Skip navigation
clarkrb
clarkrb Calculating status...
Currently Being Moderated

How do I rapidly try different fonts like I could in CS3?

May 24, 2010 7:15 AM

When working with text in a design, a common activity is testing different fonts to see which looks best. This was a very simple in CS3 with its Text Editor dialog:

 

  1. Right-click on text block, choose Editor...
  2. Click on font drop-down and start hitting the down arrow

 

Every time you hit the down arrow, the text would update in-place, making it a cinch to find just the right font.

 

When CS4 was in beta, this functionality seemed to be lost. I brought it up in the beta forums but never received a reply. Now with CS5, I was hoping this rapid previewing would be possible, but I'm just not seeing it.

 

Can this rapid testing of fonts be done in CS5 or am I stuck with CS3 forever?

1260 Views   8 Replies   Latest reply: cc12565, Jun 16, 2012 1:13 PM
 
Replies
  • Jim_Babbage
    Currently Being Moderated
    1. Jim_Babbage,
    May 24, 2010 10:15 AM   in reply to clarkrb
    Report

    This is not part of the functionality of the Adobe Type Engine, which replaced the original FW type engine. In CS3 to improve integration between FW and the other Adobe apps

     
    |
    Mark as:
  • Linda Nicholls
    Currently Being Moderated
    2. Linda Nicholls,
    May 24, 2010 6:57 PM   in reply to Jim_Babbage
    Report

    Now there's an opportunity for an extension maker. :-)


     
    |
    Mark as:
  • Linda Nicholls
    Currently Being Moderated
    3. Linda Nicholls,
    May 25, 2010 1:21 AM   in reply to clarkrb
    Report

    You still can, sort of. You can use your arrow key to scroll down the Font Family drop down list uin the Property inspector, and press enter to apply a new font choice to your text. You will need to reopen the list again when you want to change it, however.

     
    |
    Mark as:
  • clarkrb
    Currently Being Moderated
    4. clarkrb,
    May 26, 2010 11:10 AM   in reply to Linda Nicholls
    Report

    Linda,

     

    You're right, but as you point out, it doesn't change the font "on the fly" like CS3 could. It's really disappointing and I won't be able to upgrade until this functionality is possible again.

     

    Hopefully Adobe or someone else produces an extension so we can be productive again.

     
    |
    Mark as:
  • clarkrb
    Currently Being Moderated
    5. clarkrb,
    May 8, 2012 6:18 PM   in reply to Jim_Babbage
    Report

    Just a follow up, CS6 is now out and this functionality still is missing. If the text style changed when you hit the down arrow, or even if it didn't change focus from the dropdown to the text when you hit Enter, it wouldn't be an issue.

     
    |
    Mark as:
  • Paevo Kelley
    Currently Being Moderated
    6. Paevo Kelley,
    May 10, 2012 3:57 AM   in reply to clarkrb
    Report

    This is basically a make or break core functionality. Makes me sick to think that I am expected to shell out $2,000 every year and a half just so that I can relearn a downgraded version of a piece of software I already knew...

     
    |
    Mark as:
  • clarkrb
    Currently Being Moderated
    7. clarkrb,
    May 31, 2012 12:01 PM   in reply to clarkrb
    Report

    Finally, after years of missing this functionality I've found a FW developer in Japan who created an extension to address this very issue: http://www.pixelimage.jp/blog/2010/04/_pi_fontlistfwflpsai.html

     

    I may actually upgrade now that this basic functionality is available again after Adobe removed it.

     
    |
    Mark as:
  • cc12565
    Currently Being Moderated
    8. cc12565,
    Jun 16, 2012 1:13 PM   in reply to Paevo Kelley
    Report

    Paevo Kelley wrote:

     

    Makes me sick to think that I am expected to shell out $2,000 every year and a half just so that I can relearn a downgraded version of a piece of software I already knew...

    I feel the same way. There are so many things I like about how FW CS3 works that have been taken away or replaced with inferior alternatives in later versions that it makes me angry. I fully understand the developers want to standardize the product line and make them integrate better, but if usability suffers then it's counter-productive.

     

    I skipped CS4 because it was too crashy. I tried CS5 and unintalled it after just a few days, finding it largely unusable. I don't think CS6 is any better on that front. I LOATHE this tabbed interface.

     

    I continue to write bug reports on CS6 about lost functionality, even though I know I'm talking to a brick wall. :-(

     
    |
    Mark as:
Actions

More Like This

  • Retrieving data ...

Bookmarked By (0)

Answers + Points = Status

  • 10 points awarded for Correct Answers
  • 5 points awarded for Helpful Answers
  • 10,000+ points
  • 1,001-10,000 points
  • 501-1,000 points
  • 5-500 points