Monospaced Fonts and Fixed Width Type on Mac OS

Below is a list of monospaced fonts [aka fixed width fonts] that I have installed on my Mac. You can list all your monospaced fonts in the Font Book app by creating a smart collection File > New Smart Collection and selecting the design style as monospaced from the available drop down menus.

  • Andale Mono
  • Apple Braille
  • Apple Colour Emoji
  • Caravan Lt Std
  • Consolas
  • Courier
  • Courier New
  • GB18030 Bitmap
  • Lantinghei TC
  • Letter Gothic Std
  • Lucida Console
  • Lucida Sans Typewriter
  • Menlo
  • Monaco
  • Monoline Script MT Std
  • MS Gothic
  • MS Mincho
  • OCR A Std
  • Orator Std
  • Osaka
  • Prestige Elite Std
  • PT Mono
  • Source Code Pro
  • Spot Mono

List Your Monospaced Fonts in Font Book

You can list your monospaced fonts in Font Book by creating a smart collection File > New Smart Collection and this will give you the options needed to create your own custom font list.

 A screenshot of monospaced fonts in the Font Book application.
Setup your own custom font lists in Apple’s Font Book application.

When Monospaced Fonts become invaluable – Tutorial on How to Create a Countdown Timer with Final Cut Pro

In this tutorial the fixed with fonts become really useful – Create a Countdown Timer in Final Cut Pro . This is because using a monospaced font prevents the animation jumping around when you switch from narrow digits like ‘1’ to wider digits like ‘5’ or ‘0’. This countdown timer uses only the built-in plugins in Final Cut Pro with some simple tips and tricks.

Create a Countdown Timer in Final Cut Pro,
Use monospaced fonts when you create a countdown timer in Final Cut Pro.

Why do I see different fonts?

Each version of macOS has its own set of fonts installed by default. Below are some links to recent font lists on macOS. If you are using a different version of macOS you can just google “font list” and the name of your version of Apple’s operating system which you can find from the Apple Menu under About this Mac.

Big Sur font list – https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT211240

Catalina font list – https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT210192

Mojave font list – https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT208968

Unlock the Art of Typography

Thinking with Type, often likened to Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time for typography, serves as a comprehensive guide to the intricate world of visual communication through letterforms.

This edition boasts forty-eight pages of new content, offering the latest insights into style sheets for both print and web, the use of ornaments and captions, as well as nuances such as lining and non-lining numerals, small caps, enlarged capitals, and the art of mixing typefaces. Additionally, Lupton delves into font formats and licensing, equipping readers with the knowledge needed to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of typography.

In this revised and expanded edition, Ellen Lupton delves into the essentials of typography, from understanding typefaces and type families to mastering kerning and tracking. The book provides clear guidance on aligning, spacing, ordering, and shaping letters, words, and paragraphs, accompanied by visual examples to demonstrate inventive approaches within typographic systems.

Throughout the book, readers will find eye-opening demonstrations of basic typography design, along with practical exercises and dozens of illustrations to aid comprehension. Whether you’re a seasoned designer, writer, editor, student, or anyone else working with words, Thinking with Type is an indispensable resource. Ellen Lupton’s expertise reveals the intricate construction of typefaces and offers valuable insights into their most effective utilization.

For fans of Thinking with Type, Lupton’s new book Extra Bold: A Feminist, Inclusive, Anti-racist, Nonbinary Field Guide for Graphic Designers promises further exploration into contemporary design practices with a focus on inclusivity and social responsibility.

Affiliate Links

Many of the links above are affiliate links. This means that I earn a small commission if you purchase the plugins or sign up for a subscription. It won’t cost you any more but it helps me to keep making these tutorial videos for free.

How to Blur a License Plate or Face in Final Cut Pro

In this tutorial, we’ll explore a quick and efficient method to blur out number plates in Final Cut Pro using the latest tracking features. Whether for privacy concerns or legal requirements, blurring out identifiable information is a common task in video editing, and Final Cut Pro offers powerful tools to accomplish this seamlessly.

Continue reading How to Blur a License Plate or Face in Final Cut Pro

Free Sound Effects & Music for Video Editors

I am collecting and continually updating this list of free sound effects and music. If you have suggestions or indeed a channel you would like to share then drop me a message. Whether you are editing in Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve good quality audio is key.

