Help Center

Check your spam or junk folder first. Your email provider may have decided the thing you actually paid for was the thing you didn’t want. Make sure you’re checking the email address you used at checkout, too.

Still no sign? Get in touch with your order number or the email address you used to buy the font. I’ll check your order and help you get your files.

Lost the files? New computer? Had a clear-out and got slightly carried away?

Try the download link in your original email first. If you can’t find it or the link no longer works, get in touch with your order number or the email address you used at checkout. I’ll check your purchase and help you get your files again.

A ZIP file keeps your download together in one tidy package. Before installing the fonts, you need to unpack it. Sadly, staring at it won’t do the job.

• Mac: Double-click the ZIP file. Your Mac will extract its contents into the same location.
• Windows: Right-click the ZIP file, choose Extract All, then follow the instructions.
• iPad: Find the ZIP file in the Files app and tap it. Open the folder that appears.
• Linux: Open the ZIP file in your archive manager and choose Extract. The wording may vary depending on your desktop.

Once extracted, open the folder to find your font files. Unzipping gets them ready—it doesn’t install them.

If your download includes both formats of the same font, start with OTF, unless your software specifically asks for TTF.

You only need one format. Installing both won’t give you twice the font. It can, however, give your software something to get confused about.

If the OTF version doesn’t work in your application, uninstall it before trying the supplied TTF version.

If your download only includes one format, use that one.

No. There’s no prize for installing the entire folder.

Install the desktop font files for the styles you want to use, such as Regular, Bold or Italic. If the same style comes in both OTF and TTF formats, choose one—not both.

Your download may also include instructions, licence information, images or webfont files. Those don’t need installing as desktop fonts. Keep them somewhere handy, though, especially the instructions. Occasionally, we do put useful things in there.

A desktop font installs on your computer so you can use it in software such as Photoshop, Illustrator or Word. These files usually end in .otf or .ttf.

A webfont loads through a website so visitors see your chosen typeface in headings and other live text. These files usually end in .woff or .woff2. Visitors don’t need to install anything. They’ve got enough to do.

The important distinction is how you use the font. Creating a JPG banner with a desktop font and putting it on your website is different from making the website load the font itself.

For my fonts, live website text needs a Webfont Licence in addition to the Desktop Licence. You can read more in my font licensing guide.

Your Mac comes with Font Book, which handles font installation. One less thing to download. Lovely.

1. Unzip your download if you haven’t already.
2. Find the font file ending in .otf or .ttf.
3. Double-click it to open a preview.
4. Click Install.

Now open your design software and look for the font in its font menu. If the application was already running, quit and reopen it so it can pick up the new arrival.

If Font Book reports a problem, don’t ignore the warning. Get in touch with a screenshot of the message and I’ll help you work out what’s happening.

First, unzip your download. Windows may let you peek inside the ZIP folder, but that doesn’t mean it’s unpacked. Apparently, that would be too straightforward.

1. Right-click the ZIP file and choose Extract All.
2. Open the extracted folder and find the .otf or .ttf font file.
3. Right-click the font file and choose Install.

Open your design software and select the font from its font menu. If the software was already running, close and reopen it.

You can check that the font installed by opening Settings → Personalisation → Fonts and searching for its name.

Still having trouble? Get in touch with the font name and a screenshot of any error message.

The steps depend on your Linux desktop. Naturally, having one way of doing it would spoil the fun.

On desktops with a font viewer that supports installation:

1. Unzip your download.
2. Open the .otf or .ttf file in the font viewer.
3. Click Install.

You can also install fonts manually for your user account:

1. Open your home folder and show hidden files.
2. Copy the font files into .local/share/fonts, creating the folder if needed.
3. Open Terminal and run fc-cache to refresh the font cache.

Close and reopen your design software, then look for the font in its font menu.

If you get stuck, get in touch and tell me which Linux distribution and application you’re using.

You can use downloaded fonts on an iPad, but the method depends on the app. Simply saving a font in Files doesn’t install it. That would be far too convenient.

1. Download your font and find it in the Files app.
2. If it’s a ZIP file, tap it to unpack the contents.
3. Find the .otf or .ttf font file.

Some apps, including Procreate, let you import the font directly through their text tools.

For apps that use fonts installed on your iPad, you can use a font installer such as iFont. Import your font file into the installer and follow its installation instructions.

Then open your chosen app and look for the font in its font menu. The app must support custom fonts—installing one won’t change your iPad’s menus or keyboard.

You can import fonts directly into Procreate. No separate font installer required. A pleasingly short shopping list.

1. Download your font and unzip it in the Files app.
2. Open your artwork in Procreate.
3. Tap Actions (the spanner), then Add → Add text.
4. Tap the style button at the top right of the on-screen keyboard.
5. Tap Import in the style panel.
6. Find your .otf or .ttf file and select it.

Once imported, choose the font from the font list to use it with your text.

You can also drag a font file from the Files app directly into Procreate.

On Mac or Windows, install the font on your computer first. Affinity Designer will pick it up from there. No secret Affinity folder to hunt down. A small mercy.

1. Unzip your download and install the .otf or .ttf file.
2. Open Affinity Designer and create or select some text.
3. Choose your font from the font menu.

