How Do I Add Custom Fonts to a Microsoft Word Document?

Did you know over 1 billion people use MS Word? Whether as a lone app or as part of Office 365, there’s no denying the popularity of the word processor.

One of the reasons why people support it so much is its capability to utilize custom fonts.

Custom fonts give you more freedom to present text exactly as you see fit. People running tabletop games, for example, might want to create a document in elven handwriting.

Businesses benefit the most from custom fonts, however. They can create a unique, bold, and striking look to outpace the competition.

Not sure how to download and use custom fonts on MS Word? Learn everything you need with our breakdown below:

Downloading Fonts

The first thing you should do is look for websites that offer fonts for MS Word. Not every custom font is available for free. While previews won’t cost a thing, you may have to purchase some of them before you can download them.

Always make it a habit to check the licenses for the fonts as well. Some fonts offer open licenses, meaning you can use them freely and for commercial use. Others charge a higher fee if you want to use them for commercial purposes or if you intend to modify the fonts in any shape or form.

Understanding Font Files

While looking for the best fonts to download, you may need to select which types of fonts to prioritize. There are four main types to consider and they come in two file formats.

Different Font Styles

Serif fonts are the most common. These font types date back to Ancient Rome.

You can identify serif fonts by the tails at the ends of each letter. Some variations include neo-serif fonts, which still feature tails but now sport a more modern design.

Sans serif fonts are the exact opposite. These fonts don’t feature tails to look sleeker and more modern. Grotesque, geometric, and humanist are some of the most common variations of this style.

There are also script font styles. These resemble human handwriting, particularly cursive and calligraphy fonts. This is a good style if you want your text to look elegant and classical.

The last style is the display font. These fonts appear bold, unique, and visually striking. Businesses often use these for titles and headers.

Different Font Types

There are dozens of font file types but the two most important ones are OTF and TTF files. MS Word can use both.

For the average user, you only need to concern yourself with TTF files. OTF files are newer and offer a bit more flexibility and functionality. These features won’t matter much if you only need to add new custom fonts to MS Word.

When you download a new font, you might get a ZIP or RAR file. You’ll need to extract the OTF or TTF from the file to access and install it.

Installing Custom Fonts

Now that you have custom font files, how do you use them? The first step is to install the font file on your device.

There are two ways to achieve this. It’s better to install files with MS Word shut down. If you install fonts with MS Word open, you may have to restart the app for the new fonts to appear in the font selection dropbox.

Quick Install

The easier way is to simply right-click on the OTF or TTF computer files and click install. Your PC or laptop will do the rest. Once the installation process is complete, you can open MS Word and try it out.

If right-clicking doesn’t open the menu to quick install, you can double-click the file first. This will open the font file UI, showcasing a preview of how the font appears for every letter, number, and special character. Go up the main menu and select Install.

Manually Adding Fonts

Struggling with your computer performance to do the steps above? For people with a slower PC or laptop, you can still add custom font files manually. Simply open your Control Panel and type in Fonts in the File Explorer search bar to access the Fonts folder.

Once you open the folder, drag and drop the OTF or TTF file over. This will automatically begin the installation process. Once the process completes, restart your PC and MS Word to give it a try.

Fonts on Word Online

Do you use MS Word Online? This is a good service for people always online and on the go. Fortunately, you can access the custom files you already installed on your device on MS Word Online.

Install the files as stated above.

Now log into your MS Word Online and open a document or create a new one. Head to the font dropbox and type the name of the new font to access it. It should also appear as a dropdown option.

Keep in mind this only works if you access Word Online from your device.

Custom Fonts for Word on Mac

For Mac users, you’ll need to open the app that manages font files, Font Book. This works for those with the paid subscription version of Word for Mac or those who use it for free, which you can learn about at https://setapp.com/.

Click and open the OTF or TTF file. When you select the Install option, your Mac will automatically run Font Book. Doing this launches the installation process.

If you run an older version of Windows for Mac, such as the 2011 build, you’ll need to go to the Windows Compatibility tab on Font Book. Drag and drop the font file to this section.

Making Custom Fonts

Did you know you can make custom fonts yourself? A few years back and you’d need to tinker with tools like Adobe Photoshop. Nowadays, however, you can use Microsoft Font Maker, which is free to download and use.

Take Advantage of Custom Fonts Today

Now you know what to look for when checking out custom fonts and how to install them. Regardless of whether you’re on Windows or Mac, you can now access custom fonts for personal or business use.

But why stop with this guide when we offer so much more? If you want to discover even more technology and entertainment tips and tricks, feel free to read our other posts!