Free Sound Effects

Free Sound – https://freesound.org/

YouTube Sound Effects Library – https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/soundeffects

Free Music

Jason Shaw – https://audionautix.com

LO{W}SH ™️ – Lowsh Free Tracks

TeknoAXE – TeknoAXE on YouTube

Ty Raxus Music – Soundtracks Volume 1 (2020-2021) – Free to use under CC-BY 3.0

YouTube Music Library – https://www.youtube.com/audiolibrary/music

Royalty Free

Art List – https://artlist.io/Home/JoinArtList/

Audio Blocks – https://www.audioblocks.com

Audio Library — Music for content creators – youtube.com/c/audiolibrary-channel

Audio Network – https://www.audionetwork.com/

Big Bang Fuzz – https://www.bigbangfuzz.com

Musicbed – https://www.musicbed.com/

Premium Beat – Premiumbeat.com

Sound Stripe – https://soundstripe.com/

Universal – http://www.unippm.com/

Complete Intro to Final Cut Pro [+Free Plugins]

Photoshop Tutorial | Create a Groovy Twirling Animated GIF

Crafting a Mesmerizing Spiral Loop: A Photoshop Tutorial

Greetings, design enthusiasts! Today, we’ll delve into the intricate world of Photoshop to create a captivating looping animated GIF. This tutorial is tailored to be straightforward and accessible, regardless of your Photoshop proficiency.

Continue reading Photoshop Tutorial | Create a Groovy Twirling Animated GIF

Women Posting Final Cut Pro X Tutorials on YouTube

I am collecting a list of women YouTubers who are posting video editing tutorials. Those in grey below are channels where YouTubers have posted a single “How I Edit” tutorial. Those in black & bold below are YouTubers who focus exclusively on production, editing and effects.

If you have tutorials or channels you would like added to this list then please drop me an e-mail – design@benhalsall.com .

bestdressed – how to edit youtube videos LiKE A pRo

The Bliss Bean – HOW I EDIT VIDEOS | workflow, color grading, animations, etc. 🌟

Hannah Elise – HOW I EDIT MY VIDEOS | color grading, no copyright music, effects

iEditing X – Alisha posts Green Screens, Editing Tutorials, Intro Templates, and more!

iJustine – a preview of iJustine’s 2 hour intro to Final Cut Pro X on the Apple Store.

Jasmine Rose – Sync Audio & Video using Final Cut Pro X (FCPX) software!

Jenn Jager – Production Tips & Video Marketing with Jenn Jager.

Kenna Marie – HOW I EDIT MY YOUTUBE VIDEOS! (Final Cut Pro)

Le Sora – Le Sora makes short, artistic videos and filmmaking tutorials.

Nicole Studios – Nicole’s goal is to help you become a better editor, whether it be creating your own Youtube videos or films.

How to Turn Automatic Update ON or OFF on your Mac – Avoid Final Cut Pro upgrade issues

With every update to macOS comes risks that current or future versions of Final Cut Pro may have some issues. Video editors can avoid being caught out, and losing work, by turning off the Automatic Update of the operating system.

How to turn off auto-update

  1. Go to the Apple Logo at the top left of your screen and click System Preferences.
  2. Click the Software Update button if you don’t automatically go to that window (3rd Row down).
  3. Uncheck Automatically keep my Mac up to date and in the advanced options, you can also uncheck Install app updates and Install macOS updates.
Uncheck Automatically keep my Mac up to date so that you control when your
system software upgrades.
Keep Install macOS updates and Install app update from the App Store unchecked to keep control over when updates happen. Keep security updates checked – these are important!

Things that were troublesome when upgrading to macOS Catalina

Previously there were a couple of things that are particularly important to note when updating to macOS Catalina. These types of issues can pop-up for any major upgrade and it is always worth waiting a little while whilst others upgrade so that they can discover any issues and glitches. This can really help to avoid down-time for your working mac.

  • 64-Bit Apps Only – only applications running in 64-Bit will run on macOS Catalina so if your Mac updates automatically then you could be left with apps that don’t work if they only run in 32-Bit. In this video, you can check – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eu_uuytcRnU .
  • Metal Processing for FCPX – Final Cut Pro X 10.4.7 and Mac OS X Catalina make use of performance enhancements using Metal for its graphics processing. For some more information about Metal check out Ripple Training’s video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOgXFpdhmjY .
  • Graphics Glitches – it seems that Metal comes with some side effects that can cause graphics glitches. You can remedy these by turning off the Reduce transparency option in your System Preferences. There is some more info about that here >>.

Security Updates & Downloads

I like to keep Check for updates, Download new updates when available and Install system data files and security updates all checked. Especially the security updates are important in case there are security patches that Apple releases in response to a problem. You won’t want to wait for those!

Check your Plugins for Final Cut Pro

With the update, some plugins for Final Cut Pro X may not work. You should check to see if your plugin provider has tested their plugins with the new system and Final Cut Pro X update to 10.4.7. If they are important plugins that you use in lots of projects this would be another reason to hold off upgrading.

Must Watch: “Final Cut Pro – How to SAFELY update Final Cut Pro X (and Catalina)??” by Robin S. Kurz

“After seeing how many people have struggled with whether to update or not and then seeing them approach it the worst most unsafe way I felt it was time I finally made a video about the whole thing!” Robin S. Kurz

Want to Update to Mojave instead of Catalina?

Some new plugins will require the newest version of Final Cut Pro but if you don’t want to upgrade to Catalina but are on an earlier version of macOS than Mojave then this page on the Apple web-site may help you out:

https://support.apple.com/macos/mojave?fbclid=IwAR0RHPxDe7n7QCKPidOpX7bcXmHqU1E0ZIKy3tq_akKXN_9KttzhLUxyiq8

Reasons for doing this may be that you want to keep older versions of Adobe Creative cloud running. Upgrading to Catalina may mean you need to upgrade.

