To make fonts available to software applications, the operating system loads the font into your computer’s memory. macOS loads fonts residing in any of the folders that appear in the table below into memory when you start your computer. FontAgent® manages all your fonts so you can activate and deactivate them to save sytem resources, simplify bloated font menus and preserve system performance.
System Folder Locations
The macOS operating system looks for fonts stored in the following reserved files locations on your Mac. FontAgent automatically recognizes fonts stored in these file locations.
/Library/Fonts
Fonts in this folder are available to all users who log onto your computer.
<user>/Library/Fonts
Fonts in this folder are only available if <user> is logged into your computer.
/System/Library/Fonts
These are core System fonts that you should neither alter nor move.
Storing Your Other Fonts
You import all your other fonts into the FontAgent application. When you import fonts, FontAgent:
- Makes a copy of the font files and stores them in your FontAgent catalog
- Harvests all the font metadata and stores it for your use
- Makes the fonts available so you can view, search, activate and print them
Adobe Fonts
Adobe Fonts is a subscription font service that is also included in Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions. Adobe provides you with an Adobe Fonts application for activating and deactivating fonts.
FontAgent automatically detects and displays fonts you have activated in Adobe Fonts as a System Set. You can preview Adobe Fonts, assign them to sets, and manage them just like other fonts in your FontAgent catalog.
Storing Fonts Locally Versus on a Server
Since macOS requires available fonts to be stored locally on your computer, the following conditions are true:
- When you run the Standard (standalone) Edition of FontAgent, all available fonts are stored on your system, even if you store their original copies on a networked file server.
- When you activate fonts using a web service like Adobe Fonts, FontAgent does not import the fonts, but makes them available so you can preview them.
- When you share fonts using the Connected or Sync Editions of FontAgent, you upload them to a cloud-based server provided by Insider where they are shared with others in your workgroup.
- When you connect to an on-premise or cloud-based FontAgent Server, your local FontAgent client downloads fonts that you are authorized to use and places them in your local FontAgent catalog until a font admin in your organization de-authorizes your use of the fonts.