How to add fonts to Photoshop? [2022]

How to add fonts to Photoshop? Have you ever gone through all of your typefaces and couldn’t find the ideal one for your project? When designing a visual project, choosing the proper font is critical to conveying your message. Nobody, for example, uses Comic Sans unless they don’t want to be taken seriously. While you may recall that Times New Roman was the preferred font for compositions, and Arial was the norm for website designers.

But, with an infinite number of typefaces available online, it’s only a matter of time until you find yourself wanting to expand your range.

We’ll go over installing custom fonts from websites as well as Adobe Fonts. This is the premium font site that Photoshop includes. Prepare to turbocharge your workflow by downloading some typefaces! 

How to add fonts to Photoshop?

You may add fonts to Photoshop in two ways: download and install fonts on your computer and use them in Photoshop, or go through your Creative Cloud account and add them using Adobe fonts. Both strategies will be covered in this article.

Download and install your desired fonts:

This is arguably the ideal approach because you don’t need to log in to your Creative Cloud account, it’s free, and you’ll have the font available to use in any other program that uses fonts, not only Photoshop.

Step 1: Select a font to download.

I cannot emphasize this enough: always download files from reliable websites. I’ve been using Dafont for over a decade, but there are many other options available, including 1001Fonts, Google Fonts, Envato, Creative Market, and many more.

Step 2: Tap Download

Select a typeface that you want to use in Photoshop. Click on the name of the font family to the left to view it. To download the font, go to the right and click Download.

Step 3: Locate the typeface you downloaded.

Your new font will be in the Downloads folder as a zipped file. Once you’ve found it, double-click it to open it and find the font files within.

Fonts are commonly available in TTF or OTF file formats. After downloading, both can be installed on Windows or Mac. TTF or TrueType font files are an older format that you’ve definitely seen more of if you’re familiar with fonts. OTF or OpenType font files are a newer format with more scaling possibilities, although both files are equally useable for the ordinary user.

Step 4: Install the font

When you double-click the font file in your Downloads folder, a new window appears with a preview of the font and an Install Font button. Your new font will be shown on your computer after installation.

Step 5: Make use of your font.

Once installed, your typeface is immediately usable. Simply launch Photoshop and use the text tool to locate your new font.

You can now use the font you downloaded and installed on your computer in Photoshop or anywhere else fonts can be used. This covers applications such as Pages, Word, and Excel.

Making Use of Adobe Fonts:

Aside from downloading and installing fonts, you may also use your Adobe Creative Cloud account to add fonts straight to Photoshop. Here’s how it’s done:

Step 1: Navigate to Adobe Fonts.

To access Adobe fonts, use the text tool in Photoshop to navigate to the fonts drop-down menu and hit on the Creative Cloud icon.

Step 2: Select the font

This will take you to the Adobe Fonts website, where you can browse for fonts that match your requirements. 

Step 3: Enable the typeface

To add it to Photoshop, click the toggle next to Activate Font. This will immediately add it to Photoshop and make it available for use. When you activate your typeface, Adobe will display a helpful message. 

Step 4: The font is now available for use.

The newly introduced Adobe typeface is immediately available in Photoshop via the text tool and will follow you wherever you register into your Creative Cloud account.

How to Install Fonts in Photoshop for Mac

01. Font search and download

Look through your internet library for a typeface that will work for your project. The majority of the more reputable sites will have filtering options, enabling you to reduce your search by characteristics such as font type. When you’ve found a font you like, press the download button to get it. Make sure to close any open applications at this time.

02. Find the font file.

The following step in adding fonts to Photoshop is to find the font file in your Downloads folder. To navigate the contents of a zipped folder, double-click on it. If you downloaded numerous fonts, each one would have its own folder. OTF and TTF are two of the most prevalent font file extensions to be aware of.

03. Set up the typeface

You have three choices for installing your typeface in Photoshop:

Option 01: Double-click the font file to access the Font Box application, where you may install the font by just clicking a button, making it available in all applications on your computer, not just Photoshop.

Option 02: Manually copy/move the font files from the Downloads folder into the Users/Library/Fonts folder (to make them visible to specific, individual users) or the Library/Fonts folder (to make them available for all users).

Option 03: Refer to the relevant documentation for information on adding and activating fonts when using a Font Management Utility.

04. Choose the font in Photoshop

Open Photoshop and scroll down the Character menu until you see your preferred font in the list. Select the font and add it to your project using the Type tool. To apply creative effects to your text, you may need to rasterize it first, which converts the word into a pixel-based bitmap image. You will no longer be able to alter the text after this.

OpenType Font vs TrueType Font

Fonts are stored as OTF and TTF files. OTF and TTF font files can be used together and interchangeably in almost all modern applications, including Photoshop. So, what are the fundamental differences, and which is superior? 

TTF (TrueType Font)

TTF is an older font file extension that stands for TrueType Font. Apple and Microsoft collaborated to help standardize font files between their respective operating systems. TTF established the standard for what font files are now.

OTF (OpenType Font)

OTF, which came years after TTF, was likewise a collaborative project, but this time between Adobe and Apple. And while OTF has all of the same features as TFF, it also offers more. This features more storage space for up to 65,000 characters. These extra characters provide advanced typesetting options for OTF fonts.

Which is better?  

OFT includes more options and functionality that are essential to both typesetters’ and designers’ work.

However, unless you are a graphic designer or typesetter, you are unlikely to use or notice these extra features. If OFT is available, utilize it. However, if a typeface merely comprises a TFF file, it will function just as well.

Typeface licenses: what to think about when adding a font to Photoshop

Although free font libraries appear to be an infinite resource for adding fonts to Photoshop, it is important to examine the problem of licenses. Because each typeface is considered its own piece of software, when you install it on your computer, you are bound by license agreements. Each typeface comes with a license, which you may read about in the End-User License Agreement, that comes with any font you download.

A desktop license allows you to install a font on your computer and use it in any application, which is good for personal projects, but complications may occur if you wish to add a typeface to Photoshop for commercial work.

Even if a typeface is marketed as a free download, it may nevertheless have commercial usage restrictions. In the same way, someone may upload a font and describe it as ‘free’ without the approval of the original designer. When working for customers, it is critical that you check the font license and purchase any licenses that are required – your client is unlikely to be pleased if they receive a strongly worded letter from the font’s owner.

The simplest solution is to employ open-source licensing. Open-source fonts are free to download and use as long as you don’t resell them and give acknowledgment for their use on occasion. Google Fonts(opens in new tab) is an open-source collection popular with designers that can be used privately or professionally.

That’s how you install fonts in Photoshop. Installing a custom font is simple whether you’re using a Mac or a PC. Simply download and install. Good luck with your new fonts in all of your future endeavors!

FAQs on How to Add Fonts to Photoshop

Originally posted on January 9, 2023 @ 8:24 am