Version 1.0.0 introduced FontWerk as a complete application for locally managing, analyzing, and temporarily activating fonts. Version 1.1.0 builds on that foundation and focuses primarily on everyday workflows: frequently used functions are now easier to access, long-running operations provide clearer feedback, and the options for analyzing and documenting font projects have been significantly expanded.
Activate and Deactivate Fonts More Quickly
One of the most visible new features can be found directly in the font list. Each external font now has a compact power button that can be used to temporarily activate or deactivate it with a single click. The existing toolbar and context menu functions remain available.
While FontWerk is processing a font, the button is temporarily replaced by a small spinner. The related toolbar buttons also indicate that an operation is currently running. Font activation now takes place outside the UI thread, preventing the interface from becoming unnecessarily unresponsive.
When FontWerk restores several previously active fonts during startup or deactivates temporarily activated fonts while closing, a dedicated progress dialog shows the current status. Batch operations have also been optimized so that Windows only needs to be notified once per operation about changes to the available fonts.
More Robust Font Sources and Improved Drag and Drop
FontWerk now clearly distinguishes between recursively scanned font folders and individually added font files. For example, when a file is dragged directly from a drive into FontWerk, the application no longer automatically registers the entire parent drive as a font source.
This prevents a single dropped file from accidentally triggering an extensive scan of an entire drive or network directory.
Recursive scanning of font folders has also been made more robust. An inaccessible subfolder no longer aborts the entire scan. Fonts that have already been found are retained, while FontWerk continues processing other accessible directory branches. During a scan, a clearly visible loading indicator is displayed directly over the font list.
Large or deeply nested network folders may still require a considerable amount of time. FontWerk deliberately prioritizes the most complete scan possible over a faster but potentially incomplete result.
Project Sheets and an Expanded Specimen Sheet
Virtual font folders can now be documented using the new Project Sheet command in the context menu. Before generating the document, FontWerk automatically performs a fresh project analysis.
The project sheet contains a separate page for each font, including:
- text samples and character coverage
- missing Unicode characters
- conflict information
- family, typeface, style, and weight
- version, manufacturer, and designer
- PostScript name, checksum, and file path
- saved project information
The preview window supports page navigation, printing, and export as a multi-page PDF document.
The existing specimen sheet has also been expanded. Missing characters are now highlighted in red in every section. The freely editable sample text always begins on page 2 and can automatically continue across any number of additional pages. A pagination issue that could move only the final word onto an unnecessary extra page has also been fixed.
Identify Missing Characters Immediately
The text sample in the main window now displays missing characters directly in red. Windows can still use a fallback font to render the character, but the red highlighting makes it clear that the selected font does not contain that character itself.
FontWerk uses the same character coverage analysis that is available in the dedicated analysis section. The preview updates automatically whenever the selected font or sample text changes.
Improved Analysis and Clearer Removal Actions
The analysis section now includes direct cleanup functions. External fonts involved in conflicts can be removed after confirmation. If such a font is temporarily active, FontWerk deactivates it before removing it.
The removal commands in the font context menu have also been renamed to make their effects clearer:
- Remove from virtual folder only removes the font’s assignment to the current project folder.
- Remove from FontWerk removes an individually registered external font from the FontWerk library and from the settings without deleting the physical file.
This makes it easier to distinguish between removing a project assignment and removing a font registration from FontWerk itself.
New Languages and Immediate Appearance Changes
In addition to German, English, and French, FontWerk now supports:
- Spanish
- Italian
- Japanese
- Simplified Chinese
Each language is displayed in the language selector using its own native name. Changes to the interface language or application theme are applied immediately without requiring the settings window to be closed.
When the settings window is closed without saving, FontWerk restores the previously saved language and theme.
Further Improvements
Version 1.1.0 also includes numerous smaller enhancements:
- custom notification and confirmation dialogs matching the application design
- an expanded palette of 32 colors for virtual folders
- a permanent visual marker for All Fonts
- clearer status messages for drag and drop operations and document generation
- an exit confirmation prompt, including when closing FontWerk from the system tray menu
- various stability, performance, and visual improvements
FontWerk 1.1.0 places an even stronger focus on efficient everyday workflows. Font projects can be organized more quickly, analyzed in greater detail, and exported directly as structured documents. At the same time, progress indicators, clearer commands, and improved status messages make it easier to understand what the application is currently doing.
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