Category: Document Producer

What, Why, and Where are Cloud Fonts in Windows?

Cloud fonts are a collection of fonts hosted in the cloud, primarily by services like Microsoft 365, Google Fonts, and Adobe Fonts. Unlike traditional fonts that need to be installed locally on your computer’s operating system, cloud fonts are downloaded on demand when you use them in an application or view a document that contains them. This means that a cloud font is only available within supported applications and is not installed system-wide, ensuring consistent appearance across devices and platforms.

Here’s a breakdown of what they are and how they’re used:

What are Cloud Fonts?

  • Cloud-hosted: This means the fonts reside on a server in the cloud, rather than directly on your computer’s system font folder.
  • On-demand download: When you select a cloud font in a compatible application (like Microsoft Word or PowerPoint) or open a document containing one, the font is automatically downloaded to your device (and often cached for future use).
  • Availability: They are generally available to subscribers of cloud-based services. For example, Microsoft 365 subscribers get access to a large library of cloud fonts. Office cloud fonts are a specialised category used exclusively within Microsoft Office applications, appearing only in Office’s font selector and not in the broader operating system.
  • Consistency: A major benefit is ensuring consistent document appearance across different devices and users, even if they don’t have the font locally installed. The application will fetch the font from the cloud to display the document correctly.

How are Cloud Fonts Used?

1. In Cloud-Enabled Applications:

  • Microsoft 365 (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook): Cloud fonts are integrated directly into the font menus of these office apps. You’ll often see a small cloud icon next to them in the cloud fonts list, indicating they are cloud fonts. When you select one, it’s downloaded and applied.
  • Cloud fonts are also available in Office for Mac, though there may be some platform-specific differences in how these fonts are accessed and embedded compared to Windows.
  • Google Fonts: Web developers commonly use Google Fonts to ensure that their websites display with specific typography across different browsers and devices without relying on users having the font installed.
  • Adobe Fonts: Similar to Google Fonts, Adobe Creative Cloud subscribers can access a vast library of fonts that can be synced and used in Adobe applications and on websites.

2. For Document Fidelity and Sharing:

  • Consistent Viewing: Cloud fonts aim to solve the problem of “font substitution” where a document might look different on another computer because the specific font used isn’t available. With cloud fonts, the font is provided from the cloud, ensuring the document renders as intended. When a document is opened in different versions of Office, cloud fonts are automatically downloaded and displayed correctly in supported versions, but may not appear as intended in older versions that lack cloud font support.
  • Reduced Embedding Needs: For Microsoft 365 users, cloud fonts often eliminate the need to embed fonts within documents when sharing them with other Microsoft 365 users. The recipient’s application will automatically download the necessary cloud font. However, older versions of Office, such as Office 2010, 2013, and 2016, do not support cloud fonts natively, so embedding may still be required for compatibility. Font compatibility varies across different versions of Office, and the latest versions provide the best support for cloud fonts and new features.

3. Enhanced Design and Variety:

Cloud font libraries offer a much wider selection of typefaces than what is typically installed on a standard operating system, providing more creative options for documents, presentations, and web design. Classic fonts like Calibri and Arial are widely available and compatible across platforms, while newer cloud fonts expand the range of choices. Serif fonts, such as those used in professional designs, are also included alongside modern options. Many cloud fonts come with bold and italic styles, making it easy to add emphasis or variety to your text. Script fonts are available for creative or decorative uses in presentations. New display fonts like ADLaM Display have been added to cloud font libraries, offering fresh options for branding and design projects. Custom fonts can be used for branding and design customisation, enhancing the uniqueness of your presentations. It’s important to note the difference between cloud fonts and other fonts—traditional system-installed fonts may be accessed differently and have different compatibility across Office applications.

Key Advantages:

  • Consistency: Documents and websites appear the same regardless of the user’s local font installations, leading to professional and reliable results across all devices.
  • Accessibility: A broader range of fonts is available without manual installation, improving font availability for all users.
  • Features: Cloud fonts offer automatic background downloading, caching, and seamless integration with Microsoft 365, enhancing the overall user experience.
  • Platforms: Cloud fonts are accessible across multiple Microsoft Office platforms, including Windows, Mac, mobile, and online versions, ensuring compatibility and consistency.
  • Font Availability: The wide font availability in Microsoft 365 matters because it ensures your documents maintain their intended appearance when shared or accessed on different devices.
  • Automatic Updates: Cloud font providers can update and improve fonts, and these changes are automatically reflected for users.
  • Reduced File Size (in some cases): For sharing documents within the same cloud ecosystem, you don’t always need to embed the font, potentially reducing file size.