If it doesn’t appear, quit and reopen Affinity Designer.

In Affinity Designer 2 on iPad, you can import the font directly:

1. Unzip the download in the Files app.
2. From Affinity’s Home screen, open Preferences → Fonts.
3. Tap the plus icon, find your font files and select Open.
4. Return to your document, select your text and choose the font.

Installing a font on your computer doesn’t automatically install it on your iPad. You’ll need to add it on each device where you want to use it.

OpenType features give a font extra ways to display your text. There can be more hiding in there than the letters you get when you first start typing.

Depending on the font, these features can include:

• Ligatures: specially designed combinations that replace two or more letters.
• Stylistic alternates: different versions of a letter, so you can choose the look you prefer.
• Contextual alternates: letterforms that change depending on the surrounding text.
• Swashes: decorative strokes and flourishes, for when a letter wants to make an entrance.
• Stylistic sets: groups of alternative characters you can switch on together.

Not every font includes every feature, and your software needs to support the ones you want to use. You’ll usually find the controls in its OpenType or typography settings.

Ligatures replace certain combinations of letters with a specially designed character. A common example is fi, where the two letters fit together neatly instead of elbowing each other out of the way.

To use them:

1. Type your text and select it.
2. Open your application’s OpenType or typography settings.
3. Switch on Standard Ligatures, sometimes simply called Ligatures.

Your software will automatically replace supported letter combinations. You don’t need to insert the ligature yourself.

Some fonts also include Discretionary Ligatures, which offer more decorative combinations. These usually have a separate setting.

If nothing changes, check that your font includes a ligature for the letters you’ve typed. Turning the setting on can’t create one that isn’t there.

Both replace combinations of letters with a specially designed character, but they serve different purposes.

Standard ligatures usually help letters fit together more naturally. Common examples include fi, fl and ff, where separate letters might clash or look awkward. Many applications switch these on automatically.

Discretionary ligatures are optional alternatives, often designed to add decoration or personality. Depending on the font, you might find an elaborate st, ct or Th combination. These are the letters that have dressed up for the occasion.

You can usually switch the two types on separately in your software’s OpenType settings. The combinations available depend on the font—not every font includes both types.

Photoshop keeps this setting in the Character panel. It’s there, just tucked away behind another menu.

1. Select the Type tool and highlight the text you want to change.
2. Go to Window → Character.
3. Open the Character panel menu in the top-right corner.
4. Choose OpenType → Standard Ligatures and make sure it’s switched on.

Photoshop will automatically use the standard ligatures available for your selected letters.

If nothing changes, check that your chosen font includes those ligatures. Your text also needs to remain editable—this won’t work on lettering that’s already been rasterised or converted to shapes.

Illustrator gives OpenType features their own panel, which makes things a little easier to find.

1. Select the Type tool and highlight the text you want to change.
2. Go to Window → Type → OpenType.
3. Open the OpenType panel menu in the top-right corner.
4. Select Standard Ligatures and make sure it’s switched on.

Illustrator will automatically replace supported letter combinations with their ligatures.

If the option is greyed out, check that you’ve selected editable text and a font that supports standard ligatures. If it’s switched on but nothing changes, the letters you’ve typed may not have a ligature in that font.

Word can use ligatures, too. You just need to venture beyond the Bold and Italic buttons.

On Windows:

1. Highlight your text and select your font.
2. Go to Home and click the small arrow in the bottom-right corner of the Font section.
3. Select the Advanced tab.
4. Under OpenType Features, change Ligatures to Standard Only.
5. Click OK.

On Mac:

1. Highlight your text and select your font.
2. Go to Format → Font.
3. Select the Advanced tab.
4. Set Ligatures to Standard Only, then click OK.

These instructions are for the desktop version of Word. Your font must include ligatures for the combinations you’ve typed.

Figma keeps its ligature controls in the typography settings. Once you know where they live, it’s fairly painless.

1. Select your text layer, or highlight the letters you want to change.
2. In the right-hand properties panel, find Typography.
3. Open the Type settings menu and select the Details tab.
4. Under Letterforms, switch on Ligatures.

Figma will apply any matching ligatures included in your font.

You may also see Rare Ligatures, which is Figma’s name for discretionary ligatures. Switch these on if you want to try the font’s more decorative combinations.

If an option is greyed out, the selected font doesn’t support that feature.

If letters are joining together or changing shape as you type, an OpenType feature may be doing its job a little too enthusiastically for your liking.

Highlight the affected text, then open your software’s OpenType or typography settings. Try switching these off one at a time:

• Standard Ligatures and Discretionary Ligatures—called Rare Ligatures in Figma—for combined letterforms.
• Contextual Alternates for letters that change according to the surrounding text.
• Stylistic Alternates, Stylistic Sets or Swashes for alternative shapes and decorative flourishes.

Stop when you get the appearance you want. There’s no need to switch everything off if only one feature is responsible.

If you inserted an alternative character manually through a Glyphs panel, you may need to replace it with the normal letter instead.

Stylistic alternates are different versions of a letter included in the same font. You might get a different-shaped a, a longer r, or a capital with a bit more swagger.

