How to add a font to windows

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Windows is a Microsoft operating system that cares about the end-user experience and ease of use. As a result, Windows itself already has a wide range of fonts pre-installed by default. It turns out that we always need to improve an art or a presentation to be more flashy and stylish, in which case, learn how to install fonts on Windows and how easy it is.

In this regard, we really have to take our hat off because Microsoft makes it as easy as possible to install or remove fonts in Windows.

How to install new fonts in MS Word or MS PowerPoint?

Having a stylish font in MS Word is a simple task. You don’t actually install a font in MS Word or another program like PowerPoint. You install it on Windows Operating System and then you can use this font in all programs with compatible text editors.

In summary, if you want to add a font to Word, for example, download and install the font on Windows, where it will become available for all Office applications.

Fonts are files with a .TTF (TrueType Font) or .OTF (OpenTrue Font) extension.

Note: Before downloading and installing a font, it is very important to make sure that you trust the site of origin.

Where to download new fonts to install on Windows?

MaisFontes is a very practical and simple site to download fonts. The fonts on MaisFontes are free for you to install on Windows. We curate the fonts to ensure there is no Malware or malicious software.

To download a new font, simply navigate to maisfontes.com, pick and choose the font that best suits your project. Click the Download button and wait for the download.

Usually the file is compressed in .ZIP format to ensure the security of the file.

How to install fonts on Windows?

There are two basic ways to install fonts on Windows, regardless of your version. You just can’t forget to use only font files with a .TTF or .OTF extension. There are several other formats that need more attention before running a font on Windows.

The third path is exclusive from Windows 10 onwards, as it uses the Microsoft Store.

First of all, you have to close the program you want to use the font (if it is still open) — in our example: MS Word or PowerPoint.

If the font file is compressed, open the .ZIP package (or .RAR depending on the site downloaded) and extract the file (.TTF or .OTF).

Method 1: Direct installation

• Open Windows Explorer;
• Go to the folder where you saved the font file (usually in the Downloads folder);
• Right-click on the font file (.TTF or .OTF) and then click on “Install” (on your account only), or “Install for all users” (for everyone who accesses your PC);
• Windows will run the font installation.

Method 2: Drag to install

• Open File Explorer;
• Go to the “C:WindowsFonts” folder;
• You can also access it by using the Windows «Run» command and then typing “%windir%fonts” (without quotes). Press ENTER to execute;
• Drag the file with the new font into the open folder and Windows will install automatically.

Method 3: Via Microsoft Store

The third method is a new option only for Windows 10 or higher, as it uses fonts from the Microsoft Store.

• Click on Start and then on “Settings” (the gear symbol);
• Click on “Personalization” and then on “Fonts”;
• Click on “Download more fonts from Microsoft Store”;
• Click on the font you want to install, and then on “Get” (there are free and paid fonts to choose from);
• Windows 10 will install the font automatically.

And ready.

Too many fonts slows Windows down

This is a factor that weighs in installing many fonts on Windows. Too many fonts slows Windows down. There is no set number, it will depend on your PC configuration, however, if you are finding it slower than usual and you have just been adding new fonts, then BEWARE. It’s time to remove some fonts and test.

We already noticed that by adding 30 more fonts, the PC actually slower, more «loaded» to perform some basic tasks. Just remove some fonts not used anymore and «voilà«, your Windows will be fast again.

Conclusion

See how easy it is to install fonts on Windows? Generally speaking, Windows does not complicate the installation of fonts on the system. Once installed, they will be included in the system and made available to all programs capable of editing texts installed on the same computer.

Summary of this article

Found a great new font, but not sure how to install it? In this tutorial, we’ll walk through how to do just that—install a font onto your PC running Windows 10. In addition, we’ll look at how to uninstall a font, just in case you’d like to remove one from your list of installed fonts.

Follow along with us over on our Envato Tuts+ YouTube channel:

What You’ll Need

The following assets are used in this tutorial:

• Modern Serif — Elegant Serif Font

This is the font I’ll install in this example. You’re welcome to use this font with me. Otherwise, you’ll need a font of your choice—the only requirement is that it has not been installed on your computer just yet!

Now, let’s get down to business and install a new font.

1. How to Install a Font on Windows 10

Step 1

First, download your font. 

In most cases, font files tend to be delivered in a compressed document, containing more than one file. A common file type for this is a ZIP file. Make sure to open this file up and extract the font files to your computer.

