FindThatFont!
FindThatFont! is a handy and free tool that allows to preview fonts that are installed on your system and to classify them into over 30 different categories. By using this categorization you can find any font on your system faster than ever before.
FindThatFont! is completely programmed in XUL, an XML/Javascript-based programming environment in which, among many other programmes, Firefox and Thunderbird are made. Thanks to the built-in features of XUL, FindThatFont! has an extension manager and allows developers to modify or extend the programme with endless many features. One of the feature I wish to implement is to allow the user to install and uninstall font on the system, and to view uninstalled fonts.
FindThatFont is available for Windows and Linux. To download the Linux version, go to the downloads page.
System requirements
- After installation, FindThatFont takes up about 15Mb of disk space
- When running, it uses around 15Mb of RAM
- XULRunner is not required, it is included in the package. If you don’t know what XULRunner is, you need not worry :).
100% clean guarantee
![[Softpedia 100% Clean Award]](http://mathijs.jurresip.nl/images/softpedia_clean_award_f.gif)
Quoted from Softpedia.com:
Softpedia guarantees that FindThatFont! is 100% CLEAN, which means it does not contain any form of malware, including but not limited to: spyware, viruses, trojans and backdoors.
This software product was tested thoroughly and was found absolutely clean, therefore it can be installed with no concern by any computer user. However, it should be noted that this product will be retested periodically and the award may be withdrawn, so you should check back this page and especially the date of testing shown above.
January 2nd, 2008 at 12:46 am
Hi,
I found this soft very usefull and I wanted to know if you need help to translate it into french. If so, I could help you.
Best regards
January 2nd, 2008 at 4:26 pm
Hi, thanks for offering your help!
Unfortunately FtF is currently very ‘untranslatably’ programmed…
I plan to transform the program in such a way that translations can easily be added, but the way it’s programmed right now it is quite impossible to translate it without copying the entire program to create a French version of it. Ideally the program should come in a single version that has a french interface on a french system and english on an english system, et cetera.
Anyway, once I’ve transformed the program in the right way, your help will be greatly appreciated!
January 14th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Hi,
I recently found your software. FindThatFont! is very usefull and -to my knowledge- the only font software that is free software. I’ve always used XFonter but FindThatFont! seems to be a pretty good alternative to it (all the more usefull that XFonter is no longer free) so I’m installing it and trying to get used to it.
There is two minor issues I’d like to mention :
- although Cleartype is activated on Windows XP on my computer, the fonts in the font list are not anti-aliased. Is there a way to activate it ?
- PreviewBox doesn’t show all characters stored in Unicode Char Map (XFonter shows a lot more)
Great thanks for building this software. I’m looking forward to future releases.
January 14th, 2008 at 8:37 pm
Hi,
I’ve tried to find the cause of the ClearType problem you mention, but am so far unsuccessful. As far as I know, this is not a common problem with xulrunner applications. The only reason why FtF would ignore Windows XP cleartype settings, that I can think of, is that you have a skinning program running that influences the rendering of fonts on different applications?
For the previewbox extension I chose to include a limited set of unicode characters since displaying the entire char map slowed down the entire interface. In the next version I will try to solve this problem and include the entire character set. Also, I’m considering to include Previewbox in the next FtF release, thus eliminating the need to download & install a separate extension.
Anyway, thanks for using Findthatfont!
January 15th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Hi,
Thanks for answering my message !
I don’t use any skinning program but I found out that some fonts are also not anti-aliased within Firefox so I wonder if the problem is not coming from Gecko …
For PreviewBox, I understand that you don’t want to slow down the entire program. Why not show only a limited number of characters by default and also include a button to show the entire char map ?
One simple feature that would be great is to be able to change the sample text directly from the toolbar. It would be faster and more convenient that way.
Bye
February 5th, 2008 at 4:46 am
I don’t know what I would do without findthatfont. I hope you might have some insight which might resolve font problems on my secondary workstation.
Only 32 fonts on my alternate (XP) workstation are classified, hundreds of others are without classification. I’ve removed and reinstalled one of the rogue fonts and found no change. The font is still unclassified.
Do you have any idea what may have caused this and how I might reconsile the problem?
Thanks,
Sam
February 7th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
When a font is uninstalled, the next time findthatfont is started it removes the classification so it does not have to store the classifications of fonts that aren’t installed. This means that if a font is reinstalled it’ll be unclassified.
