X
Home & Office
Why you can trust ZDNET : ZDNET independently tests and researches products to bring you our best recommendations and advice. When you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Our process

'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean?

ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.

When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.

ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.

Close

How to add fonts to Photoshop

The right font changes the whole aesthetic of a visual project, but how can you add more fonts to Photoshop? Check out this guide to learn how to add fonts to Photoshop.
Written by Maria Diaz, Staff Writer
How to add fonts to Photoshop
Image: Maria Diaz / ZDNet

Ever scrolled through all your fonts and simply cannot find the right one for your work? When creating a visual project, finding the right font is key to what you want to convey with your design. Nobody uses Comic Sans unless they don't want to be taken seriously, for example. And you may remember how Times New Roman was the go-to for compositions and Arial was the default for website creators. 

But with unlimited fonts available online, it's only a matter of time before you find yourself wanting to add new options to your repertoire. 

How to add fonts to Photoshop

There are two essential ways to add fonts to Photoshop, you can download and install fonts on your computer and use them on Photoshop or you can go through your Creative Cloud account and add them through Adobe fonts. We'll cover both methods here.

Download and install fonts:

This is probably the best method because you can do it without needing to log in to your Creative Cloud account, it's free, and you'll have the font at your disposal to use for any other programs where fonts are used, not just Photoshop.

Step 1: Choose a font to download

Font Websites Examples

Dafont.com and 1001Fonts are just a couple of examples of where to download free fonts

I cannot stress this enough: always choose a reputable website to download files from. I've used Dafont for over a decade now, but there are many others you can use like Envato, 1001Fonts, Google Fonts, Creative Market, and many more.

Step 2: Click Download

Download font
Image: Maria Diaz / ZDNet

I'll be choosing "Somebody Else" to add to Photoshop. If you want to view the font family, click on the name of it to the left. To download the font, click Download to the right.

Step 3: Find the downloaded font

Find font in Downloads

Find font in Downloads

Image: Maria Diaz / ZDNet

Your new font will be in a compressed file in your Downloads folder. Once you locate it, double-click it to open and find the actual font files inside.

Unzipped font file

Unzipped font file

Image: Maria Diaz / ZDNet

Fonts typically come in either TTF or OTF file formats. Both can be installed in Windows or Mac after download. TTF or TrueType font files are an older format and are what you've probably seen more often if you're used to working with fonts. OTF or OpenType font files are a newer format with more scalable options, but for the average user, both files are equally usable.

Step 4: Install font

When you double-click on the font file, a new window will come up

When you double-click on the font file, a new window will come up

Image: Maria Diaz / ZDNet

When you double-click on the font file in your Downloads folder, a new window appears where you can preview the font and then click on the Install Font button. 

Font is installed
Image: Maria Diaz / ZDNet

After installation, your new font will be visible on your computer.

Step 5: Use your font

You can easily find the new font in Photoshop

You can easily find the new font in Photoshop

Image: Maria Diaz / ZDNet

Once your font is installed, it's ready to use right away. Just open up Photoshop and find your new font using the text tool.

Because you downloaded and installed a font on your computer, you can now use it in Photoshop or wherever you can use fonts. This includes Pages, Word, Excel, etc.

Using Adobe Fonts:

Aside from downloading and installing fonts, you can also add fonts directly in Photoshop using your Adobe Creative Cloud account. Here's how:

Step 1: Go to Adobe Fonts

Add new Adobe fonts
Image: Maria Diaz / ZDNet

Using the text tool in Photoshop, go to your fonts drop-down menu and click on the Creative Cloud icon to browse Adobe fonts.

Step 2: Choose font

Quickly search fonts with the filter options on the left

Quickly search fonts with the filter options on the left

Image: Maria Diaz / ZDNet

This will open the Adobe fonts website where you can search for fonts that meet your criteria. I picked one named Hachura, the one in purple that reads "All that is solid melts into air". 

Step 3: Activate font

Activate Font
Image: Maria Diaz / ZDNet

Click on the toggle next to Activate Font to add it to Photoshop. This will immediately add it to Photoshop and it'll be ready to use right away.

Some useful information from Adobe

Some useful information from Adobe, you can bypass this message in the future.

Image: Maria Diaz / ZDNet

Just a useful message from Adobe once you activate your font. 

Step 4: Font is ready to use

Font is ready
Image: Maria Diaz / ZDNet

The Adobe font added is immediately available in Photoshop using the text tool and will go with you wherever you log into your Creative Cloud account.

FAQ

Are fonts free?

Many fonts are available for free use on many websites, just make sure to read the description before downloading them. Adobe fonts are free with a Creative Cloud subscription. 

What is font licensing?

Fonts are licensed for different uses like personal and commercial use, or others are 100% free or obtained through donationware. When you're looking for a font to add to Photoshop, think about what you'll be using it for. If you're using it for personal use, you'll easily find many free fonts available. If you need a font for commercial use, though, make sure it is licensed for it or as public domain before using it.

Editorial standards