FONTS AND CRAFTING

How to install a font on a Mac, a Windows PC or an iPad

Updated

Short answer

Unzip the download first. On a Mac, double-click the .otf file and click Install (Font Book opens and checks it). On Windows, right-click the .otf files and choose Install, or Install for all users. Install either the OTF or the TTF files, not both, then restart the apps you want to use it in. On an iPad, fonts are installed through an app from the App Store and managed in Settings › General › Fonts.

First: unzip and pick the files

  1. Find the download (usually in Downloads) and unzip it. Mac: double-click the ZIP. Windows: right-click it and choose Extract All.
  2. Open the folder. You'll usually see OTF (OpenType) and TTF (TrueType) folders. Both hold the same letters; most apps are happy with OTF. Use TTF if an app asks for it.
  3. Install one or the other, not both, so your font list doesn't show each style twice.
  4. Leave the Web folder (WOFF or WOFF2 files) alone; those are for websites, not for installing.

Mac

  1. Double-click a .otf file. Font Book opens a preview.
  2. Click Install. Font Book checks the font for problems first, and tells you if it finds any.
  3. To install a whole family at once, select all the .otf files in Finder and double-click them, or drag them onto Font Book's window or its icon in the Dock. In Font Book you can also choose File › Add Fonts to Current User.
  4. Quit and reopen the app you'll use the font in (Pages, Word, Cricut Design Space) so it appears in the font list.

Windows

  1. Select the .otf files in File Explorer (Ctrl+A selects everything in the folder).
  2. Right-click and choose Install for just your account, or Install for all users (Windows may ask for permission; choose Yes if you trust where the font came from). On Windows 11 you may need Show more options first.
  3. Or open Settings › Personalization › Fonts and drag the files onto the drop area at the top of the page.
  4. Close and reopen your apps so the new font shows up.

iPad

  1. On iPad, Apple adds fonts through apps from the App Store: get a font app, open it, and follow its steps to install the fonts it offers or the font files you give it.
  2. Check what's installed in Settings › General › Fonts. Tap a font to see its styles; you can remove fonts there too.
  3. Some creative apps import a font file directly, so you can skip the system install. Cricut Design Space, Canva and many drawing apps let you upload or import an .otf or .ttf file; see their own help.

Tips

  • Keep the unzipped font folder and its LICENSE file with your receipts, in case you need to install again on a new computer.
  • Our fonts' license covers up to 3 computers you own or use.
  • A font doesn't show up? Restart the app, check you installed the OTF or TTF file (not the ZIP or a WOFF2 file), and on a Mac look for a warning in Font Book.

From our shop

Our original fonts (OTF and TTF, commercial use included).

All our fonts →

Questions

OTF or TTF: which should I install?

Either one; they hold the same letters. OTF suits most apps on Mac and Windows; use TTF if an app (or Cricut Design Space) prefers it. Install only one of them.

How many computers can I install it on?

Our font license covers up to 3 computers that you own or use. Other fonts have their own licenses, so read the LICENSE file in the download.

I installed the font but can't find it in my app.

Quit and reopen the app. If it still isn't there, check that you installed the .otf or .ttf file itself, not the ZIP, and look under the family name (for example Tallpost, with Regular and Bold inside).

All how-to guides · Help and FAQ