Flash Font Mapping Not Showing

While I don’t build complete sites in Flash anymore I do use Flash to build some components. Sometimes I might  get a client who has a complete Flash site. I might get the fla file or I might just get the swf. Most of the time there is a missing font and I either have to replace it or install the font. Every other time this happens Flash may not find the font through Flash Font Mapping even after I have installed it and that’s what we’re here to talk about. Why Flash Font Mapping Not Showing? I don’t know. It’s some quirk about the font editor being open while Flash is open. You’ve installed the font but it still not working. The font still won’t show up and you know the font is there because you tried Photoshop or illustrator. Follow these steps and you’ll be on your way. It does work.

1. Close Flash.

2. Install the font

3. Close whatever font manager you use. Flash doesn’t seem to like having having a font app open when it launches. (I just use OSX’s default Font Book, so that may be part of my problem there, instead of some fancy font app like Suitcase

4. Launch Flash, and use the Text tool to see if the font is available in Flash. If so, you’re good to go. Otherwise, keep reading.

5. Close Flash.

6. Open your font manager, then disable the font, and close the font app.

7. Launch Flash while the fonts are disabled, then close it.

8. Open the font manager, re-enable the font, and close it.

9. Launch Flash one more time, and then that font should now be available.