Below is an example. When, for example, I open a ZIP document, it’s like looking inside a folder. 

All I need to do is select the contents and drag it to a location on my computer. 

I chose to save and store my font files in a folder called «My Fonts» on my Desktop. Here’s what it looks like when my font files are extracted from the zip document and into a folder on my desktop.

Step 2

When it comes to fonts themselves, there are many different file types. I won’t dig deep into the details of that in this article, but here are two of the most common file types that you’ll likely see:

• TTF: this is a TrueType Font.
• OTF: this is an OpenType Font.

What’s the difference? If you’re looking for basic font usage, TTF or OTF would likely serve you just fine. If you’re a designer looking for extras, OTF might be a stronger choice as it can store additional options like ligatures, glyphs, and alternates that a TTF wouldn’t include. 

Again, there are other font file types out there, but these are most likely the ones you’ll encounter. 

Step 3

So, where do the fonts «go» on our computer, when we want to install them? Just having them in any old folder on your computer won’t install them. 

On Windows 10, you’ll want to navigate to your C drive. Double-click to «go inside» and view its contents. Note, if your operating system (Windows) is installed on a different drive, go there instead. However, in most cases, this is assigned to the drive named «C». 

Then, go to the Windows folder. Again, double-click to go inside this folder.

Inside the Windows folder, select the Fonts folder. We’re going to go inside this folder too.

Here’s what the Fonts folder looks like, once I’ve double-clicked to go inside it.

Tip: Not sure where you «are» on your computer? Check out the highlighted square, below. You’ll see that I’m currently viewing «Fonts» inside of Windows, on my C drive.

Step 4

Next, we’re going to take our font files and drag them into the Fonts folder.

Just select a font file, click and hold, and then drag it to the folder. When you do so, you’ll get visual confirmation that Windows is installing the font. 

If there’s any concern or conflict, your computer will let you know. For example, if the font is already installed, it will ask you what you would like to do.

Step 5

And now, your font is installed! However, before we wrap up, let’s look at one additional way that we can install fonts. This way is even faster and even easier.

Go to your font file and double-click it to open it. You’ll get a visual preview, and in the upper left-hand corner, you’ll see a button that says Install. Super easy, right?

When I’m installing a lot of fonts at once, I tend to prefer the first method—dragging multiple font files into my Fonts folder. However, for just one, single font, either method is just fine. Choose the one that’s most convenient for you!

2. How to Uninstall a Font on Windows 10

Step 1

Now, let’s uninstall a font that we don’t want on our computer anymore.

Before we do so, I’d like to recommend backing up your fonts. 

I like to keep a copy of my font files, just in case. Keep in mind that licensing might limit your installations, but keeping a backup for your records is typically acceptable. 

Remember the «My Fonts» folder I made earlier, on my Desktop? This isn’t my live fonts folder—having font files here doesn’t mean they’re installed. They’re just files on my desktop. However, I can store them here as a backup if I’d like to.

I can also select fonts from my Fonts folder (where they are installed)—and copy and paste them to another folder, to back them up. For example, here’s my backup folder with an extra font I copied from my Fonts folder (the font is Mattea!)

Step 2

Let’s go to the Fonts folder in our Windows folder. Again, to get there:

• Go to your C drive. Double-click to go «inside» it and look at its contents. Note, you’ll want to go to where your operating system is installed. This is typically assigned to «C», but may vary if your system was set up differently.
• Go to the Windows folder.  Double-click to go inside and view its contents.
• Go to the Fonts folder. Again, double-click to go inside this folder.

Remember this folder? We can browse through all the fonts installed here. 

Step 3

Now, browse through the list of fonts and find the one that you want to uninstall. Again, I would suggest saving a backup of the font you uninstall, so you have it for your reference—in case you’d like to reinstall it sometime.

Right-click on the font you’d like to uninstall and select Delete.

Step 4

Next, we’re given a warning prompt. It asks us to confirm if we’d like to delete this font from our computer. Click yes if you’d like to, or click no if you’ve changed your mind.

And That’s How It’s Done!

Installing and uninstalling a font on Windows 10 only takes a couple of clicks. Hopefully, this tutorial has helped you figure out how to install fonts and uninstall fonts to your heart’s content. 

Love fonts? Check out these tutorials for more how-tos and typographic inspiration.