FAQ

  How to install a font under Windows?
  How to install a font under Mac OS?
  How to install a font under Linux?
  How to use a new font with a software?
  How to use a font for a web site?
  Why the fonts don't show up in e-mails / instant messengers?
  How many fonts can be installed?
  Why aren't stressed characters or numbers included?
  Nothing is working!
  How to create my own font?
  I've submitted my font, how long will it take to be published?
  Are all the fonts free of charge?

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How to install a font under Windows?

Extract the files you have downloaded.

Details: Click on the "Download" button, save the zip somewhere on your hard disk, go to the place where it is saved, double-click on the zip to open it, then either click on "Extract all files" or drag and drop the files elsewhere from the zip window (hold down the CTRL key to select several files at once)
For the 20th century versions of Windows you must install an unzip tool first.

  • Under Windows 10/8/7/Vista
    Select the font files (.ttf, .otf or .fon) then Right-click > Install

  • Under any version of Windows
    Place the font files (.ttf, .otf or .fon) into the Fonts folder, usually C:\Windows\Fonts or C:\WINNT\Fonts
    (can be reached as well by the Start Menu > Control Panel > Appearance and Themes > Fonts).

    Note that with the internal unzip tool of Windows (unlike Winzip), you cannot install a font by a simple drag and drop of the .ttf from the zip window to the Fonts window. You must first drag and drop it anywhere (for example on the desktop) then into the Fonts folder.
    You can also go through: File > Install a new font... in the Fonts folder menu then browse the fonts, instead of drag and drop the fonts into the window. Although this method is laborious, it would seem that it functions better in some cases.

There are some videos on YouTube if that helps.

Tip (for Windows XP/Vista, not Windows 7/8): if you occasionally need a font, you don't need to install it. Just double-click on the .ttf file, and while the preview window is opened you can use it in most of the programs you'll launch (apart from a few exceptions like OpenOffice).
 

How to install a font under Mac OS?

Mac OS X recognizes TrueType and OpenType fonts (.ttf and .otf) but not the PC bitmap fonts (.fon).
Files are compressed, you may need an utility like Stuffit Expander.

  • Under Mac OS X 10.3 or above (including the FontBook)
    Double-click the font file > "Install font" button at the bottom of the preview.
     
  • Under any version of Mac OS X:
    Put the files into /Library/Fonts (for all users),
    or into /Users/Your_username/Library/Fonts (for you only).
     
  • Under Mac OS 9 or earlier:
    The old Mac fonts are not supported anymore at dafont. First, you have to convert the font files (.ttf or .otf) you have downloaded.
    Then drag the fonts suitcases into the System folder. The system will propose you to add them to the Fonts folder.
 

How to install a font under Linux?

Copy the font files (.ttf or .otf) to fonts:// in the File manager.
Or: Go into the /home folder, in the menu select View > Show Hidden Files, you will see the hidden folder .fonts (if not, create it) then copy the font files there.
Or: (under some Linux versions - Ubuntu for example) Double-click the font file > "Install font" button in the preview window.
 

How to use a new font with a software?

It is sometimes necessary to relaunch the current application to be able to use the new font.
Then you may proceed as usual, the font will appear in your software's font combo-box (word processing, drawing etc.).
 

How to use a font for a web site?

If you specify a particular font in your web pages which is not installed on the visitor's machine, it will be replaced by the default font in his browser, usually Times New Roman.
(you can specify several fonts in the CSS by priority order, but nothing is guaranteed)

The main solutions:
- To realize a title, the easiest method is to make an image. Use a drawing program and save the image as PNG or GIF.
- For a long text, you can embed the font so that visitors download it at the same time as the page, using the CSS3 @font-face property.
- Generate an image with PHP
 

Why the fonts don't show up in e-mails / instant messengers?

Your correspondent can only view the fonts installed on his computer. Better avoid to send a email or an instant message (MSN Messenger, etc.) with a non-standard font; or then make sure your correspondant has installed it too, otherwise he will see a default font.
 

How many fonts can be installed?

Windows is supposed to be able to manage about 1000 fonts. But avoid to install too many fonts at one time because that slows down the system. A lot of programs have to load to memory all installed fonts to be able to run.
So it is better to put fonts you use regularly in the Fonts folder. Keep the rest in any other folder or storage device, so you can install/uninstall them as needed.
 

Why aren't stressed characters or numbers included?

The present fonts on this site are freewares or sharewares, sometimes demos, which don't systematically include stressed letters, figures or certain punctuation chars.
You can check this here by clicking on the fonts to show the characters map.
 

Nothing is working!

Relaunch the target application after the new font's installation.
Make sure to have copied the .ttf file, and not the zip into the Fonts folder.
In the worst of the cases, reboot your computer.
 

How to create my own font?

Creating a font requires some technical skills, a lot of inspiration, and the appropriate softwares. In order to learn more about the font creation process, check this: Part 1 | Part 2
 

I've submitted my font, how long will it take to be published?

Publication on this site is not automatic. There is a selection, each font is reviewed before being accepted or not.
If it got accepted, you will receive an email once online, otherwise no email is sent.
 

Are all the fonts free of charge?

The fonts presented on this website are their authors' property, and are either freeware, shareware, demo versions or public domain. The licence mentioned above the download button is just an indication. Please look at the readme-files in the archives or check the indicated author's website for details, and contact him/her if in doubt.
If no author/licence is indicated that's because we don't have information, that doesn't mean it's free.
 



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