How to Install Fonts

Someone last week asked me how to install fonts, so I thought I'd post the answer here, too.

Some things to understand about fonts before downloading:

• Microsoft Office does not endorse third-party fonts {fonts that don't come on your machine}. However, I've only ever had issues with it if I'm working in a large document {for instance, a 30+ page PowerPoint file}.
• Other people can only see fancy fonts in documents you send to them if they have the same fonts installed on their computer. To be on the safe side, you can convert a document to a PDF before sending, which will "lock" everything in place so the recipient can see everything the way you see it. {If you want to use your new font in your e-mail signature, you'll need to save your signature as a picture file. Read more about that by clicking HERE.}

How to Install Fonts on your Computer:

1. Find the font you want to install and download it to your computer. Some of my favorite fonts are Kimberly Geswein's collection and Kevin & Amanda's Fonts for Peas and Scrapbooking Fonts collections. Find the one you want and click "download." The 3 sites listed above also let you download every font available in 1 click -- just select "download all."

2. In most cases, you'll need to unzip the folder before you can access its contents. On a PC, right-click and select "extract all." The screen will prompt you with what to do -- just keep clicking "extract" or "next" until it's finished. On a Mac, just double-click. Zipped folders look like this on a PC:

and like this on a Mac:

Once you've unzipped them, it'll just look like a regular folder icon.

3. Open the download. Double-click on the unzipped folder. You'll always see a .ttf file, which is your font. In some cases, you may also see a .txt, .jpg, .png, and/or .PDF file. Those typically depict the creator's logo and/or their terms of use {TOU} for using the font. You don't usually have to worry about the TOU unless you plan to create a document with that font and sell the document, but it might be a good idea to read over it, no matter your intentions.

In some cases {particularly in some of Kimberly Geswein's fonts}, you'll see multiple .ttf files, as shown below. 

On a Mac

On a PC

That just means you're getting multiple versions of the font. For instance, if you look at the first picture, you can see that the KGHAPPY font is black with a striped shadow, KGHAPPYSHADOWS is white with a striped shadow, and KGHAPPYSOLID is just plain black.

4. Install the font. Double-click on the .ttf file(s). A pop-up will appear that shows you what all the characters in that font look like. At the bottom {Mac} or top {PC} of that pop-up will be a button that says "Install." Click. On a Mac, a new pop-up will appear that says "Font Book." On a PC, the "install" button will be grayed out if the installation was successful.

If you're installing a lot of fonts {for instance, all of Kimberly Geswein's fonts}, you'll see a ton of .ttf files in the unzipped folder, and it would be a huge waste of time to install each font individually.

How to quickly save multiple fonts on a PC:
Click the "start" button in the bottom, left corner of your screen. Click on the control panel, and then on "fonts." This will open a window that displays all the fonts you currently have installed on your device. Scoot that font book window over on your screen so you can see the unzipped folder {with the new font inside} on your screen at the same time, as shown below:

Click somewhere inside that new font folder {on a white part -- not on any words or icons}. Hold down Control + A to select everything in that window. Press the shift button with one hand, and keep it pressed down as you use your other hand on the mouse to click on one of the selected fonts and drag it over to your font book. When you're dragging everything over, your mouse should turn into a plus sign with a number underneath {to indicate how many files you're moving} when you hover the mouse over the font book. 

How to quickly save multiple fonts on a Mac: 

In the top, right corner of your desktop, there should be a magnifying glass. If you type "font book" in that search bar and hit "enter," you should see a search result for the font folder. Clicking on that search result will open the folder. From there, just drag and drop the new fonts into your font book -- just like you would on a PC.

5. Shut down any Microsoft Office programs you have running. You need to restart them in order to see and use your new fonts in those programs.

6. Delete the zipped and unzipped folders of the font from your computer. You don't need them anymore since the font is installed. :)

Have so many fonts you don't know which one to pick? Check out this post on Wordmark -- it'll help you out.