Downloading fonts

Thanks to everyone who came out to my yard sale this morning and to my class this afternoon! Thanks for braving the weather–it was nice to see you all ;)

At the yard sale I was asked about installing fonts on the computer. It's easy to just assume everyone knows what “downloading a font” means when I am typing away on my little ol' blog but this morning I was reminded that a refresher on this process would be nice. I really should say “download and install fonts” when talking about adding fonts to your computer. So here is the refresher:

From the Web:

1. Go to a website that has fonts, like dafont, com (free) or Scrap N Fonts (fonts for under $5). Follow any instructions for purchasing then follow the down load prompts on the website.

2. Make sure you download the font version for your operating system. That means for Windows or Mac and also which level of system you're running like XP or Vista.

3. Your computer will prompt you to specify a location to save the file. Remember this! If it does not prompt you, then it will download the font to a specific place on your computer where all downloads go. You should know where this is–usually it is in a “Downloads” folder or on the Desktop.

4. After the downloading is complete, find the folder the font is in. Open the folder so you can see the icon for the font but don't open the font itself.

5. Go to the Start Menu (I have no idea about doing stuff on Macs so I am just talking Windows here). Click on “Control Panel” and open it.

6. In the “Control Panel” is a folder labeled “Fonts”. Open it.

7. Drag the font you downloaded into the “Fonts” folder. A window will pop up that says that the font is being installed to your computer. When it's done, your font will be accessible in all your programs.

From a CD or Drive:

1. Open the CD or Drive. Locate the font you want but don't open the font itself. Follow steps 5-7 above.

Why on earth would you want to do all this? Because there are super cute fonts to use for scrapbooking! You can create your journaling on the computer, make word art, cut out items using a diecutting machine (like a Quickutz Sihouette) and more.

Author: Jennifer Priest

It started with jewelry, beading, sewing, home decor, painting, basket weaving, pottery, and cross-stitch. Marry that to an entrepreneurial spirit & at 9 years old a girl is selling her wares at craft fairs as far as her parents and grandparents would drive her. These days, Jennifer enjoys crafts of all genres from sewing to scrapbooking to jewelry with a little dabbling in the mixed media world. Her style is approachable and she wants everyone who sees her work to feel that they too can embrace creativity and make their home and life beautiful.