There are two common ways to use them:

• Through OpenType settings: Highlight your text and look for Stylistic Alternates or Stylistic Sets in your application’s typography controls. These apply the alternatives built into the font.
• Through a Glyphs panel: In software that provides one, highlight the letter you want to change, find an alternative and insert it in its place.

A Glyphs panel is particularly useful when a letter has several alternatives and you want to choose a specific one.

The options depend on both the font and your software. Not every letter has an alternative—some are perfectly happy as they are.

Contextual alternates let a font automatically change a letter’s shape depending on the text around it.

In a script font, this might help one letter join neatly to the next. In a handwritten font, it might swap repeated letters for different versions, so your two os don’t look like they’ve arrived wearing matching outfits.

These changes follow rules built into the font. They aren’t random, and you don’t need to choose each alternative yourself.

To use them, select your text and switch on Contextual Alternates in your software’s OpenType or typography settings.

The effect depends on the font and the letters you type. Some fonts use this feature extensively; others don’t include it.

The names sound suspiciously similar, but they describe different ways of using alternative letterforms.

• Stylistic alternates are different designs for individual characters. You might choose a simpler a or a more decorative g.
• Stylistic sets group alternatives together under one setting. Switching on a set might change several letters to give your text a coordinated look.
• Contextual alternates change letters automatically according to the surrounding text, following rules built into the font.

Think of it as choosing an individual letter, choosing a coordinated collection, or letting the font make substitutions as you type.

The same alternative letterform can appear through more than one of these features. It depends on how the designer built the font and which controls your software supports.

You’ll find this beside the ligature settings in Photoshop’s Character panel.

1. Select the Type tool and highlight the text you want to change.
2. Go to Window → Character.
3. Open the Character panel menu in the top-right corner.
4. Choose OpenType → Contextual Alternates and make sure it’s switched on.

Photoshop will apply the substitutions built into your font where the surrounding text calls for them.

You might see smoother script joins or different versions of repeated letters. If nothing changes, your font may not include contextual alternates, or the text you’ve typed may not trigger them. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve pressed the wrong thing.

You’ll find contextual alternates in the same OpenType panel as ligatures.

1. Select the Type tool and highlight the text you want to change.
2. Go to Window → Type → OpenType.
3. Open the OpenType panel menu in the top-right corner.
4. Select Contextual Alternates and make sure it’s switched on.

Illustrator will adjust the letterforms according to the rules built into your font.

If the option is greyed out, check that you’ve selected editable text and a font that supports contextual alternates. If it’s switched on but nothing changes, try a different word—the substitutions only happen when the right combination of characters is present.

This setting lives in Word’s advanced font options, alongside the ligature controls.

On Windows:

1. Highlight your text and select your font.
2. Go to Home and click the small arrow in the bottom-right corner of the Font section.
3. Select the Advanced tab.
4. Tick Use Contextual Alternates, then click OK.

On Mac:

1. Highlight your text and select your font.
2. Go to Format → Font.
3. Select the Advanced tab.
4. Tick Use Contextual Alternates, then click OK.

These instructions are for the desktop version of Word. The font needs to include contextual alternates, and your text needs to trigger them. Switching the setting on won’t necessarily change every word.

You’ll find this alongside the ligature settings in Figma’s typography controls.

1. Select your text layer, or highlight the letters you want to change.
2. In the right-hand properties panel, find Typography.
3. Open the Type settings menu and select the Details tab.
4. Under Letterforms, switch on Contextual Alternates.

Figma will apply the substitutions built into the font when the surrounding text triggers them.

If the option is greyed out, the selected font doesn’t support contextual alternates. If it’s available but nothing changes, try a different word. The feature responds to particular combinations, rather than giving every letter a makeover.

Typing the alphabet only shows you part of what might be in there. A font can also include accents, symbols, ligatures, swashes and alternative letters. Some are considerably better stocked than others.

The easiest way to browse them in design software is through a Glyphs panel:

1. Open the panel and choose your font.
2. Select the style you want to inspect, such as Regular or Bold.
3. Set the display filter to Entire Font, or your application’s equivalent.
4. Scroll through the available glyphs.

Make sure you’re viewing the whole font rather than a filtered selection, such as ligatures or alternates.

If your software doesn’t have a Glyphs panel, check whether the download includes a character guide. A basic character-map tool may show useful characters, but it won’t necessarily reveal every OpenType alternative.

The Glyphs panel lets you browse and insert characters that aren’t sitting conveniently on your keyboard. Swashes, alternative letters, unusual symbols—the extras.

Here’s where to find it:

• Photoshop: go to Window → Glyphs.
• Illustrator: go to Window → Type → Glyphs.

Then:

1. Use the Type tool to click inside your text. Place the cursor where you want the character, or highlight a letter you want to replace.
2. Choose the correct font and style in the Glyphs panel.
3. Select Entire Font to browse everything included.
4. Double-click a glyph to insert it or replace your selected letter.

Your text stays editable, so you can try different characters without committing to anything dramatic.

Swashes are decorative flourishes attached to letters. They can add a sweeping entrance or an extravagant finish, depending on how much attention your word requires.

