Do you find yourself wishing Cricut Design Space had a better selection of fonts? I am right there with you. Especially when it comes to their script fonts. I need a bigger selection. Luckily there is an incredibly easy solution to this problem.
Bring in your own system fonts. I’ll walk you through this simple process. Once you know how to add your own fonts to Cricut Design Space, the sky is the limit!
There is a tab called “System” in your fonts in Design Space. This is where all of your downloaded system fonts live. Let’s populate this tab with some awesome fonts!
Featured Video
Watch me upload fonts into Cricut Design Space, or if you prefer written instructions, keep reading.
Where Should I Get My Fonts?
Free Fonts – DaFont
The process is pretty similar no matter where you get your fonts from. However, you need to ask yourself how will you be using your fonts?
If it’s just for personal use then head over to DaFont.com first. There are so many free gorgeous fonts. Just a few things to keep in mind when downloading fonts from DaFont.com:
- DaFont has a manual vetting process. Designers must submit their fonts before they can be uploaded to the site. Things such as kerning, alignment, thickness, etc. are reviewed.
- Many of these fonts are free for personal use, but you must buy a license for commercial use (if you want to sell or make money off of any product you are making with the font.
- There are some items on DaFont.com, such as logos, that are trademarked and not okay to use. Do not assume if it’s on this website, that you have the right to use it. You are the one that will get in trouble.
Purchased Fonts – Etsy & Font Bundles
Why would you pay for fonts if you can get them for free on DaFont.com? If you want to use fonts commercially you must have the proper licensing. I use a lot of fonts in my SVG business. Since I am selling these products, I always make sure I purchase the appropriate license.
My favorite places to purchase fonts are on Font Bundles and Etsy. I find the prices on these sites to be very reasonable and the fonts are usually great quality and loaded with glyphs. Be sure to pay attention to the reviews. If there are any issues with kerning, etc. reviews are where the truth will come out.
One of my favorite designers is KA Font Designs. She sells on Font Bundles and Etsy and her fonts always cut flawlessly on my Cricut.
Downloading Your Font – DaFont.com
- Once you’re on the DaFont.com homepage, you can either browse the available fonts or use the search bar to find a specific font. You can explore different categories or use keywords to refine your search.
- Another feature I love on DaFont.com is their preview ability. In the preview bar, type in your own statement and see what it looks like in all the different fonts.
- Click on the font name or the preview image of the font you want to download.
- This will take you to the font’s detail page. On the font’s detail page, you will see an example of the font and various information about it.
- Look for the download button. It is usually located on the right side of the page and is labeled “Download.”
- Before downloading the font, make sure to read and comply with any licensing terms or usage restrictions specified by the font author. This information is typically provided on the font detail page.
- Once you’re ready to download, click the “Download” button. The font file will start downloading to your computer. The file may be in a compressed format like ZIP.
- Locate the downloaded font file on your computer. Mine always shows up on the download bar on my PC. Open the zip file.
- After opening the zipped font file, you should have the font file itself with an extension like .ttf or .otf.
- I always choose the Open Type Font (OTF). Read section below for why.
- To install the font on your computer, double-click the font file. This will open a preview window displaying the font.
- In the font preview window, click the “Install” button. This will install the font on your computer, making it available for use in various applications (Cricut Design Space, Word, etc.) as a system font.
- It’s that easy. To get your font to show up on the Systems tab in Cricut Design Space you must restart Cricut Design Space.
Open Type Font vs. True Type Font
You might be offered two different font file types, Open Type Font (OTF) or True Type Font (TTF). I always choose Open Type Face if given the option. Here is why:
- True Type Fonts (TTF)
- TrueType fonts were developed by Apple and Microsoft in the late 1980s.
- TrueType fonts have limited typographic features. This means while the basic font works well, there are no extra bells and whistles.
- Open Type Fonts (OTP)
- OpenType fonts were developed by Microsoft and Adobe in the late 1990s.
- They are an extension of the TrueType format but offer additional features and capabilities. So basically the newer and improved TTF.
- They offer more decorative options and features such as glyphs, swashes, flourishes, special characters, etc.
Downloading your Font – Etsy
Luckily the process is almost identical to download any system font.
- Log into Etsy or Font Bundles or your favorite font website.
- Locate the font you wish to purchase.
- Verify a commercial license that fits your needs is included if you will be using it for commercial purposes.
- Purchase your font.
- Etsy allows you to View Downloads from the purchase page.
- You can also go to your Account and click on purchases or check your email for a download link from Etsy.
- Once you’re ready to download, click the “Download” button. The font file will start downloading to your computer. The file may be in a compressed format like ZIP.
- Locate the downloaded font file on your computer. Mine always shows up on the download bar on my PC. Open the zip file.
- After opening the zipped font file, you should have the font file itself with an extension like .ttf or .otf.
- I always choose the Open Type Font (OTF). Read section above for why.
- To install the font on your computer, double-click the font file. This will open a preview window displaying the font.
- In the font preview window, click the “Install” button. This will install the font on your computer, making it available for use in various applications (Cricut Design Space, Word, etc.) as a system font.
- It’s that easy. To get your font to show up on the Systems tab in Cricut Design Space you must restart Cricut Design Space.
Now go and discover the perfect system fonts to use in Cricut Design Space!