Important Considerations:

  • Internet Connection: An internet connection is usually required to initially download cloud fonts or to view documents that use them if they haven’t been cached. You can find the location of cached cloud fonts on your system by checking the Office font cache directory.
  • Subscription: Access to many cloud font libraries (like Microsoft 365’s cloud fonts) is tied to a subscription.
  • Compatibility with Older Software: If you share a document using cloud fonts with someone using an older version of Office (e.g., Office 2016 or earlier), you may still need to embed the fonts to ensure correct display. If font issues occur, you can often fix them by embedding the font in the document or installing the font locally on the recipient’s device.
  • Use Outside of Specific Applications: While cloud fonts are readily available within their native applications, making them accessible to other, non-cloud-aware programs (like some graphic design software) might require manual installation of the cached font files. To use cloud fonts in other programs, you need to add or install the font files to your system manually. This ensures compatibility with other programs such as the Adobe suite.

Note:
To set a specific font in Office applications, select your desired text and choose the font from the font menu. For detailed instructions on installing fonts on Windows and Mac, refer to the official Microsoft support documentation.
Additional notes: When collaborating, consider adding notes or annotations in your presentation to specify font choices or provide guidance for others. Font notes can help clarify customisation and sharing practices, especially when working with teams.

Accessing the cloud fonts on your machine

Windows stores regular TrueType fonts, including those downloaded from other sources, in C:\windows\fonts. These are “installed” fonts, meaning all applications on your computer can access them.

However, cloud fonts aren’t installed in the same way. They are downloaded to a less accessible location: C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\FontCache\4\CloudFonts\fontName, where ‘username’ refers to your Windows user ID and ‘CloudFonts’ is the CloudFonts folder where these fonts are stored. Instead of recognisable names, they are assigned an 11-digit unique ID with a TTF extension. This is why simple applications like Notepad can access standard fonts but not cloud fonts.

Cloud fonts are rendered on each page of your Office document or PowerPoint presentation, ensuring consistent appearance across devices. When new fonts are released by Microsoft, the cloudfonts folder may be updated automatically. Please note that the information in this guide is current as of the updated date: June 2024, and font availability may change as new fonts are released.

You can make cloud fonts available to all your Windows applications by manually installing them into your Windows font library. To do this, simply open the TTF file and click the “Install” button. This is helpful for older applications that expect fonts to be accessed via the standard Windows font mechanism.

The subject of fonts, typography, etc. is a complicated one. For more information on fonts for printing, please see our sister web site at https://www.pclviewer.com

RedTitan have a range of tools for converting fonts to other formats, see https://www.redtitan.com/legacy-font/ for further information.

High Volume Mail Merge with Microsoft Word: Do You Use Word’s Mail Merge Feature and Experience Any of the Following?

Microsoft Word is a powerful and intuitive document creation tool that enables users to craft professional business documents, ranging from simple letters to complex reports. One of its standout features is the mail merge feature, which allows users to personalise bulk communications efficiently by merging data from a source (like an Excel spreadsheet or database) with a template document.

However, when handling high-volume mail merges, Microsoft Word may exhibit performance issues, including slowing down or even freezing. These challenges stem from a combination of software limitations and hardware constraints. Here’s an in-depth look at why these issues occur and strategies to address them:

1. Memory and Processing Constraints

  • Word is not optimised for bulk data processing: Unlike database or data processing software, Word is primarily a word processor, so it doesn’t handle large datasets as efficiently.
  • Memory Usage: Each record in a mail merge creates a new document based on the main document with custom fields, increasing memory usage significantly as Word duplicates formatting and layout for each entry.
  • Complex Formatting: If your merge template has high-resolution images, complex formatting, or multiple custom fields, it further strains system memory and CPU, slowing down the merge.
Solutions:

Close all other applications to free up memory and CPU. Consider simplifying the document by removing complex graphics and using basic fonts and layouts.

Refer to Section 7 to explore how the RedTitan WordCaptuRedTitan Plugin offers a superior solution.

2. Data Source Size and Format

  • Large Excel Files: If the data source is an Excel file with thousands of rows and complex formulas or links, it can slow down processing as Word has to repeatedly access and pull data from the data file. Structuring data files correctly, such as organising recipient information in Excel spreadsheets, ensures efficient usage in mail merge processes.
  • Linked Data: Using a linked data source like an Excel file or database connection also adds a performance hit. Word fetches data in real-time, which is slower than if the data were embedded within Word itself. Utilizing an existing list, such as an Excel spreadsheet or database, can streamline the process of personalizing and sending bulk emails.
Solutions:

Use a clean, minimal Excel file without unnecessary columns or formulas. Ensure there are no blank rows or columns, as these can add extra time for Word to parse the data. Also, save the data source in a local directory instead of a network drive for faster access.

