Figma, a cloud-based collaborative design tool, has gained immense popularity among designers worldwide. It offers a collection of predefined fonts but perhaps its most appealing feature is the ability to add custom fonts. This blog post provides a step-by-step guide on how to add fonts to your Figma workspace.
Local Fonts
In the case of local fonts, Figma automatically syncs the fonts installed on your system. To install new fonts on your system, follow these straightforward steps:
- Download the font file. It’s usually in .ttf or .otf format.
- Open the font file and click on the ‘Install’ button.
- Restart Figma to make sure that it syncs the new font from your system.
Google Fonts
Adding Google Fonts to Figma is a seamless process as Figma directly supports Google fonts. When you access the font dropdown in Figma, you will find Google Fonts readily available for use. If you do not find your preferred Google font, wait for a brief period as sometimes it takes a few minutes for Figma to sync with the latest Google Fonts.
Adobe Fonts (formerly Typekit)
If you have access to Adobe Fonts via your Creative Cloud subscription, you can use them in Figma. Based on your system application’s settings, Figma will list Adobe Fonts under the “Local Fonts” section in the font picker.
Non-local Fonts
If you want to use fonts from a service that Figma does not support directly (such as Fontstand, Fonts.com, etc.), you will need to download the font and install it on your system. Once installed locally, Figma will recognize and list the font in the font picker.
The Figma Font Helper
For Mac users, Figma offers a Font Helper application. With this application, Figma accesses the locally installed fonts on your system. To install the Figma Font Helper:
- Go to Figma > Preferences in the menu bar.
- Click on the ‘Install Font Helper’ button.
- Restart Figma, and it will sync all the local fonts automatically.
It’s important to note that the Figma Font Helper requires macOS 10.9 or later.
Conclusion
Utilizing different fonts can significantly enhance the design and aesthetic appeal of your projects. Fortunately, Figma makes it easy to add an extensive range of fonts. Whether using local fonts, Google Fonts, Adobe Fonts, or other online sources, you can easily add and use them in your Figma workspace to create designs that truly stand out.
Remember that when sharing Figma files, any custom fonts used will need to be installed on the other collaborators’ computers as well. Otherwise, Figma will replace the custom font with a default font. Happy designing!