Sans font error icon

On 2016-01-15 19:22 (+0100), Carole Corn wrote:
> I am just using Inkscape on my Mac, but I can't choose any fonts to
> use.

Which version of Inkscape do you have installed on the Mac (see Inkscape menu 'Help > About Inkscape'), and which version of OS X?

This sounds like like a known issue in (outdated) Inkscape 0.48.x (bug #667091) - I would recommend to update to latest Inkscape 0.91, and ideally also to reset Inkscape's preferences (delete the file "~/.config/inkscape/preferences.xml"), or at least to set a default font (via 'Text and Font') which is installed locally (or alternatively 'sans-serif', the generic (virtual) font used in Inkscape 0.91 as default font for new text, with default preferences).

Thanks for the quick reply, I have the latest version of Inkscape/Infinity for Mac 0.91 I am using El Capitan 11 on my Mac
> On Jan 15, 2016, at 1:32 PM, ~suv <email address hidden> wrote:
>
> Your question #281030 on Inkscape changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/inkscape/+question/281030
>
> Status: Open => Needs information
>
> ~suv requested more information:
> On 2016-01-15 19:22 (+0100), Carole Corn wrote:
>> I am just using Inkscape on my Mac, but I can't choose any fonts to
>> use.
>
> Which version of Inkscape do you have installed on the Mac (see Inkscape
> menu 'Help > About Inkscape'), and which version of OS X?
>
> This sounds like like a known issue in (outdated) Inkscape 0.48.x (bug
> #667091) - I would recommend to update to latest Inkscape 0.91, and
> ideally also to reset Inkscape's preferences (delete the file
> "~/.config/inkscape/preferences.xml"), or at least to set a default font
> (via 'Text and Font') which is installed locally (or alternatively
> 'sans-serif', the generic (virtual) font used in Inkscape 0.91 as
> default font for new text, with default preferences).
>
> --
> To answer this request for more information, you can either reply to
> this email or enter your reply at the following page:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/inkscape/+question/281030
>
> You received this question notification because you asked the question.

You likely had used Inkscape 0.48 installed and used with the current Mac's user account, and Inkscape 0.91 reuses the preferences file from Inkscape 0.48.

There was a change in the name of the default generic font Inkscape 0.91 uses (from 'Sans' to 'sans-serif'), which is why you see the the (slightly misleading) notification about the font not being found. Neither 'Sans' nor 'sans-serif' are actual fonts installed as files on the local computer - they are names or so-called "generic" fonts ('Sans' or 'sans-serif' will be rendered with a default locally installed font which matches the generic criteria of a 'sans-serif' font).

This being said - with Inkscape 0.91, having 'Sans' as default font (as remnant from the settings of an older Inkscape version) should not nor does prevent that other fonts are used as default font family for new text, or are assigned to existing text (not on a Mac nor on any other supported platform).

A workaround for you to attempt: change the default font to 'sans-serif' from within Inkscape:
1) launch Inkscape
2) open menu item 'Text > Text and Font'
3) in the list on the left, search the entry 'sans-serif', select it
4) adjust the default font size as needed (40px is the default)
5) click on the button 'Set as default' in the lower left corner of the 'Text and Font' dialog

New text should now be created with 'sans-serif' (without icon warning about 'Font not found'), and can be changed (as before) to any other font among the locally installed fonts seen by Inkscape.

MARVELOUS! Thank you so much. Your knowledge is of infinite value….
If, and only asking this so I can learn properly, I desired to have another font as the default for the program, this is where I would go to set it. Correct?

Oh, you have made my day! Thanks again.
Carole Corn
> On Jan 15, 2016, at 1:57 PM, ~suv <email address hidden> wrote:
>
> Your question #281030 on Inkscape changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/inkscape/+question/281030
>
> ~suv posted a new comment:
> You likely had used Inkscape 0.48 installed and used with the current
> Mac's user account, and Inkscape 0.91 reuses the preferences file from
> Inkscape 0.48.
>
> There was a change in the name of the default generic font Inkscape 0.91
> uses (from 'Sans' to 'sans-serif'), which is why you see the the
> (slightly misleading) notification about the font not being found.
> Neither 'Sans' nor 'sans-serif' are actual fonts installed as files on
> the local computer - they are names or so-called "generic" fonts ('Sans'
> or 'sans-serif' will be rendered with a default locally installed font
> which matches the generic criteria of a 'sans-serif' font).
>
> This being said - with Inkscape 0.91, having 'Sans' as default font (as
> remnant from the settings of an older Inkscape version) should not nor
> does prevent that other fonts are used as default font family for new
> text, or are assigned to existing text (not on a Mac nor on any other
> supported platform).
>
> A workaround for you to attempt: change the default font to 'sans-serif' from within Inkscape:
> 1) launch Inkscape
> 2) open menu item 'Text > Text and Font'
> 3) in the list on the left, search the entry 'sans-serif', select it
> 4) adjust the default font size as needed (40px is the default)
> 5) click on the button 'Set as default' in the lower left corner of the 'Text and Font' dialog
>
> New text should now be created with 'sans-serif' (without icon warning
> about 'Font not found'), and can be changed (as before) to any other
> font among the locally installed fonts seen by Inkscape.
>
> --
> You received this question notification because you asked the question.

YES! my problem is solved, Thank You