How to Add Fonts to Illustrator with 3 Easy Methods

In design, it doesn’t only matter what words say–it matters how they look. The style of the letters suggests a mood, and it’s vital that you get the mood right. For example, you wouldn’t want to use the same font for a sporting event that you used for an upscale spa opening.

Once you know how to add fonts to Illustrator, you significantly up your game as a designer. Read on to learn the different methods for enhancing your font library for work and play.

Why Is it Important to Know How to Add Fonts to Illustrator?

Fonts give your words style. They convey a mood, and a level of formality or casualness, to the message you intend to send. Further, fonts work with the other elements of your design, and, when chosen correctly, can bring the entire piece together.

Knowing how to import fonts into Illustrator gives you that many more options for experimenting with your projects. You’ll be able to try as many styles as you need to find the perfect styles in your personal and professional work.

Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned designer, you’ll always need ways to improve creativity on Illustrator. You’re in the exact right place for tips, tricks and the latest updates to Illustrator and other Adobe platforms. Learn to:

But before that, discover the best ways to enhance your font arsenal.

Steps for Adding Fonts to Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator comes with several fonts, but depending on your project, you might need to use styles not already in the program. If you can’t simply use fonts you already have in Illustrator, learn to install or import them on Windows or Mac.

No matter what websites you download fonts for Adobe Illustrator from, be sure to check the license on your chosen styles. Make certain your fonts are legal for your intended uses, whether that’s within your own creative work or on a marketing asset that will make money for someone.

Install Fonts on Illustrator

Lots of websites offer fonts for downloading that you can then install on Illustrator. Some websites offer free fonts while others charge a fee.

Choose the font you want from your preferred website.
Download the font file according to the site’s instructions.
Quit Adobe before installing.
If necessary, unzip and extract your file.
Locate the folder and find the file—usually, it’s an OTF or TTF.
Right-click on file and hit “install.” You can also double-click to install.
Open Adobe and double-check for the new font

Import Fonts to Illustrator

The Adobe website offers numerous fonts that you can easily import to your Illustrator account. Once you activate fonts in Illustrator, you can use them freely in your projects.

Go to the Adobe Fonts website and search for available fonts.
Click “Activate” on the font you want, and it will be in Illustrator.

Alternatively, you can:

Open the Fonts menu from the Character panel.
Click “Find more” to search fonts provided by Adobe.

Get Fonts for Illustrator On a Mac

As usual, things work differently on a Mac computer, including how to secure and add fonts to Illustrator.

Close text and image editing apps like Illustrator, Pages and other office applications.
Download complete fonts (with a full alphabet of upper and lowercase letters, bold, italic and underlined templates) from preferred websites.
Look for fonts in these file types: .DFONT, .OTF, .TTF, .TTC, PostScript, and Multiple Master.
Open Finder from the dock at the bottom of your desktop–it looks like a blue-and-white smiley face.
Look in the Downloads Folder for your downloaded font file. You may have to unzip and extract to get the file.
Double-click the font file to open a preview in Font Book. Some fonts come in multiple files, so make sure to get them all.
Navigate to the lower-right corner of Font Book to find and click “Install Font” (install manually by copy/pasting the file into your font folder). You should see a list of all your fonts.
Restart your mac by clicking the Apple icon in the upper-left corner.
Open a new Illustrator file to use your new font.

Master the Art of Adding Fonts to Illustrator

When you know how to upload fonts to Illustrator, or even simply activate the fonts Adobe offers on its website, you instantly upgrade your skills as a designer. The text in your designs doesn’t only say words, but it compliments the images, style and message of your entire project.

Spend a little time finding your favorite websites for new fonts, and add them to your design arsenal. Keep in mind that some websites charge a fee for downloading fonts. Also remember to check the usage license on every font you select.

Skillshare is your resource for learning the ins and outs of using Adobe Illustrator, from learning Illustrator essentials to speeding up Illustrator workflow. Happy designing!

Written By

Katie Mitchell

Katie lives in Michigan with her husband, kids and pets. She enjoys cooking, travel and live music.