If your font includes them, you can usually select them through the Glyphs panel:

1. Highlight the letter you want to change.
2. Open the Glyphs panel and select your font.
3. Browse the available characters for a swash version.
4. Double-click it to replace the selected letter.

Some fonts also let you apply swashes through your software’s OpenType controls. Others make them available through stylistic alternates or stylistic sets—it depends on how the font was built.

Not every font includes swashes, and not every letter will have one. Check the font’s character guide or product description to see what’s available.

You may be able to copy them from your computer’s font tools and paste them into your document.

On Windows:

1. Search for Character Map in the Start menu.
2. Open it and select your font.
3. Select the character you want, then click Select → Copy.
4. Paste it into your document and apply the same font.

On Mac:

1. Open Font Book and select your font.
2. Find the Repertoire section in the font preview.
3. Double-click the character you want, then click Copy.
4. Paste it into your document and apply the same font.

There’s a catch: these tools won’t necessarily give you access to every OpenType alternate. Copying decorative characters works best when the font assigns them their own character codes, often called PUA encoding.

If an alternate isn’t available this way, you’ll need software that supports the relevant OpenType feature. Copy and paste can do quite a lot, but it can’t install missing features in your application.

PUA stands for Private Use Area—a section of Unicode where font designers can assign their own characters.

In practical terms, it can give decorative letters, swashes and other extras their own character codes. That makes them easier to copy from tools such as Character Map and paste into software without a Glyphs panel.

You’ll need to apply the same font after pasting. PUA codes don’t have universal meanings: a code that displays a lovely swash in one font might display something completely different in another. Or a box. Less lovely.

Not every font includes PUA encoding, and it doesn’t guarantee compatibility with every application. Check the font’s description or character guide to see whether it’s included.

Check the font’s product description for supported languages, a character list or a specimen showing the included glyphs.

Don’t assume “multilingual” means every language. It’s a useful description, but it isn’t a passport to the entire planet.

If there’s a font tester, try your actual text—including accents, punctuation and any special letters you need.

Already installed the font? Open your software’s Glyphs panel and check that those characters appear in the font itself. Some applications quietly borrow missing characters from another font, so a word appearing correctly doesn’t always mean your chosen font contains every letter.

If you’re unsure before buying, contact me with the font name and a sample of the text you need. I can check the specific characters for you.

An OpenType SVG font can contain colours, gradients, transparency and detailed textures within its letters. You type with it like a regular font, but the artwork comes built in.

That makes it useful for lettering that looks painted, inked or drawn by hand. It can preserve little details such as brush marks and uneven edges—the bits that make paint look like paint.

Despite the name, the artwork isn’t always purely vector. Some OpenType SVG fonts contain bitmap images, so enlarging them too far can reveal pixels.

You’ll need software that supports OpenType SVG to display the intended appearance. Installing the font successfully doesn’t necessarily mean every application can show its colours and textures.

Read my fuller explanation of OpenType SVG colour fonts.

Adobe’s desktop versions of Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign support OpenType SVG fonts. However, the results can depend on your software version, the font and how you export your artwork.

For other applications, check specifically for OpenType SVG support. Supporting ordinary OpenType fonts—or opening SVG image files—doesn’t mean an application supports SVG fonts. Similar names, different jobs. Very helpful.

Before buying, check the font’s compatibility notes against the application and version you use. If you already have the font, test both the editable text and an exported file.

If your software can’t display the SVG version, your download may include a conventional font or separate letter images. Check what’s included, as these alternatives won’t necessarily have the same appearance or work in the same way.

Read my guide to OpenType SVG software support and installation.

Start by checking that you’ve selected the SVG version of the font. Some downloads include a conventional version too, which won’t contain the same colours or textures.

If the letters appear as solid shapes with no texture, your application may be displaying the font’s fallback outlines instead of its SVG artwork. Check that your software and version support OpenType SVG.

A few other things can affect the appearance:

• Background colour: transparent and semi-transparent details can look different against light and dark backgrounds.
• Size: very small text can hide fine detail, while enlarging a bitmap-based SVG font too far can reveal pixels.
• Alternative characters: the preview may use ligatures, swashes or stylistic alternates that you haven’t activated.

If it still looks wrong, contact me with a screenshot, the font name and your software version. That gives me something more useful to investigate than “it’s gone a bit weird”, although I do understand the sentiment.

Keep an editable copy of your document first. Future you might spot a spelling mistake.

For websites and social media, exporting as a PNG is a straightforward way to preserve the rendered colours and textures. Enable transparency if you need a transparent background, and export at the pixel dimensions your artwork requires.

For print, check your printer’s requirements for file format, colour profile and resolution at the final printed size.

PDF and SVG exports need checking. Depending on the font and application, letters can move or lose their intended appearance. Open the exported file and compare it with your original.

If an export goes wrong, try rasterising the SVG text in a duplicate document at a suitable resolution before exporting again. This turns the lettering into an image, so it won’t remain editable text.

Don’t assume converting to outlines will preserve everything. Some workflows use the font’s plain fallback outlines, losing the colours and textures you wanted.

Some SVG font downloads include the letters as individual image files, often PNGs with transparent backgrounds.

These give you another way to build your lettering, particularly if your software can open images but doesn’t support OpenType SVG fonts.

