How to Install and Find Fonts for Mac OS X?

Question

I would like to install some additional fonts on my Mac.

Is it possible to install some fonts (.ttf - true type fonts - which is installed on Windows) can be installed on my Mac?

Are there any free font collections for Mac OS X?

Solution 1

I'm not getting into the licensing issues here, but if you put fonts in

• /Library/Fonts/
• /Users/username/Library/Fonts

and they'll show up. Windows .ttf fonts tend to work.

The first folder installs for all users, the second for that specific user.

I tend to not use free fonts, as they're not built nearly as well, so I don't have a recommendation there.

Solution 2

Caskroom-fonts is a Homebrew Tap which allows you to use the same friendly homebrew-style CLI workflow for the administration of binary font files on your Mac.

Homebrew fonts

$ brew tap homebrew/cask-fonts         # You only need to do this once!
$ brew install font-inconsolata

Solution 3

Yes, you can just copy the fonts into the /library/fonts, or /users/username/library/fonts... But (!!), that doesn't mean the font is safe...

1) Download the font. 2) Open Font Book 3) Select File --> Validate File, and select the font you downloaded.

Did you receive any error messages regarding the font? If so, just forget about it. It's not worth the effort. Font issues can cause lots of issues in the long run.

If there wasn't an error, close the font, and drag the font to Font book. You'll notice in the lower right hand corner of the Font book preview window is "Install font". Click on that button to install the font.

Solution 4

As well as copying them into /Library/Fonts/ or ~/Library/Fonts/, you can just open them using font book, or drag them into font book, which will put them into ~/Library/Fonts/.

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Comments

[pisfire]

Great one. Right now license isn't an issue. I am already using mac on other hardware. Everything is on experimental basis.

[Dustin]

In my experience, taking fonts from another OS needs to be checked by Font Book. Other OSes will use fonts without checking, and you'll be likely to find issues with the fonts. Use fonts that are flagged with errors with caution.

[aculich]

If you have a multi-user setup consider using --fontdir=/Library/Fonts like so: $ brew cask install --fontdir=/Library/Fonts font-inconsolata

[sshine]

At this point, the last command is brew install font-inconsolata, i.e., omit the cask part.