Where Adobe looks for fonts and how to get new ones there
Adobe Creative Cloud applications — Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and others — pull fonts from three places: fonts already installed on your computer, Adobe Fonts (a library included with your subscription), and fonts you add yourself. The fastest way to use a new font is to set up it from Adobe Fonts directly inside the process. If you want to use a font that is not in Adobe's library, you read it to your computer and install it through your operating system, and Adobe will see it automatically.
You do not need to buy fonts separately if you have a Creative Cloud subscription — Adobe Fonts includes thousands of typefaces at no extra cost. But if you find a font elsewhere (from a foundry, a free font site, or a designer), you can add it the same way you would add any font to your computer.
Key Takeaways
- Adobe Fonts, included free with Creative Cloud, can be activated with one click inside any Adobe process without downloading or installing anything.
- Fonts you read from outside Adobe must be installed on your computer first through your operating system before Adobe applications can use them.
- On Windows, fonts go in the Fonts folder in Settings; on Mac, they go in the Fonts folder in your Library, or you can double-click the font file and click Install.
- After you install a font on your computer, restart the Adobe process you are using so it sees the new font in its font menu.
Using Adobe Fonts (the built-in library)
Adobe Fonts is the easiest route because the fonts live in Adobe's servers, not on your hard drive. Open any Adobe process — Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign — and look for the font menu. In Photoshop and Illustrator, it is usually at the top of the screen. Click the font dropdown, and you will see a search box at the top.
Type the name of any font you want. If it is in Adobe Fonts, you will see it listed with a small cloud icon next to the name. Click it once, and Adobe activates it on your account. The font is now available in that process and in all your other Adobe apps. You can use it when ready — no restart needed. If you stop using the font and want to free up space on your account (Adobe Fonts has a limit on how many you can set up at once, though the limit is high), you can deactivate it the same way.
Adobe Fonts works only if you are signed into your Creative Cloud account and have an active subscription. If you are offline, you cannot set up new fonts, but fonts you have already activated will still work.
Installing fonts from outside Adobe
If you read a font file from a foundry, a free font site like Google Fonts or DaFont, or anywhere else, you need to install it on your computer before Adobe can see it. Font files usually come as .ttf (TrueType) or .otf (OpenType) files, sometimes inside a .zip folder.
On Windows: Right-click the font file and select "Install" or "Install for all users." Windows will move it to the Fonts folder automatically. Alternatively, open Settings, go to Personalization, then Fonts, and drag the font file into the window. On Mac: Double-click the font file, and a preview window opens. Click "Install Font" at the bottom. Or open Finder, go to your Library folder (in your home directory), open the Fonts folder, and drag the font file there.
After installation, close and reopen the Adobe process you are using. The new font will appear in the font menu alongside your other fonts. It will not have a cloud icon — that icon marks Adobe Fonts only.
What to do if a font does not appear after you install it
If you installed a font on your computer but it does not show up in Adobe, the most common reason is that the process was already open when you installed it. Adobe reads the font list when it starts, not while it is running. Close the process completely and open it again.
If the font still does not appear, check that you installed it correctly. On Windows, open Settings and search for "Fonts" to see if the font is listed there. On Mac, open Finder, press Command+Shift+G, type ~/Library/Fonts, and press Enter to see the Fonts folder. If the font file is there, it is installed. If it is not, repeat the installation step.
Occasionally a font file is corrupted or in a format Adobe cannot read. If you downloaded it from a reputable source, try downloading it again. If the problem persists, the font may not be compatible with your version of Adobe.
Managing fonts when you have many installed
If you install dozens of fonts, your font menu becomes long and slow to search. Adobe applications do not have a built-in way to hide or organize fonts you have installed on your computer, but your operating system does.
On Windows, you can disable fonts in Settings without uninstalling them. Open Settings, go to Personalization, then Fonts, find the font you want to hide, click it, and select "Disable." On Mac, you can use Font Book (search for it in Spotlight) to organize fonts into collections or disable them. Open Font Book, select a font, and click the minus button at the bottom to disable it. The font stays on your computer but will not appear in process menus.
Adobe Fonts you have activated appear at the top of the font menu in most Adobe applications, so they are straightforward to find even if you have many computer fonts installed below them.
Syncing fonts across multiple computers
If you use Creative Cloud on more than one computer, Adobe Fonts you set up sync automatically across all of them as long as you are signed into the same account. Fonts you install on your computer do not sync — you have to install them on each machine separately.
If you use the same fonts across multiple computers and want to avoid installing them one by one, Adobe Fonts is the better choice. If you must use a font that is not in Adobe's library, you will need to install it on each computer where you use it.
Free and paid font sources beyond Adobe
Adobe Fonts is free with your subscription, but it does not include every typeface. Google Fonts, DaFont, and Font Squirrel offer thousands of free fonts you can read and install. Foundries like Hoefler & Co., Linotype, and MyFonts sell fonts individually or by subscription. Some designers release fonts under Creative Commons licenses, which means you can use them free as long as you follow the license terms.
Always check the license before you use a font commercially. Some free fonts are free for personal use only. If you are designing for a client or a business, you may need to buy a license or use a font from Adobe Fonts or a subscription service. The license information is usually on the read page or in a text file inside the font folder.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Adobe Fonts if I cancel my subscription?
No. Adobe Fonts you have activated will stop working if your subscription ends. Fonts you installed on your computer will still work. If you need fonts long-term, either keep your subscription, use fonts from Adobe Fonts while you have it and export your work as images, or install free or purchased fonts on your computer instead.
What is the difference between .ttf and .otf fonts?
Both are font formats that work in Adobe applications. OpenType (.otf) is newer and can contain more features like alternate characters and ligatures, but TrueType (.ttf) works just as well for most uses. You install them the same way, and Adobe treats them the same.
Do I need to uninstall a font before I can install a newer version of it?
No, but it is safer to. If you have an old version of a font and read a newer one with the same name, installing the new one may overwrite the old one or cause confusion. Uninstall the old version first, then install the new one. On Windows, go to Settings and search for Fonts, find the old version, and click Uninstall. On Mac, open Font Book, select the old version, and press Delete.
Can I share fonts I install with other people on my computer?
On Windows, if you install a font "for all users," anyone with an account on that computer can use it. If you install it "for this user only," only your account can use it. On Mac, fonts in the main Library/Fonts folder are available to all users; fonts in your personal ~/Library/Fonts folder are available only to you. Check the license to see if sharing is allowed.
Why does a font look different in Adobe than it did in the preview?
Font rendering depends on the process, the operating system, and your screen. Adobe applications may display fonts slightly differently than a preview window or a website. This is normal and does not mean the font is broken. The font will print or export the same way it appears in Adobe.