Instead of typing, you place the letter images into your document and arrange them manually. A bit like fridge magnets, with considerably more control over the spacing.

You can also use them to resize, rotate or position individual letters separately.

You don’t install these images as fonts. Open or import them into your design software like any other image. If you’re using the working SVG font, you don’t need to import the separate images as well.

High resolution doesn’t mean unlimited size. These are pixel-based images, so check their sharpness at your intended output size before printing or exporting.

Start by fully quitting and reopening your application. Some programs only update their font list when they launch. Occasionally, turning it off and on again earns its reputation.

If the font still doesn’t appear:

1. Check it’s installed. Look for it in Font Book on Mac or the Fonts section of Windows Settings. Downloading or previewing a font doesn’t install it.
2. Check the name. The name in your font menu may differ from the downloaded filename. Individual styles may also sit beneath a family name.
3. Clear any font-menu filters. A favourites-only view or another active filter could hide it.
4. Try another application. If the font appears there, the issue is probably specific to the first application.
5. Restart your computer if reopening the application hasn’t helped.

Some applications require you to import or upload fonts separately, rather than using those installed on your computer.

Still missing? Contact me with the font name, your operating system and the application you’re using. Include any installation error message too.

Product previews can show a font with its ligatures, alternative letters and swashes in use. Typing the same words with the default characters won’t necessarily produce the same result.

Check these first:

• Font and style: make sure you’ve selected the version shown, such as Regular, Bold or SVG.
• OpenType features: the preview may use ligatures, contextual alternates or stylistic sets.
• Individual letters: some decorative characters need selecting manually through the Glyphs panel.
• Spacing: tracking and kerning settings affect how closely the letters sit together.
• Added effects: colours, shadows, textures and backgrounds may be part of the artwork rather than built into the font.

Try comparing the same word in your document with the preview. It’s much easier to spot which letter or setting differs.

If you can’t work it out, contact me with a screenshot of your text and the preview you’re trying to match. I can help identify what’s missing.

This usually means your chosen font doesn’t contain a character, or your application can’t display it correctly.

Some applications show a box when a character is missing. Others borrow the character from another font, which explains why one letter might look like it’s wandered in from a different design.

Try these checks:

1. Confirm the font is installed and selected. A document can remember a font’s name even when that font isn’t available.
2. Check the character is included. Look in the Glyphs panel or the font’s character guide, particularly for accented letters and symbols.
3. Check pasted decorative characters. PUA characters need the font they came from; switching fonts can produce a different symbol or a box.
4. Try the text in another application. If it works there, the problem may be specific to your original software.

If the font genuinely doesn’t contain the character, reinstalling it won’t add one.

Contact me with the font name, the exact text and a screenshot if you’re unsure. I can check whether the character is included.

Tall letters, accents, long descenders and decorative swashes can extend beyond the space your application gives them. The lettering is there, but something is clipping it.

Try these checks:

• Enlarge the text box. Give the letters more room above, below and at either side.
• Check line spacing. A fixed line height can clip tall or deep characters in some applications. Try automatic spacing or increase the value.
• Check for cropping or masks. A frame, clipping mask or the edge of your canvas may be hiding part of the lettering.
• Compare the document with an export. This helps establish whether the problem affects the editing view, the exported artwork or both.

Decorative letters can need considerably more room than ordinary ones. A generous swash rarely respects a modest text box.

If the problem continues, contact me with the font name, your application and a screenshot. Include the affected text so I can test the same characters.

Connected script fonts rely on the letters sitting in the right positions. Extra spacing or disabled OpenType features can leave gaps where the strokes should meet.

Try these checks:

1. Reset tracking or letter spacing to zero. Added spacing pulls connected letters apart.
2. Use the font’s built-in kerning. If your application offers a choice, try Metrics rather than Optical kerning.
3. Enable contextual alternates and standard ligatures, if the font includes them. These can provide the letter combinations needed for smoother joins.
4. Keep each word together in one text object. Separate letters in separate boxes can’t interact through OpenType features.
5. Check any manually selected alternates. A decorative ending letter may not be designed to connect to another letter after it.

Not every script joins every character. Capitals and certain decorative letters may deliberately stand apart.

If a particular combination still looks wrong, contact me with the exact word, font name and application. A screenshot helps me see where the relationship between the letters has broken down.

The font needs to include the feature, your software needs to support it, and the setting needs to apply to your selected text. There are a few places for the plan to unravel.

Check these first:

1. Confirm the feature exists. Look at the font’s description or character guide. Not every font includes ligatures or alternative letters.
2. Select the relevant text before enabling it. Otherwise, you may only change the settings for whatever you type next.
3. Check the right setting. Standard ligatures, discretionary ligatures, contextual alternates and stylistic sets have separate controls.
4. Try a supported combination. A ligature only appears for the letters it was designed for. Contextual alternates also depend on the surrounding text.
5. Make sure the text is still editable. OpenType settings won’t change lettering that you’ve converted to outlines or an image.

Some alternates need selecting manually through the Glyphs panel rather than switching on a general setting.

Still stuck? Contact me with the font name, the letters you’re trying to change and your application’s name and version.

Installing multiple copies or versions of the same font can cause confusion about which one your application uses. One good copy is usually enough.

Before removing anything, keep a backup of your original font downloads and close applications using the font.

On Mac:

Open Font Book and use its Resolve Duplicates option. Choose Resolve Manually so you can review the copies and decide which version to keep active.

On Windows:

Open Settings → Personalisation → Fonts, find the font and inspect its details. Uninstall the unwanted version. If you can’t distinguish the copies, remove the affected font and reinstall the version you want from your original download.

If you use a separate font manager, check whether it’s activating another copy too.

Different styles aren’t duplicates. Regular, Bold and Italic belong together. Likewise, an SVG version and a conventional version may serve different purposes.

Reopen your application afterwards and check that the correct font appears.

Start with the updated files supplied by the designer or the shop where you bought the font.

Before installing them, keep a backup of the old font files and any important documents that use them. Updates can change spacing, letter shapes or OpenType behaviour, which may affect existing layouts.

Then:

1. Close applications using the font.
2. Deactivate or uninstall the old version through your font manager or operating system.
3. Install the updated version, following any instructions supplied with it.
4. Reopen your application and check the font is available. Restart your computer if it still appears to use the old copy.
5. Check existing artwork, particularly line breaks, spacing and alternative characters.

Avoid leaving both versions active if they share the same internal font names. Your software may choose the wrong one, which rather defeats the exercise.

If you’re unsure whether you have the latest version of one of my fonts, contact me with the font name and your order details.

It turns editable text into vector shapes. Different applications call this “Create Outlines”, “Convert to Curves” or something similar.

The letters become shapes you can move, resize and edit using drawing tools. Someone opening the artwork won’t need the original font installed to display those outlined letters.

The catch is that they’re no longer editable text. You can’t change the wording by typing, switch fonts or activate another ligature. A spelling mistake becomes a small construction project.

Always keep an editable copy before converting your text.

For conventional outline fonts, this can help preserve lettering when sharing finished artwork. SVG fonts need extra care: converting them may lose their colours or textures, so check the result against your original.

Both turn your lettering into artwork rather than editable text, but they produce different results.

Outlining creates vector shapes. You can resize those shapes without pixelation and edit their individual points and curves. This is useful for conventional font lettering in logos and other artwork that needs to scale.

Rasterising creates pixels. It captures the lettering’s appearance at a particular resolution. Enlarging it afterwards can make it look soft or pixelated.

For SVG fonts with colours and textures, rasterising can preserve details that converting to outlines might lose. Choose a resolution suitable for the final output size and check the result.

Neither option lets you carry on typing or change the font afterwards. Keep an editable original and make the conversion in a separate copy. It’s a small precaution that saves a surprisingly large amount of swearing.

Not always. A properly exported PDF with embedded fonts can preserve your lettering without converting it to outlines.

Start by asking your printer which PDF settings they require and whether they specifically want outlined text. Their production workflow determines what they need.

If they request outlines:

1. Save an editable original.
2. Create a separate copy for print.
3. Convert the text to outlines and check the result.
4. Export using the printer’s requested settings.

For SVG fonts, outlining may lose colours or textures. Agree a suitable approach with your printer, such as rasterising the lettering at an appropriate resolution.

Whichever method you use, open the finished PDF and check the text, spacing and appearance before sending it. Finding a typo on screen is considerably cheaper than finding it on five thousand leaflets.

Usually, the other computer doesn’t have the same font available. The application substitutes another one, which can change the letter shapes, spacing and line breaks. Your carefully arranged heading suddenly has other plans.

It can also happen if the recipient has a different version of the font or uses software that doesn’t support the same features.

The best approach depends on what they need to do:

• View or print: send a PDF with the fonts properly embedded, where embedding is permitted.
• Use finished lettering as artwork: outlined text can preserve conventional letter shapes without requiring the font.
• Edit the wording: they’ll generally need access to the same font version and compatible software.

For SVG fonts, check that the chosen export method preserves the colours and textures.

Keep your editable original, and open the exported file to check it before sending. A PDF preserves its appearance most reliably when viewed as a PDF; importing it into a design application for editing can produce different results.

Use your application’s Export or Save as PDF option and make sure it embeds the fonts, where embedding is permitted. This includes the font information needed to display and print your text correctly.

For print work, use the PDF settings your printer supplies.

After exporting:

1. Open the PDF in a PDF viewer, rather than importing it into your design application.
2. Check the lettering, including accents, ligatures, spacing and line breaks.
3. Check the font information. In Acrobat’s Document Properties, the Fonts section should show Embedded or Embedded Subset beside fonts used as live text.

“Embedded Subset” means the PDF contains only the characters it needs. It isn’t a warning that half your alphabet has escaped.

Outlined or rasterised lettering won’t appear as live text in that font list. For SVG fonts, check the visual result carefully, as export support can vary.

Keep your editable source document too. The PDF is your delivery file, not a replacement for the original.

Share the original document with live text, rather than a version with the lettering outlined or rasterised.

The recipient will generally need:

• Compatible software that can open the document and support the font features you’ve used.
• The same font and version, available in their application.
• Any linked images or other assets needed to display the complete design.