If in doubt jump on the forums! (& delay updating)

If you are ever unsure about the updates then jump on the forums on Facebook or Reddit to ask questions. It is more often than not better to wait before updating as major software updates can often reveal major bugs in the new system upon release that just weren’t predicted in the BETA testing.

There are always lots of people in the same boat and if you follow the forums for Final Cut Pro X or macOS online then you can keep your finger on the pulse of any current issues that are popping up!

Forums that I follow online:

Final Cut Pro X User Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/289713057748965/

FINAL CUT PRO X EDITORS
https://www.facebook.com/groups/108687235938893/

You can also contact me if you have any questions and I am available for online support and training.

How to create a bootable macOS Catalina installer drive on a USB Stick by Roman Loyola

“An external drive that you can use as an installer for macOS Catalina is a handy thing to have. If you have multiple Macs to upgrade, it’s a lot more efficient to plug in the USB installer drive and run the installer than to log into the App Store, download the 8.09GB OS installer, and then run it.” Roman Loyola, Macworld

Find out more here >>

Additional Upgrade Notes

These notes are things that I come across as I work with my clean install of macOS Catalina on my 16″ MacBook Pro.

E-mail – moving message from your old mac

You will need access to your old system hard-drive or a backup to keep any e-mail not stored on your iCloud drive.

You can import messages and folders from an external drive. Here is Apple’s guid on how to import your e-mail:
https://support.apple.com/en-ca/guide/mail/mlhlp1030/mac .

4 Ways to Create Split Screens in FCPX

Learn how to create a pixel-perfect split screen in this Final Cut Pro X tutorial. In this easy to follow class, you will learn how to make and modify the perfect split screen as well as looking at how you can copy your effects to multiple clips on the timeline.

This is a great tutorial if you need the control that some plugins just don’t give you. Whether you are making a split screen for an interview, your band, a choir or for any reason you will find what you need here. If you don’t just drop me an e-mail.

1. Create a Perfect Split Screen with No Plugins

Create a pixel perfect split screen quickly and easily.

2. Save Time & Get the Perfect Split Screen Plugin

This plugin is the quickest and easiest way to setup split-screens in Final Cut Pro X. You can download it here on my gumroad page or you can learn how to create it for free in the tutorial video below.

The plugin includes 4-UP, 6-UP, 9-UP, 5×5 formats as well as a square split-screen perfect for Instagram and Facebook videos.

Perfect Split-Screen Plugin by Ben Halsall: http://bit.ly/split-screen-fcpx

3. Create a Perfect Split-Screen Plugin for free in Apple Motion

In this tutorial we look at how to make a perfect 4-Up Split Screen in Final Cut Pro X and then how to create a time-saving plugin in Apple Motion. This is a great way to begin to learn how you can make plugins in Apple Motion that can save you time and that will also help you to customise effects, transitions and titles in your edits.

4. Create an advanced & animated split screen

Learn how to create customised split screens in Final Cut Pro X using the advanced features of the Draw Mask effect. Working with animated shapes and bezier curves you can create intricate split screens that you can control perfectly in sync with your video.



Complete Intro to Final Cut Pro [+Best Free Plugins for Beginners]

Everything is included in this complete introduction to Final Cut Pro X for beginners. From importing to editing and exporting this tutorial includes it all. We cover how to get clips down to your timeline, refine an edit, add titles, work with colour as well as looking at some of my favourite free plugins for Final Cut Pro X.


Final Cut Pro X Tutorials in other Languages (not English)

If you know of any non-English Final Cut Pro X channels or useful resources drop me a message. I’m going to be growing this list as I hear of more Channels in languages from around the world.

Dutch / Nederlands

de Videomakers – Final Cut Pro X (FCPX) voor beginners | leren monteren | edit maken | de Videomakers

Finnish / Suomeksi

samiku – Final Cut Pro X vinkkejä ja tutoriaaleja.

TAP5A – Tapio Haaja – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKqjEECOn1_nq5iC8xOJ4YA

French / Français

CorVans Prod – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzRik0zEP7m4azPxP1bSXyg

Gregsway – Les bases de final cut pro en moins de 6 minutes!

Hungarian

Hegedüs Gyula László – Minden Final Cut Pro X Tutorial

Italian / italiana(o)

Giuliano Girelli
semplificare le riprese per semplificare il montaggio – p1
tutorial – esempio montaggio final cut pro x – FCPX / parte 2

Japanese / 日本語

yokokenよこけん

Spanish / Español

Las novedades de Final Cut Pro X 10.4 y Motion 5.4

motionfx.es/

finalcutpro.es

Iñaki Sanz – https://www.youtube.com/user/inyaki

Nolandtoys

Portugese / Português

Falando de Final Cut

Felipe Menescal – Video Digital