resonatedesign

[resonatedesign]

For those who were not informed yet, fonts and typefaces are not free. There are sites that offer free fonts, but they’re not exactly free, per se. In this post, we will teach you where and how to install fonts that you can use for commercial works and avoid any legal consequences from using pirated or unlicensed fonts!

More of a watcher than a reader? Here’s a video tutorial for you:

STEP 1. FONT DISTRIBUTOR SITES

  The first thing to do is to visit any of these font distributor sites:

Font Fabric (www.fontfabric.com)

Font Squirrel (www.fontsquirrel.com)

Font Space (www.fontspace.com)

They offer free fonts, but not all of them can be used for paid projects. You will learn what to look out for on the next steps.

STEP 2. LOOK FOR FONTS WITH THE TAG “100% FREE”

Once you are in the site, look for fonts that contain the tags “100% Free”, “Free for Commercial Use”, and the like. Tags with “For Personal Use” cannot be used for commercial work.

  STEP 3. READ THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS ONSITE

Check for additional information on their license agreements, terms, and conditions within the font link.

  STEP 4. ACCEPT THE TERMS AND DOWNLOAD 

Accept the terms and conditions if prompted and click the download button. If you’re a website developer or designer, look for the tag “web-friendly” or “web-safe”, as these kinds of fonts can be used in webpages.

STEP 5. CHECK THE DOWNLOADED FILE CONTENTS

Typically, you will download a compressed file containing all the font formats, end-user license agreement (EULA) document, and a rendered example of the font in a design.

STEP 6. EXTRACT THE COMPRESSED FILES

Extract the files in your desired location using a dedicated software such as WinRAR or 7ZIP.

Press right click, and select “Extract Here”

STEP 7. READ THE EULA DOCUMENT 

Read the EULA to be aware of your limitations and restrictions. This document will explain all that you need to know on using the fonts you downloaded.

STEP 8. KNOW WHAT FONT TYPE TO INSTALL

There are two common font file formats that you can install in your computer:

OpenType Font

TrueType Font

We recommend you install the OpenType over TrueType if both are included in the downloaded file, as it offers a lot more customizability and function with Adobe programs.

STEP 9a. INSTALL THE FONT

To install the font, double-click on the font file until the installation window pops up. When the window shows up, click the install button on the upper left corner.

STEP 9b. INSTALL MULTIPLE FONTS AT ONCE

If the file includes multiple font styles, you can install them all at once by going into Windows Settings and search for the word “fonts”. Select all the fonts you want to install, and drag them to the font settings window.

You can also search the word “font settings” in the Windows search bar beside the Windows start button

  STEP 10. CHECK THE FONT ON YOUR EDITING PROGRAMS

Check all the text characters of the font on your preferred raster and vector software. 

For raster anti-aliasing, keep in mind that the modes:

SHARP and CRISP- works best for small texts

STRONG and SMOOTH- works best for large texts

Determine what kerning, tracking, and leading settings best fit the font. You can also check all the included special characters aside from the alphanumeric characters (ligatures, alternative letter style, etc.)

Congratulations! You are all set and ready to use your font for paid work!

Need this text tutorial offline? Download this PDF so you can read this guide whenever and wherever: Download PDF Guide