Include a reference PDF so they can compare the document with your intended layout. It makes unexpected substitutions much easier to spot.

Don’t assume that sending the document also supplies the fonts. Likewise, embedding a font in a PDF for viewing doesn’t necessarily make it available for editing.

Check the font licence before including font files in a shared folder or packaged project. The recipient may need their own licence.

Keep a copy of your original, and ask the recipient to check for missing-font warnings before editing. Better to catch those before a carefully arranged heading starts occupying three lines.

A Desktop Licence lets you install the font on the number of computers covered by your order and create finished, static artwork—such as logos, packaging, posters and social-media graphics.

It’s included with every font purchase from my website. Printed products and merchandise fall within the licence’s 250,000-instance limit, with exclusions for uses such as personalised products and alphabet-based products.

Live website text, app embedding, video and other specialist uses need additional licensing.

Read the full Desktop Licence explanation.

A Webfont Licence lets your website load the font to display live, selectable text—such as headings, navigation and paragraphs.

It’s an extension to the Desktop Licence, covering the website, domains and usage allowance agreed when you buy.

A flattened image containing lettering, such as a PNG banner, doesn’t need a Webfont Licence simply because you put it online. Loading the font file to display website text is what makes the difference.

Apps, games, email campaigns and third-party design platforms aren’t covered by this licence.

Read the full Webfont Licence explanation.

An App Licence lets you embed the font in one named mobile or desktop application, so the app can use it to display text.

It’s an annual add-on to the Desktop Licence, covering one year and the registered-user allowance selected at checkout.

It doesn’t cover several apps under one purchase, and users mustn’t be able to extract the font for use elsewhere. Games, websites and server services need separate licensing.

Read the full App Licence explanation.

An Electronic Document Licence covers embedding the font in a commercial digital publication, such as an e-book, paid PDF report or digital magazine.

It’s an annual extension to the Desktop Licence, covering the number of publication titles selected at checkout—not the number of readers.

You can distribute the finished publication, but you can’t include the original font files or let customers extract the font for their own designs. Editable templates need separate licensing.

Read the full Electronic Document Licence explanation.

A Digital Ad/Email Licence covers loading or embedding the font in digital adverts and email campaigns—for example, an HTML5 banner that uses the font to display live text.

It’s an annual extension to the Desktop Licence, covering the annual impression allowance selected at checkout.

A flattened JPG or PNG advert normally falls under Desktop Licence use. This extra licence applies when the advert or email uses the font file itself.

Video, television, streamed content and digital billboards need a tailored licence.

Read the full Digital Ad/Email Licence explanation.

A Server Licence covers installing the font on a server that automatically generates documents, images or personalised artwork—for example, a service that creates customer names on greeting cards.

For my fonts, this needs a tailored licence agreed before use. A standard Desktop or Webfont Licence doesn’t cover it.

Contact me with what your service creates, who uses it and the expected volume, so I can quote for the actual project.

Read more about tailored and server licensing.

A Game Licence covers using the font within a video game—for example, embedding it to display menus, dialogue or scores.

For my fonts, game use needs a tailored licence agreed before use. A standard App Licence doesn’t automatically cover a game, even if players download it from an app store.

Contact me with the game’s platforms, how you’ll use the font and the expected audience, so I can quote for your project.

Read more about tailored and game licensing.

A Broadcast or Video Licence covers using the font in moving-image content, such as television, films, YouTube videos, social-media videos and streamed productions.

For my fonts, these uses need a tailored licence agreed before use. A standard Desktop Licence doesn’t cover video simply because you created the lettering on your computer.

Contact me with where the content will appear, the expected audience and how long it will run, so I can quote for your project.

Read more about broadcast and tailored licensing.

A Tailored Licence covers projects that need permissions beyond the standard options—for example, company-wide access, very high-volume production or personalised products.

The agreement sets out who can use the font, where it can appear and any limits specific to your project. “Company-wide” doesn’t automatically mean unlimited use everywhere.

You don’t need a special branding licence simply to create a finished logo under the Desktop Licence. Broader use across a company’s teams, websites, apps and campaigns may need a tailored agreement.

Contact me with what you’re planning, and I’ll help work out the appropriate coverage.

Read more about tailored licences.

Yes, no problem. My Desktop Licence covers using the font as supplied to create a logo, including one you design for a client.

If you intend to register that logo as a trademark, you’ll need an additional licence agreed before you apply.

Modifying the font or altering its letterforms also requires an additional licence. This includes changing the letter shapes for your own logo or a client’s logo. Converting the text to outlines doesn’t remove that requirement.

Contact me with your proposed logo and any changes you have in mind so we can arrange the appropriate licence.

The font remains publicly available for other people to buy and use. An additional licence doesn’t give you exclusive ownership of the typeface or its individual letter shapes.

Read the full licensing explanation.

Yes. You can use your Desktop Licence to create finished, static designs for clients, within its permitted uses and limits.

You can supply outlined or flattened artwork, but your licence doesn’t automatically cover the client installing or using the font themselves. If they need to edit the text or create new designs with it, they’ll need appropriate licensing.

The project’s final use matters too. Websites, apps, video and other specialist uses may need additional licences.

