Extensis Suitcase font issue with OSX 10.3.5?

J

JeffCGD

Registered
Last Friday we updated out Workstations at our studio to OSX 10.3.5, after waiting the prerequisite time for any potential bugs in the update to become apparent.
Well, it seems one 'may' have reared it's ugly head only after the fact.
We use Extensis Suitcase 10.2.2, and upon loading up a font with Adobe Garamond Expert in use (and I suspect, is an issue with Suitcase and how it handles Expert sets in general), only a few of the limited number of Expert set characters are showing up in the job. This is occurring System wide, and I have tested in Adobe InDesign, Freehand MX and MSWord.

Has anyone else had this experience using the same version of Suitcase with the OSX 10.3.5 update? Any feedback GREATLY appreciated, as the job in question is coming up on deadline.
 
Hi, I think most members look at New Threads, so there's no need to duplicate a thread, even if the matter is urgent.
 
Suitcase 10.2.2 is not compatible with Mac OS X 10.3 "Panther."

You'll need to update to Suitcase X1.

http://www.macminute.com/2003/12/04/suitcase

I know 10.2.2 has probably worked for you in the past under Panther, but believe me -- there are some serious compatibility concerns with that version of Suitcase and Mac OS X, exactly like what you speak of.
 
After further research (and upgrading to Suitcase 11, which didn't help at all), it is has become apparent that the issue with a variety of Font Expert set characters no longer being accessible by their normal key mappings is a little known, newly introduced flaw in Mac OSX 10.3.5.

SYMPTOMS: After updating from 10.3.4 to Mac OSX 10.3.5 with the FULL COMBO UPDATER (the most reliable method of updating, as opposed to using the incremental point releases), no mainstream Carbon apps (Freehand MX, Adobe InDesign 2, MSWord etc - with the STRANGE exception of Photoshop 7, which can access all the expert set characters normally) is able to display more than a few of the previously accessible Expert Set characters in Industry-standard Postscript fonts such as Adobe Garamond Expert and Minion Expert.

Even Apple's own Font Book seems broken, until you switch to the Repertoire view mode, where it WILL display the complete Expert set character set; however, most of the set's characters remain inaccessible by any application except the afore mentioned Photoshop 7. (See attached screenshots).


Current conclusion: After doing a little checking, and researching a white paper at Extensis's site (attached), I currently am of the belief that Apple have implemented a new method of caching fonts that breaks access to Expert set characters not only for third party apps like Suitcase, but also for it's own Font book.


I will be contacting Apple to see what can be done about this issue, and if the fault can be traced to any other cause. Any constructive feedback appreciated.
 

Attachments

  • Expert Set Correct (artwork before upgrade).jpg
    Expert Set Correct (artwork before upgrade).jpg
    11.4 KB · Views: 9
and finally the Extensis whitepaper that highlights what I suspect is a now out of date font cache that the OS or applications are no longer correctly linking to.
 
Remember that when you install the latest and greatest operating systems there will almost certainly be bugs. Normally, I let all the other folks test the system for me for at least three months (or more) before I buy it.

I may be a fuddy-duddy, but it saves me from having to deal with the hassles directly, such as the situation in which you currently find yourself.

My only suggestion would be to either go back to your previous operating system or to use a different font. Extensis has a history of issues, the most recent of which I can recall being Quark 6 on a 10.3 system not ripping ANY fonts correctly; just defaulting to geneva/courier.
 
Waiting three months for a dotdot update, however, is not what should be necessary. Same goes for security updates, which are often included in dotdot updates. It could also be potentially _dangerous_ not to update in time.

I guess, however, that this issue must be solved by Extensis.

Have you tried de-installing Extensis Suitcase completely and using the font with the system only? Not that this would be a viable alternative, but it would solve the question of who's in charge to solve the problem. (I see that you've tried FontBook, but if Suitcase's still active, that's not the same test...)
 
I understand how a security update would be important, but how could not updating your system everytime an update comes out be dangerous?? I am still using OS 10.2 and am having no problems.
 
Please understand that we updated only after waiting for at least a week for all obvious bugs to become apparent, and also testing it on my home workstation first (which serves as a testbed for software destiined for our work machines). We have been caught out only because it is rare to use Font Expert sets, and so the problem was not spotted in testing before the update was run on both our Studio worksations.
 
... We're not alone ...

Got the same experience with manual placement of these fonts and the use of System OS X.3.5 and FontAgent 2.1.1
Don't bother to try ... I found no explanable solution.
Apple suggestions with their 'white paper' 'FontsonMacOSX.pdf' didn't help as well.

Trouble experiences with at least these fonts:
Adobe Garamond Expert
Arial + Arial Narrow
Bembo
Helvetica
Helvetica Neue
Univers Extended
Zapf Dingbats

I don't know the solution, just yet.
When I come any closer to the treasure ... I'll let you know.

Dutch greetz,
ArcSissy
 
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