Fonts folder

The Fonts folder debuted with System 7.1 and was one of those folders that should have been present earlier.

History
In System 1 through 6, fonts had to be installed into the System through the Font/DA Mover. System 7.0 allowed the System file to behave like a suitcase and have it opened for fonts to be installed directly from the Finder. Any application that was open would not recognize newly installed fonts until it had been quit and relaunched.

The presence of the Fonts folder relieved the System file, and slimmed it down considerably. Also, if the System file had a problem, the Fonts folder would remain unaffected — which was not the case before the introduction of the Fonts folder.

The Fonts folder in System 7.1 to Mac OS 9.2.2 could accommodate the following fonts:
 * TrueType fonts
 * Screen (bitmap) fonts
 * PostScript fonts (printer files)

The maximum number of font suitcases or font files that can be stored inside the Fonts folder is 128 in number. A combination of individual font files and font suitcases can be stored, which means that the total number of fonts on a Macintosh is not 128 -- more fonts can be stored inside a single font suitcase.

With Mac OS X, numerous more copies of the Fonts folder cropped up on your Mac. There was now individual Fonts folders for:


 * your own fonts, available only to your account
 * fonts available to all users on the Mac
 * fonts available to the System (which cannot be modified)
 * fonts available to the network (if you are on a network)