Modifying the letterforms or registering a logo as a trademark also requires an additional licence, even when you’re doing it for a client.

Contact me if you’re unsure what the project needs, or read the full licensing explanation.

If they want to install the font, edit text or create new designs with it, yes. They’ll need their own appropriate licence unless an agreement explicitly covers them.

If you’re supplying only finished, outlined or flattened artwork, they don’t need a separate Desktop Licence simply to receive and use that artwork within the permitted scope.

For example, receiving a finished poster is different from receiving an editable template and using the font to make next month’s version.

Websites, apps, video, trademark registration and letterform modifications still need the relevant additional permissions. Supplying finished artwork doesn’t remove those requirements.

Contact me if you’re unsure who needs coverage for your project.

Only if they’re separately licensed or explicitly covered by your agreement. Working on the same project doesn’t automatically give someone permission to install your font files.

For printing, you can usually supply a PDF with permitted font embedding, or finished outlined or flattened artwork, without sending the original font.

If another designer needs to edit the text, they’ll need appropriate licensing to use the font themselves.

Check packaged project folders before sharing them. Some applications collect the font files alongside your document, but that doesn’t grant permission to distribute them.

Contact me if you need to arrange access for a printer, collaborator or production team.

Yes. My Desktop Licence covers finished, static designs on products such as T-shirts, mugs, postcards and books, within its 250,000-instance limit.

Some uses need a tailored licence agreed beforehand, including:

• Made-to-order personalised products.
• Alphabet or individual-letter products, such as stamps, stencils and alphabet stickers.
• Production exceeding the standard licence’s volume limit.

Selling a mug with a finished design is different from offering customers a service that puts any name they choose on it.

Contact me with what you’re selling and the expected quantity if you’re unsure, or read the full licensing explanation.

Not automatically under a standard Desktop Licence. A template that lets customers type with the font needs different consideration from a finished design.

If you plan to sell or distribute editable templates, contact me before offering them. Tell me which software or platform they’ll use, what customers can edit and how they’ll access the font.

Don’t include the font files with your template or upload them for customers to use unless we’ve explicitly agreed permission.

If customers install the font on their own computers, they’ll need appropriate licences too. Buying your template doesn’t automatically give them a licence to the font.

Read the full licensing explanation.

Check with me before uploading the font file. A standard Desktop Licence doesn’t automatically cover uploading it to an online service or making it available to teammates and customers.

Tell me which platform you’re using, who will have access and whether you’re creating your own finished designs or offering editable templates. Those details determine the permission you need.

A platform accepting the file doesn’t mean your licence permits the upload.

If you only need to place finished lettering into a design, uploading a flattened image created under your licence is different from uploading the font itself. The usual limits on your final use still apply.

Contact me about your intended use.

Yes, with the appropriate additional licence. These uses aren’t covered by the standard Desktop Licence alone.

• Videos: television, films, YouTube, social videos and streamed productions need a tailored broadcast/video licence.
• Games: using the font within a game needs a tailored game licence.
• Apps: embedding the font in a mobile or desktop application needs an App Licence, within its agreed term and user allowance.

A game doesn’t fall under the standard App Licence simply because it’s available through an app store.

Contact me with what you’re making and where it will appear, or read the licensing guide.

Yes, if your licence covers the number of computers involved. Check the allowance selected at checkout and recorded in your order.

A laptop and a desktop count as two computers, even if you’re the only person using them. Don’t assume one purchase covers every device you own.

If you need more installations, contact me to arrange the appropriate additional coverage before installing.

For larger teams or company-wide access, a tailored licence may be more suitable.

Read the full licensing explanation.

Not under the standard Desktop Licence. Modifying the font software or altering its letterforms requires an additional licence agreed beforehand.

This includes changing letter shapes for your own logo or a client’s logo. Converting text to outlines doesn’t give you permission to redesign those shapes.

Contact me with the changes you have in mind and how you intend to use the result. We can discuss the appropriate licence and whether you’d like me to carry out the modifications.

Read the full licensing explanation.

Contact me with a short description of what you expected to happen and what happened instead.

Please include:

• The font name and style, including whether you’re using the SVG version.
• Your operating system and version, such as macOS or Windows.
• Your application’s name and version.
• A screenshot showing the problem and any error message.
• The exact text or character combination causing trouble.
• What you’ve already tried, such as restarting the application or reinstalling the font.

For download or purchase problems, include your order number or the email address used at checkout.

If the issue only appears after exporting, tell me the file format and export settings too. These details help me investigate without a lengthy game of email ping-pong.

A font can include features that your application doesn’t know how to use. Installing it again won’t add those capabilities to the software.

Check whether a newer version of your application supports the feature. If it doesn’t, you may still have a few options:

• Alternative characters: use a Glyphs panel if available, or try copying PUA-encoded characters from a character-map tool.
• SVG colours and textures: use another application that supports OpenType SVG, or the separate letter images if your download includes them.
• Finished lettering: create it in compatible software, then export artwork you can place in your chosen application. Keep an editable original.

Copying characters won’t reproduce every automatic OpenType behaviour. Likewise, imported artwork won’t remain editable text.

If you’re unsure which approach will work, contact me with the font name, your software version and the feature you’re trying to use.