How to Download, Activate, and Use Adobe Fonts

Download Article

Add flair to your projects with a new font from Adobe

Co-authored by Shari Fairclough and Nicole Levine, MFA

Last Updated: July 3, 2024 Fact Checked

Download Article

Downloading and Activating Fonts

|

Using Adobe Fonts in Apps

|

Video

|

Expert Interview

|

Tips

Did you know that your subscription to Creative Cloud or standalone Adobe apps comes with thousands of fonts licensed for personal and commercial use? If you're having trouble activating Adobe fonts or just don't know where to start, this tutorial will show you how to find, download, and use Adobe fonts in any app on your computer—even apps that aren't a part of Creative Cloud!

Things You Should Know

Ensure you have the Creative Cloud app installed, as it's required to download fonts from Adobe's library even if you have activated Adobe Fonts on the web.
If the Creative Cloud app is running on your PC or Mac, fonts you select will download immediately.
If you want to use an Adobe Font in a non-Adobe program that was already open, you'll have to restart the program to start using your Adobe Fonts.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Downloading and Activating Fonts

Download Article

1
Make sure the Creative Cloud app is installed on your computer, phone, or tablet. You'll need to have the Creative Cloud app to download fonts from Adobe's library, even if you've already activated Adobe Fonts on the web.
- Download the Creative Cloud app for your computer at https://creativecloud.adobe.com/apps/download/creative-cloud.
- If you have an iPhone or iPad, you can install the Creative Cloud app from the App Store.
2
Browse the Adobe Font Library at https://fonts.adobe.com/fonts. You can filter the fonts by language and writing system using the drop-down menu at the upper-left corner of the page.^{[1]
X
Research source}
- You can also get to the font library from the Creative Cloud app—just click the f at the top-right corner of the Creative Cloud desktop app and choose Browse Fonts.
- If you're using an iPhone or iPad, you can launch the Creative Cloud app and choose Fonts to browse the font list, and then tap + Install Font on any font you want to download.
Advertisement
You can now see how the font will look in action at different sizes and weights.
4
Toggle the switches next to styles you want to use. Or, if you want to activate all of the styles of a particular font, click the "Activate" switch at the top-right. Once activated, the fonts will automatically download to your computer, making them available in your apps for use.^{[2]
X
Research source}
- As long as the Creative Cloud desktop app is running on your PC or Mac, the fonts you've activated will download automatically.
- If you activate fonts on your computer, you can use them on your iPhone or iPad. Just launch the Creative Cloud mobile app, choose the Fonts option, and then tap Active fonts not on this device. Now you can tap + Install Fonts next to each font you want to download.^{[3]
  X
  Research source}

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Using Adobe Fonts in Apps

Download Article

1
Open the Creative Cloud desktop app. You'll find it in your Windows Start menu or on your Mac's Launchpad. As long as the Creative Cloud desktop app is running, fonts you've activated will be available for use in Creative Cloud apps as well as other apps on your computer.
- If Creative Cloud is already running, just click the Creative Cloud icon (it looks like a sideways infinity symbol) in your Windows system tray or your Mac's menu bar.
- If you're using an iPhone or iPad, installing the fonts is all you'll need to do to start using Adobe fonts in apps that support custom iOS fonts.^{[4]
  X
  Research source}
2
Click the f at the top-right corner of Creative Cloud. This opens the Fonts list, where you'll see all the fonts you've activated.
- Make sure the "Active fonts" switch at the top-left corner is switched to the On position so your fonts are ready to use.^{[5]
  X
  Research source}
- If the fonts you activated online don't appear in the Creative Cloud font list, quit Creative Cloud Desktop and relaunch the app.
3
Use the toggle switches to enable or disable fonts. Each font has its own toggle switch. If you toggle any of the switches to the Off position, that font won't be available in your Adobe apps.
- Adobe recommends keeping your active font list short to optimize performance. To deactivate fonts you're not using, toggle their switches to the Off position.
- If you see a cloud icon next to any of the fonts, that means it's been more than 60 days since you've used it. To reinstall the font, just click the cloud icon to download it.
4
Open or restart the app in which you want to use Adobe fonts. If you want to use the font in a Creative Cloud app, you'll find the font in that app's font list automatically.^{[6]
X
Research source}
- To use a font in a non-Adobe app that was already open, such as Microsoft Word, or an older Adobe app, you will need to close and restart that app after activating fonts so they'll be available for use.
Now that you've activated and downloaded Adobe fonts, you can use them in all of your projects without having to worry about purchasing a license!

Expert Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Video

Tips

If you're using the Creative Cloud for Education plan, some of the Adobe fonts won't be available. Contact your institution's Adobe representative if you have questions about fonts not being a part of your subscription.^{[7]
X
Research source}

Thanks
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
If you disconnect from the internet while the Creative Cloud app is already open, you'll still be able to use Adobe fonts in local apps. But if you launch Creative Cloud when the computer is not connected to the internet, the fonts won't be visible.

Thanks
Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0