Introduction

When multiple users work on the same documents, layouts, or production files, font consistency is critical. Missing fonts or different versions of the “same” font can cause substitutions, reflow, and unexpected output. With MainType, you can create a shared team font library and use font synchronization so every workstation stays aligned.

Why a shared team font library matters

A shared font library helps your team:

• Open projects on any computer with the same fonts available
• Avoid layout changes caused by version mismatches
• Reduce production mistakes and rework
• Standardize your workflow across multiple users and workstations

How font synchronization works in MainType

MainType is a font manager that can keep multiple computers consistent by using a shared folder as the “source of truth.” Instead of syncing directly between PCs, the team syncs to the same shared location, such as a shared network folder, Dropbox, Google Drive or any other file-sharing solution.

Each workstation adds the same shared folder to MainType and enables Keep in sync, so the font library stays updated automatically.

Set up a shared font library across computers

Create one central folder that contains your approved team fonts. This can be on:

• a shared network drive
• Dropbox
• Google Drive for Desktop
• another file-sharing utility

On each computer, open Library → Font Folders from the main menu and click Add.

In the Add Font Folder dialog, click Browse and select the shared folder. Then set the following options:

• Index recursively – Scan the folder and all subfolders.
• Keep in sync – Keep MainType’s groups aligned with the folder structure on disk.
• Synchronization Interval – Set how often MainType refreshes the folder (0 = manual only).
• Automatically install all fonts… – Ensure the same fonts are installed in Windows on every workstation.
• Smart install – Replace similar installed fonts to prevent “same name, different version” issues.

Updating fonts for the whole team

To roll out a change, add or replace font files in the shared folder. On the next refresh (automatic or manual), MainType updates the library and installs new and updated fonts across the team.

MainType does not automatically uninstall removed fonts

Team synchronization is designed to keep the shared set available and current, but it does not automatically uninstall fonts when they disappear from the shared folder. This avoids breaking personal or legacy projects that may still rely on those fonts and prevents unexpected disruption.

Identifying fonts installed by synchronization

When MainType installs fonts through this mechanism, it adds a tag named AutoInstall, making it easy to filter and review the fonts that came from your team synchronization setup.

Tip: Use the AutoInstall tag as your “team set” view inside MainType.