Okay now I use the same procedure for each of my file categories (Graphics, Backgrounds, fonts, tubes, tags, etc).  Inside each of the main folders I have TWO (yes I said 2!) sort folders (sometimes even more if I am behind on my sorting!).  Once is called SORT and the other is called SORT 2.  I download files into the SORT folder.  For example, my fonts, all fonts are d/l into SORT (which is inside a folder called Files - Fonts).  They sit here and wait for me, because sometimes, I am just not motivated to mess with them!  LOL  Below is a screen shot of my Files - Fonts folder.  As you can see there is a "~" (a TILDE) at the beginning and end of the filename for SORT.  This allows the folder to go to the top of the list for easy access.

As you can see, I have a font folder for everything!  It takes alot of work, but I can find ANYTHING at a moment's notice!

Now, once I d/l my fonts into my ~FONTS SORT~ folder, they need to be unzipped.  Unzip the fonts into the SAME folder and then delete all the zip files (ya don't need them now!).  Now you are left with a whole bunch of misc. fonts.  After I unzip my fonts, the folder looks like this:

As you can see by the file names (the ones that actually have file names!), there are all types of fonts, but you may notice, not all of the file names are the complete names, many have that DREADED "_" as part of the filename!  I hate this!.  And as organized as I am, we both know that I do NOT have the patience to go in an manually correct these file names.  But you know that you have NEVER received a font from me that was not properly named also!  When Webby is determined, Webby finds a way!  I found a neat little program that will do this all for you!  Wooohooo baby!  The name of the program is called True Type Font Renamer, and it is FREEWARE!  Praise the font Gods!  Download this program and we will come back to it in a few minutes when we are ready to use this AMAZING toy!

Sometimes, for reasons I have no clue, some of these fonts are "READ ONLY" files.  I have no clue how this happens, but now is when I fix that!  In Windows Explorer (which is the window shown above), click on EDIT > SELECT ALL.  All the files should now be highlighted.  Move your cursor over any of the files and RIGHT click with your mouse.  A pop-up menu will appear as shown below:

Select PROPERTIES (at the bottom of the list).  Another pop up will appear and will look like this:

See in the middle where is says ATTRIBUTES? and the READ ONLY box is checked??  UNCHECK it!  Then click on APPLY then OK.  Now all of the files that were READ ONLY are not anymore!  If you have alot of files that you selected, it may take a few minutes, so don't be alarmed.  We are now ready to rename our fonts PROPERLY!! 

Okay, now open the True Type Font Renamer program!  This is so much fun!  You should see a box that looks like this:
 

Now what you need to do, is to navigate thru and find where your fonts are that need to be renamed (this is why it is best to do this step at the beginning!)  This is a pain to do for EVERY folder, so make a point to do it from your sort folder!  If your files are set up similar to mine now, well, mine looks like this (with the "~Fonts sort~" folder selected:

now comes the fun part!  See that button on the bottom that says OK, click it! Wooohooo watch it go!  But you don't even see anything, this program works so fast, that the next thing you see is the confirmation screen saying it is done, which will look like this:

Now as you can see, it said it renamed 203 of my font files, I had 355 in that folder.  Would you have wanted to rename those manually??  I don't think so!  But now, you can read the names of your fonts easily and that makes the biggest difference.  Well, we are not done yet, but you can click OK on the True Type Font Renamer program since we are done with that.

Okay, now you need to cut and paste your font files from this folder into your "sort 2" folder.  Depending on how many fonts you have to sort, you may consider having more than just 2 sort folders.  Sort (or sort 1) is designed for you to "clean up" your fonts (unzip, read only removed, and properly named), and once they are in the sort 2 (or another sort folder), they just need to be moved into the right category.  I NEVER sort thru any fonts in the "sort" folder, since they have not been cleaned.  It makes the process easier for me.  Personally I don't place more than 200 fonts (MAX!) in the "sort 2" (or "sort 3" and so on...) folders.  This is due to the font managements tools sometimes encounter problems as a result.  Personally, I would like to keep it at 100, but I am a font Junkie, and that is not always possible!

Okay, now you need to figure out, if you haven't already how do you wanna sort your font files. 

~~~~Well, there are many ways.  All in one master file?  Well that is ideal if you are filling requests for fonts and the people actually know the name of the font they want (this does not always happen), but then I use "SEARCH" on my computer when I need to fill a request!

~~~~Okay, the way some of the websites do?  Well, that has potential, but do you really know and understand the categories they use??  Not me!

~~~~This is the way to go, create your own categories, based on what you call the fonts!  They are your fonts, and you are the one using them right??  You are the one that needs to find them!  That is what I did!  Add folders as you think of additional categories.  And a word of "warning", keep fonts and ding fonts separate.  Let me give you an example.  I have flower fonts and flower dingbat fonts.  Now with the flower font I can actually spell something, as in make a tag, but of course, not with the dingbat font.  So I have 2 separate folders they are named as follows:

Dings - Flowers
Fonts - Flowers

This way I am looking in the correct folder, for what I want.  Take this into consideration when designing your categories, it will make the biggest difference!

Okay, you can now start selecting fonts to move into different folders.  You need to select a font management program if you font already have one.  This is crucial.  Unless you plan on opening every single font to see what category it is before you move it (What a nightmare that would be).  There are a ton of these Font Utilities out there.  Please remember, some of these programs cost good money, others are shareware and charge a nominal fee, and still others are freeware.  So look around and find the best program for your needs.  I have tried many, and I have my personal favorite (which is not everyone's favorite!).  Try a few and see what one you like best, after all you will be spending alot of time using it, make sure it has the features and ease of use that is most important to you!  Here are some links of some different font managers to check out to get you started: