Understanding how to add fonts in Photoshop is nothing to be daunted by, whether you're using a Mac or Windows.
How to add fonts in Photoshop on a Mac
01. Browse and download font
Browse your chosen library to source a font that suits your project. Most of the more established sites will offer filtering options, allowing you to narrow your search down by certain parameters, such as displaying only handwritten or decorative fonts. When you find a choice you’re happy with, click the download button. Make sure you quit any active applications at this point.
02. Locate font file on system
The next step to add fonts in Photoshop is to locate the font file in your Downloads folder. If the folder is zipped then double-click on it to access the contents. If you downloaded multiple fonts, they will each have their own separate folder. Two of the most common font file extensions to watch out for are OTF and TTF (see section below for more info, or see our guide to common image file formats).
03. Install font
To install your font in Photoshop, you have three options:
Option 01: Double-click on the font file to open the Font Box application, where you can simply click a button to install the font, making it available across all applications on your computer, not just Photoshop.
Option 02: Manually copy/move the font files from the Downloads folder into either the Users/Library/Fonts folder (to make available for specified, individual users) or Library/Fonts (to make available for all users).
Option 03: To use a Font Management Utility, refer to relevant documentation for instructions on adding and activating fonts
04. Select font in Photoshop
Open Photoshop and scroll down the Character tab until you reach the desired font. Select it and use the Type tool to add to your project. To apply artistic effects to your text you may need to rasterise it first, which turns the text into a bitmap pixel-based image. Once you do this you will no longer be able to edit the text.
How to add fonts in Photoshop on Windows
01. Browse and download font
There are plenty of online libraries that give you a wide choice of fonts to choose from. Utilise their filtering options to focus in on the styles you want. You can also download fonts from the Microsoft Store. Click on the download button and close any active apps.
02. Locate font file on system
Open the Downloads folder and scroll down to the recently added font file. If the folder is zipped then right-click and select Extract All on it to access the contents. Fonts are downloaded on an individual basis, so there will be multiple folders if you downloaded multiple fonts. OTF and TTF are the two most common font file extensions.
03. Install font
There are three options for installing your font in Photoshop on Windows.
Option 01: Right-click on the font file and click install, making your font available across all applications on the computer, not just Photoshop.
Option 02: Click on the Start Menu > Control Panel > Appearance and Personalisation > Fonts. You can simply copy and paste new font files into this list of activated fonts.
Option 03: To use a Font Management Utility, refer to that documentation for instructions on adding and activating fonts.
04. Select font in Photoshop
Your chosen font should be available on your computer now, so open Photoshop and select it in the Character tab. If you wish to add any of Photoshop’s artistic effects you may need to rasterise the text, making it an editable bitmap pixel-based image. Make sure you’re happy with your text first, since you cannot edit it after this process.
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