You can synchronize the classification settings between two workstations by exporting the font list to an ini-file on the computer that has all fonts correctly classified, and importing that file on the second workstation.
To export or import the classification settings, simply select ‘Export font list’ and ‘Import font list’ from the ‘File’ menu.
February 7th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
How does findthatfont initially come up with classifications for fonts when it is first installed?
Sam
February 8th, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Findthatfont comes with a default classification list for little over 250 fonts, containing a lot of fonts which are common on Windows computers.
February 27th, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Just wanted to let you know that I really love this tool. It has a very nice interface and is very functional. I use it all the time when searching for fonts to use in my graphics.
December 12th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
I have been searching for a free font program just like this for the longest time & finally stumbled on it tonight, I am so thankful to have finally found it!
The only problem I’m having is figuring out how to move fonts from one classification category to another and how to create my own classification categories that might be more meaningful to me - such as a special category for all the specific fonts I use on a particular project, etc. (also I’d like to create a category entitled “script” or “cursive” in addition to the ‘calligaphy’ category as I think of calligraphy to be very style specific and many fonts listed in that category are just a basic script & not so fancy). Some fonts are in categories that I wouldn’t expect to find them in but I can’t seem to move them.
Anyway, thanks for your help and I apologize if I am asking for help for something that is explained in a help file I missed!
Thank you very much for this program!
February 1st, 2009 at 6:32 pm
hello.
im also very happy i found this software after i tried out many stupid ones. its fast, easy with simple, but really useful functions. and even looks nice
but has heather says, im also missing the option to create new font categories. its nice that one can rename them, but would be really great to have an own category for every project and so on.
thanks a lot for creating this wonderful program!
August 13th, 2009 at 7:34 am
Have you considered making a Ubuntu debian.
Ubuntu has a site called launchpad with a nice build server, and nice tools to let people report bugs and submit their changes for review (SVN/CVS system) so long as your willing to open source your project to an approved open source license.
They have a good variety of licences to choose from so I doubt there won’t be one that won’t suit your taste. They, unlike another distribution, don’t complain about more restricted “trademark policies” on project trademarks, that force branch projects to use their own trademarks and/or skins.
August 15th, 2009 at 8:16 pm
I’m Digging your site…Very nice Post
October 4th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
Are you kidding me?! XUL? You ROCK!!
I was looking for a font management program on download.com and came across yours. I always look into the applications that I’m considering installing a lot deeper than just going buy a few user reviews so I cam to your site here and first noticed TryAgain. I thought, “cool, a Firefox add-ons developer”, then I remembered that I had used TryAgain and I guess that I stopped after TryAgain wasn’t compatible with Firefox (whatever version) and couldn’t bump themax version number so I had forgotten about TryAgain. I have the AMO page loaded and ready to install it again, so thanks for continuing to maintain it.
Now, when I saw that you used XUL for FindThatFont!, I thought, wow, this dude is super cool, but you really made my day when I downloaded the findthatfont_linux.tar.gz, explored it and saw the goodies inside.
I was psyched, with more than anything, the thought of being able to create my own theme for FindThatFont! which is important to me because my visual acuity is pretty poor.
I installed FindThatFont! (Win installer) and confirmed that I can create a theme (or userstyle for now) by adding to the userChrome.css.
I haven’t even had a chance to try out the program itself yet except to see the changes that I made to the UI.
When I get some time, I’m going to look into creating a theme (or 2) for FindThatFont!. I’m not an add-ons developer by nature but I have a great interest in add-ons development and have contributed to a few including Page Zoom Buttons, about:me Toolbar Button, and the Pink Hope and GrayModern2AF themes for Firefox.
I’ve been volunteering for various Mozilla related projects since early 2005 and currently own and operate AccessFirefox.org which provides accessibility tools and resources for Firefox end users with visual impairments and disabilities.
Mozilla is pretty much my life.
We should hook up via email about themes for FindThatFont!.
I can provide all of the graphics, and edit your existing CSS to come up with some alternative styles.
I’m very green to packaging themes, but there is enough info and help out there to get it down.
LOL, I just created a new profile. I’m running multiple instances of FindThatFont!
Great work.
January 30th, 2010 at 11:51 pm
Almost totally fantastic program! Just need the ability to define my own sample text… then it’s a totally fantastic program! 4 2/3 stars out of 5!