data synchronizes securely and automatically.

Failover Services Keep Users Connected

FontAgent Pro also provides failover services that allow end users to connect automatically to alternate servers when their primary font server is unavailable, so their workflow and font updates continue uninterrupted. Combined with FontAgent Pro’s server replication, these failover services make FontAgent Pro Server a clear choice in multi-server environments.

Easy Sailing after Setup

So that’s it. Once you’ve set up FontAgent Pro Server replication, all you need to do is maintain the master server and the rest of your font servers remain in sync automatically. It’s that simple… and that smart.

Get Control of Your Fonts Now

For more information on how Insider can help your font management challenges, or for a free 30-day trial of Insider products, please visit
 www.insidersoftware.com or contact us.

FontAgent Pro 4.1 Adds Windows 7, CS5, Search and Server Sync

April 20th, 2011

We have unveiled FontAgent Pro 4.1 for Windows, which adds Windows 7 system font support to its strong support for Vista and XP, as well as auto-activation plug-ins for Adobe Creative Suite 5, expanded keyword search and scheduled font-server synchronization.

Support for Windows 7 Fonts
FontAgent Pro 4.1 provides full support for Windows 7 system fonts. With a click, you can optimize your Fonts Control Panel, leaving system fonts in place while moving your other fonts into your FontAgent Pro font library where you can view, search and activate them as you wish.

New Auto-Activation Plug-Ins for Adobe Creative Suite 5
The new release includes auto-activation plug-ins for Adobe CS5 that find, match and activate fonts as you open InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop documents.  So now, FontAgent Pro for Windows includes auto-activation plug-ins for CS2, 3, 4 and 5.

Improved Keyword Search
The V4.1 release also expands its unique and extensive keyword search functionality, adding hundreds of new keywords and topics as well as support for fonts from the Ascender library of Monotype Imaging.

Connectivity to FontAgent Pro Server
The new FontAgent Pro 4.1 for Windows adds scheduled FAP Server synchronization to its existing manual sync functionality, making it even easier for organizations to standardize fonts across user desktops.

Free Upgrade for Existing FontAgent Pro 4 Licensees!
Do you already have a license for FontAgent Pro 4 for Windows? Have a license key beginning “FAW4″?  If so, you can upgrade to FAP 4.1 for free.

For More Information or a Free Trial
To learn more about this release, to download and update your software, or to get a free trial of FontAgent Pro 4.1 for Windows, click here.