Monotype on Tuesday updated its font management product for Mac, FontExplorer X Pro, to version 4.0. The new version now supports Web fonts (WOFF and EOT types), OpenType features and the company’s own SkyFonts technology. Additionally, the program is now available either as a standalone product or as part of the company’s Fonts.com Web Fonts subscription plans. A “mini view” and slide show feature have also been added, along with an improved main font list and enhanced “smart sets” functionality.
The program can now import, preview and organize Web fonts, and allows selected elements on any website to be previewed within FontExplorer X Pro so that users can visualize the site with custom font, color and spacing of text choices. It also now supports SkyFonts, a service for trying out, installing and synching desktop fonts from either Fonts.com or Google Fonts across workstations. Existing Fonts.com Master and Professional subscribers can take full advantage of the new update, with access to more than 20,000 Web fonts and 7,000 desktop fonts — as well as Monotype’s Typecast web design application and a copy of FontExplorer X Pro (either v4.0 for Mac or v2.4 for Windows).
Selected fonts can now be displayed as a slide show, and can overlay documents to help designers gauge how font selections will appear. A new “mini-view” keeps the program’s main window small, allowing design apps more room while still letting users access their own font libraries. The Smart Sets feature now supports multiple languages as well as more OpenType features within certain fonts. The main font list also inherits the OpenType improvements, and can now preview fonts using either a multi-line or “waterfall” type preview.
FontExplorer X Pro sells separately for $89 (or €89 including VAT) directly from the company’s website. Users who have FontExplorer X Pro 2.0 for Mac can upgrade to version 4.0 for $39, while Windows 2.0 customers will receive the 2.4 update for free. Customers who bought FontExplorer X Pro after March 1 of this year will also receive a free upgrade.
