Apple Event: May 7th at 7 am PT
Right now I only have a few fonts showing up in Mail - some Helvetica, Monaco, Osaka and Verdana.
I was wondering, how can I add some more fonts, and which fonts are pretty much assured to be fonts most Mac and Windows recipients would have?
Thanks,
doug
Please read this whole message before doing anything.
This procedure is a diagnostic test. It’s unlikely to solve your problem. Don’t be disappointed when you find that nothing has changed after you complete it.
The purpose of this exercise is to determine whether the problem is caused by third-party system modifications that load automatically at startup or login. Disconnect all wired peripherals except those needed for the test, and remove all aftermarket expansion cards. Boot in safe mode* and log in to the account with the problem. The instructions provided by Apple are as follows:
*Note: If FileVault is enabled under Mac OS X 10.7 or later, or if a firmware password is set, you can’t boot in safe mode.
Safe mode is much slower to boot and run than normal, and some things won’t work at all, including wireless networking on certain Macs.
The login screen appears even if you usually log in automatically. You must know your login password in order to log in. If you’ve forgotten the password, you will need to reset it before you begin.
Test while in safe mode. Same problem(s)?
After testing, reboot as usual (i.e., not in safe mode) and verify that you still have the problem. Post the results of the test.
Much slower to boot is an understatement!
It's been an hour already and the progress bar looks to be only a quarter way through. Is it typical to take four hours? If so, with regret, I will need to pass on the rest of this test.
doug
I'm afraid I had to give up. It was just taking too long. It's already 3pm and I must get some work done. I guess I can just live with it as is.
Thanks, though. And if you have any other suggestions besides safe mode, please let me know!
Thanks,
doug
I know it's not helpful, and it's basically the same test as with TextEdit, but I was just trying Mailplane, and the full font dialog appears there as well. Just not in Mail, from what I can tell.
Thanks,
doug
That isn't normal. Something is wrong with your boot drive.
Back up all data, then boot into Recovery (command-R at startup), launch Disk Utility, select your startup volume, and run Repair Disk (not Repair Permissions.) If any problems are found, repeat. Then reboot as usual.
This solved my problem. Well, this and maybe the fact that while in Safe mode I ran Disk Utility and repaired my disk permissions (it only found one, in Folder Actions scripts or something like that). Thank you!
Linc,
Sorry, for the late reply. I already had backups (both Time Machine and CCC) but preparing for another restart took time.
Anyway, Verify Disk on the startup volume (as good as Repair Disk just for checking, right?) reports (after some while):
The volume Macintosh HD appears to be OK.
doug
If anybody else has any thoughts, please let me know. Thanks!
I could call AppleCare, but every time I call them about anything all they ever suggest is reinstalling my complete system. 🙂
doug
I have the same problem with Mail. I just looked in Font Book and I see I have a Collection calle PDF that has the exact fonts and only those fonts that Mail is using. Let me add a font to it and restart Mail and I'll tell you the results. Actually I did not even nned to restart Mail. That is your answer if I understood the question right. Apple's Mail uses the PDF collfection in Font Book as it's list of Fonts. You can add or substract fonts from it. Smile. Rick
Rick,
I have a collection in Font Book called PDF too. But the fonts in that collection are not the same as the fonts in the Mail font selector.
I also tried just adding a font to the PDF collection, but it didn't show up in the Mail preferences.
Thanks, though!
doug
Doug -
In this case we are then talking Apples (if you excuse me for using the term) and Oranges. The problem I was having was the fonts that were listed when while in Mail I used the Show Fonts windows (Command-T). I think therefore I found the Mail fonts, but not the Mail preferences.Sorry for you, but my own probably is solved. Rick.
I think the fonts available with command+t are the same, aren't they? At any rate, adding to my PDF collection didn't add them there either. :(
doug
Doug - The difference may be that you are using OS 10.7 and I'm on 10.8 - and mail made some changes with 10.8. Thus I may not be able to duplicate your problem at all. Sorry. RIck
Well, I just upgraded to 10.8, but the font issue remains the same.
doug
Doug - The issue I had - and I'm not sure it was the same issue so you will need to confirm your issue - is that when I opened up the Font Window I only had a few fonts - in my case Courier, Helvelica, Symbol, Times, annd Zapf Dingbats. Even though it did show taht I was using Verdana. This confused me so I went into Font Book and noted that one collection had the exact fonts that were displaying in Mail - that being the PDF Collection. Thus I addred Verdataa to it and it now works.
It my case I was not having the same peobaly in 10.7 so this was new to me. I will say that I need run First Aid before I updated to 10.8 and it found some proglems and fixes same. Thus you might try that if uou have not as it could simply be linking problems.
Out of curiousity I just removed "Courier from the PDF Colelction in Font Book and it immediately removved the font from the Font Menu in Mail - with is open. Now I'll add it. And got myself adding it back in. So you might want to play with it as I do not have any more time and hopefully will be able to back out of the trouble I'm in. Good luck.
Rick
Adding fonts to Mail?
