Font FAQ: installation, licensing and troubleshooting
Practical answers to the most common font questions. Learn how to install a font, fix missing characters, understand licences and use fonts in documents or on the web.
How do I install a font on Windows?
Extract the downloaded ZIP, select the .ttf or .otf files, right-click and choose “Install”. Choose “Install for all users” only if every account needs the font and you have administrator rights. You can also drag files into Settings > Personalization > Fonts. Restart applications that were open during installation.
How do I install a font on macOS?
Double-click the downloaded ZIP, then double-click the .ttf or .otf file and choose “Install Font” in Font Book. For a manual installation, copy it to ~/Library/Fonts for your account or /Library/Fonts for every user. Reopen applications that do not show the new font immediately.
How do I install a font on Linux?
Extract the ZIP and copy the font files to ~/.local/share/fonts for your account or /usr/share/fonts for all users, then run fc-cache -f -v. Many desktop environments also let you double-click a font and select “Install”. Restart any application that was already open.
How do I remove an installed font?
On Windows, open Settings > Personalization > Fonts, select the family and choose “Uninstall”. On macOS, select the font in Font Book and choose “Remove”. On Linux, delete it from the folder where it was installed and rebuild the cache with fc-cache -f -v. System fonts may be protected; removing them can affect the interface and documents.
Why does a newly installed font not appear in my application?
Most applications read the available font list when they start. Close and reopen the application first. If the font is still missing, confirm that it was installed for the correct user, that the file is a valid supported format and that the application does not use its own separate font manager.
Why are some letters or symbols missing?
A font only displays characters that its designer included. Decorative fonts often omit accents, punctuation, Cyrillic, Greek or other scripts. Missing characters may appear as boxes or come from a substitute font. Check the character map on the font detail page before downloading.
How can I view every character in a font?
Open the font’s detail page and use its character map to explore mapped characters. Select another Unicode range to see more. A character map may not include unencoded glyphs or every OpenType alternate; use the Font Inspector to examine an uploaded file in more detail.
Can I use a free font commercially?
Only if its licence allows that use. SIL Open Font License and GNU GPL fonts often permit commercial use under stated conditions, while “free for personal use” does not. “Freeware” has no single legal meaning. Always read the included licence or readme, especially for logos, apps, games, websites, products and client work. Ask the author or foundry when the terms are unclear; this is practical guidance, not legal advice.
What does embedding a font mean?
Embedding stores font data inside a PDF, presentation or document so its typography can display on another device. Both the font’s technical embedding setting and its licence can restrict this. Check the embedding rights shown on Fonts2u and the supplied licence before distributing an embedded font.
How do I use a font on a website?
Convert an appropriately licensed font to web formats and load it with the CSS @font-face rule. A desktop licence does not automatically permit webfont use. The Fonts2u Webfont Generator can create an optimized package and CSS, but you remain responsible for confirming the licence and serving the files securely from your own site.
Can I download the entire Fonts2u catalogue in one ZIP?
No. You can download an available font family as one package, but not the entire catalogue. Fonts come from different authors and use different licences, so they are distributed individually with the information and files that apply to each family.
Are all fonts on Fonts2u free?
No. The catalogue includes SIL OFL and GNU/GPL fonts, freeware, fonts free only for personal use, donationware, shareware, demos and commercial releases. The label on a font page helps you filter results, but the author’s licence or readme controls what you may do with the font.