Refer to Section 7 to explore how the RedTitan WordCaptuRedTitan Plugin offers a superior solution.

3. Merge Fields Complexity

  • Number of Merge Fields: Each additional merge field (like First Name, Last Name, etc.) increases processing time because Word must insert and format that data for each recipient. When creating a mail merge document, having a standard text that appears in every form letter is crucial. This form letter combines personalized variables with a consistent format for applications like greetings and return addresses.
  • Conditional Fields: Conditional fields (such as “If…Then” statements or custom greetings based on the recipient) add additional logic for Word to process, which can slow it down, especially with large volumes. To perform mail merges for personalized email campaigns, you need to insert merge field placeholders in your Word document to pull in variable data from the Excel data source, enabling tailored content in the email messages.
Solutions:

Limit the number of merge fields to only those necessary, and avoid complex conditional logic if possible. Try breaking the document into simpler sections if using multiple types of logic.

Refer to Section 7 to explore how the RedTitan WordCaptuRedTitan Plugin offers a superior solution.

4. Output Type

  • Real-Time Preview: If you’re previewing each record before merging, this adds substantial delay since Word must repeatedly pull and process data for each preview.
  • Output Format: Merging directly to individual emails or individual PDFs can significantly slow things down, especially if the output file is large or being sent directly from Word/Outlook. The mail merge process involves setting up a mail merge by combining a Word document with a data source, such as Outlook contacts, and using various tools to enhance the experience.
Solutions:

Instead of previewing, skip directly to “Finish & Merge” to avoid repeated data processing. Merge to a single new Word document for letters or PDFs to reduce load. For emails, consider merging in smaller batches or using specialized email software.

Refer to Section 7 to explore how the RedTitan WordCaptuRedTitan Plugin offers a superior solution.

5. Network Connectivity (if applicable)

  • Network-Linked Data Source: If your data source (Excel file or database) is stored on a network drive, Word has to repeatedly fetch data over the network, which is slower than fetching from a local drive. When managing mail merge recipients, ensure that the list is refined and adjusted within the Mail Merge Recipients dialog box to maintain accuracy and efficiency.
  • Email Sending Limitations: If you’re merging to email, Word sends emails via Outlook in real-time. Sending high volumes of emails quickly can overwhelm both your network and your email service provider, resulting in lag.
Solutions:

For large merges, always use a local copy of your data source. If possible, split large email merges into smaller batches to avoid email server throttling.

Refer to Section 7 to explore how the RedTitan WordCaptuRedTitan Plugin offers a superior solution.

6. System Hardware Limitations

  • RAM and CPU: High-volume merges are memory-intensive. Limited RAM or a slow CPU can cause severe performance issues.
  • Disk Speed: Word and Excel files with thousands of records require fast storage for reading and writing data. A slow hard drive can bottleneck the merge process.
Solutions:

For high-volume merges, using a computer with more RAM (at least 8GB, ideally 16GB+) and a faster CPU (multi-core) will improve performance. SSDs are significantly faster than HDDs for data processing tasks, so running Word on an SSD can speed up the merge.

Refer to Section 7 to explore how the RedTitan WordCaptuRedTitan Plugin offers a superior solution.

7. RedTitan’s Approaches for Large-Scale Mail Merges

The RedTitan Word Add-in (WordCaptuRedTitan) means you don’t need to limit how your Word document looks or how large data records are, as it is a powerful tool designed to enable ultra-fast mail merges for Word documents in both .doc and .docx formats, achieving impressive speeds of up to 1,000 pages per second. This add-in includes a mail merge wizard that assists users in selecting documents, configuring recipient lists, and inserting merge fields, making it particularly suited for high-volume, data-driven document production. It is ideal for industries where large-scale mail merges are essential, such as direct marketing, customer communications, and any bulk document generation.

The add-in seamlessly manages data elements and incorporates complex logic, including Boolean conditions, to dynamically adjust content based on the data. This enables users to configure rules that determine the appearance and content of each merged document, all while using standard Word elements—like lines, boxes, images, and text—under Word’s native control. This flexibility ensures that documents retain a familiar Word aesthetic while enabling precise customisation for each output.

Once the Word document and its data have been configured, the add-in converts the document into a specialised RedTitan format optimised for high-speed processing. From here, the document passes through RedTitan’s advanced formatting engine, which generates output in either PDF or PostScript formats, depending on user requirements. The conversion and formatting processes occur entirely in the background, requiring minimal user interaction once the initial setup is complete.

Overall, the RedTitan Word Add-in offers a streamlined solution for businesses needing rapid, scalable document production while maintaining control over layout and design.