Font Management Service Configuration Utility (FmsConfig)

The FmsConfig utility comes with MainType, and allows you to make and restore backups. You can find it in Windows start menu, but for your convenience you can also access it through MainType's main menu (Tools -> Create and Restore Backups).

Database, Vault, and Cache

MainType uses a database, like all professional font managers, so most of the information about a font such as font name, number of characters, version, foundry, and tags are stored in a database.

MainType also makes use of a vault. The vault is a database, that contains a copy of each font you add to the library. This ensures that you'll be able to install and load your fonts, even if you no longer have a copy on disk.

When you load a font, MainType might store a copy in the cache folder so your other software (Microsoft Word, Adobe InDesign, etc) can make use of it. MainType will automatically remove these copies as soon as they are no longer needed.

High-Logic Font Management Service (FontService)

MainType comes with a font service that runs in the background. It is a vital part of the font manager, as it keeps track of all available fonts, manages all your font operations, like installing, loading, and uninstalling fonts, and it is connected to the database, vault, and cache.

You will need to stop the font service if you want to make a backup, restore a backup, or want to move the database, vault, or cache to another location.

Backup and Restore

The use of a database and vault makes our font manager fast and robust. It also makes it convenient to make a backup.

In order to make a backup, start the FmsConfig utility. On the Status tab, click the Stop button to stop the FontService. Go to the Backup & Restore tab to click the Create Backup button. We recommend to make backups regularly; preferably not on the same hard disk.

When the backup process is completed, go back to the Status tab, and click the Start button to restart the FontService. To manage your fonts, start MainType through Windows Start Menu, or if available through the shortcut on your desktop.

Move Database, Vault, and Cache

You can see the locations used to store the database, vault, and cache through the Settings tab.

Tip: if you use a secondary hard disk to store software and documents, you might want to move your font database to that disk.

Feedback

Your feedback, suggestions for improvements, and questions related to this and other tutorials are welcome; please post them to the High-Logic Font Forum.