Step-by-Step: Install a Font on Windows

  1. 1

    Download the font file

    Download fonts from trusted sources: Google Fonts (fonts.google.com — completely free), DaFont (dafont.com), Font Squirrel (fontsquirrel.com) or Adobe Fonts (with Creative Cloud). Font files end in .ttf (TrueType) or .otf (OpenType). Both work on Windows.

  2. 2

    Extract the zip file if needed

    Fonts often download as zip files. Right-click and select Extract All, then open the extracted folder to find the .ttf or .otf files.

  3. 3

    Right-click the font file and select Install

    Right-click the .ttf or .otf file. Select Install to install for your user only, or Install for all users to make it available to all accounts on the computer (requires admin rights).

  4. 4

    Use the font in any application

    The font is now installed and available in every application — Word, Excel, Photoshop, Illustrator, Canva Desktop and more. You may need to restart the application if it was open during installation.

Installing multiple fonts at onceSelect multiple .ttf or .otf files (Ctrl+click to select multiple), right-click and choose Install. All selected fonts install simultaneously.

How to Check a Font is Installed

Open any application with a font selector (like Word) and search for the font name in the font drop-down. Or go to Settings → Personalisation → Fonts to see all installed fonts and search by name.

How to Uninstall a Font

Settings → Personalisation → Fonts → search for the font → click it → Uninstall. Or right-click a font in C:\Windows\Fonts and select Delete.

Frequently Asked Questions

All installed fonts are stored in C:\Windows\Fonts. You can browse this folder directly in File Explorer to see all installed fonts and delete any you no longer want.
Close and reopen Word after installing a font. If it still does not appear, try restarting your computer. Very occasionally, Word requires a full restart to recognise newly installed fonts.
It depends on the font licence. Google Fonts are all free for commercial use. DaFont fonts have varying licences — check the licence information on the download page. When in doubt, look for fonts labelled as SIL Open Font Licence or CC0.