Wednesday 21 October 2009

How to Download a Font




This weekend was the first time I attempted to download a font. I am always slightly nervous & procrastinatory about things that are "unknown" to me, but I really am getting sick of the selection of fonts {large as it is} on my pc. I had heard of a site called 1001 Free Fonts. I took a look. It appeared that most of these fonts weren't free after all {go figure...} then I remembered another name I had come across in several of my Scrapbooking magazines. Da Font. Here I found loads of fancy fonts, although what I am really after are more script fonts, ie:- the handwritten/typed type one would use for journaling more than titles. Anyway, I did find a few, and yes, they were free.

Downloading them was a breeze as there is a button on the right of each font example that says DOWNLOAD. When you hit the button a pop-up box appears - choose SAVE FILE. It will then download to your default destination. I configured my pc a while back {can't remember what I did though!} to get my desktop as the default place for all my downloads to "land" as they were all going to my documents {which doesn't seem to sort them alphabetically BTW} and as there was a lot in there I was finding it time-consuming to locate my downloads within My Documents. I suggest you do the same before you start downloading fonts, digital files for digital/hybrid scrapping, etc.

So here I am...downloading fonts at last! But...now I have a zipped file sitting on my desktop & I'm thinking...okay, you look good there but what now???!!! So here is a very quick step-by-step for other cyber dummies out there {like me!} on what to do next. Yes, you've downloaded the font, but now you need to add it to your list of fonts so you can actually make use of it! You need a program called "Winzip" to download zipped files. I am not sure if there is any other program that allows you to download zipped files {which is the format all fonts & digital elements I have so far downloaded come in}. Winzip is not free. You have to pay for it, but if you want to "get with the program" as far as starting to investigate digital & hybrid scrapping, downloading fonts, etc, there is no way around purchasing it as far as I know. I had my IT man install it months ago although I have actually only really started using it recently.


Left double click on the file on your desktop {it will look like a little yellow folder with a zip running through it. A box will open with test on the left that says "Extract all files" - click this - now a box will pop up that says "Extraction Wizard" - click next - now another box will come up with the title "Select a Destination". DO NOT CLICK NEXT as the default destination {in blue} is NOT where you are able to utilize a font. Rather click "Browse" underneath the highlighted blue text in the browse box. Choose MY COMPUTER by clicking on it. Now choose "Local disk C" by clicking on that. Now scroll down to WINDOWS and click on that. Lastly scroll down and select "Fonts" & click on that! When you do this you may see ANOTHER fonts folder below. DO NOT CHOOSE THIS. Choose the first fonts folder. Now click OK {finally!}

If you look at the browse bar {the one highlighted in blue} on your Extraction Wizard box it should now read C:/WINDOWS/Fonts. {the slashes/slanty lines actually face the other way but I don't have a key for that on my keyboard! Now click NEXT. Tick/check the box that says "Show extracted files" then click Finish & your Wizard will complete the process. Now a whole page full of little icons will appear {these are all the fonts you have in your computer} with their names beneath them. Scroll down to locate your font. While working minimise the Dafont site so you can call it up again if you forget the name of your font as you need to ensure that it has downloaded & to do that you need to locate it alphabetically. Yay it's there! Now you can close up & open Word & "Hey Presto!" there's your font...

Now I don't know about you but I always ask myself why all these sites can't just have simple step-by-steps to help us utilize all the loveliness they have on offer. I almost always regret clicking "Help" as this often serves to confuzzle me further. From my {limited} experience I have found that the best way to learn is through common sense, trial & error & now that I have worked it all out I need to WRITE IT ALL DOWN because, unless I do it every day, I fear that I may go "back in" one day & not remember how I did it! So here it is, all written down for me, & I hope that it may help some of you out there too...Tell me, do you download fonts regularly too & do you ever pay for them?



11 comments:

Lynette Jacobs said...

I was in a "font-addict" mode a few years ago. I tend to overdo everything I try:)

I never paid for fonts...not that crazy.

Stefanie said...

I have over 1300.
Loads of fun though hey?

tania said...

so the reason for my fonts coming out in such funny type of letters, is because it is zipped?? some i can download some i can't. i love them and the dingbats!! but i can NEVER download them, I NEED WINZIP, that is why, thanks helen, i am a 100% blonde.

Andrea said...

Hi Helen, just to let you know I am still popping in regularly just as I no longer scrap I don't often have much to add....didn't want you to think I had jumped ship :0)
xxx
A

topkatnz said...

Glen regularly downloads fonts etc; but me, never - I hardly use the 100s I've got - sorry!

CathQuillScrap said...

I'm a font addict... download them constantly... but I don't always install them until I actually need them... just have way tooooooooo many!!! I love free so NEVER pay for fonts... there are lots of sites that offer free fonts. If you can, download the ttf file directly without the zip (some sites do that). I download all mine into a folder under My Documents that I called fonts.... then when I want to install them I just click on that folder and they are all there.

Ella Swan said...

I would love some more links to free font sites so if anyone knows of some other good ones I would really appreciate a heads-up on those as I am loathe to pay for fonts if they are available for free. Pleasure Tania! Hi Andrea - no problem, will pop in soonest. Thanks for the great idea Cathy - I have already instituted a FONTS folder on my desktop & will add to it when a free font I like is on offer (& a great idea not to install them until you are definitely going to use them)just not sure how to download without the zip but will try - perhaps that is site dependant?

Diana said...

I download fonts all the time, but only free ones. I've searched for a font and found it for $$$ and for free on different sites. I am especially crazy about handwriting fonts. There are loads of great ones at http://kevinandamanda.com/fonts/fontsforpeas/

Ella Swan said...

Thanks so much LS - yes handwriting type ones are the ones I am mainly interested in thanks.

Desire Fourie said...

Thanks for all the useful info. I have actually started using Dafont quite a few years ago, and they are definitely the best free font site out there. TFS.
Hugs
Desire

Desire Fourie said...

Hi Helen, me again. Here is another wonderful inspirational blog with free handwriting fonts you might light to visit:
http://kevinandamanda.com/fonts/fontsforpeas/?s=dawn&x=0&y=0
Hugs
Desire