This article covers how to install several fonts at once on a Mac.
The short answer: there are two ways. Select multiple font files and add them through Font Book, or copy them straight into a Fonts folder. The result is identical, so pick whichever suits you.
This article was originally written on the assumption that Font Book could not install fonts in bulk. It can — I simply had not found how at the time. That is corrected below, along with the differences between the install locations.
Supported file types include .otf, .ttf, .ttc and .otc.
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Two ways to install fonts in bulk
Through Font Book, or by copying into a Fonts folder. Font Book is easier to manage; copying is faster when there are a lot of files.
▼The two methods compared
| Font Book | Copy into the folder | |
|---|---|---|
| Bulk install | Yes, via multi-select | Yes |
| Font validation | Automatic | None |
| Duplicate detection | Yes | No |
| Admin rights | Depends on destination | Depends on destination |
| Best for | Most situations | Dropping in hundreds of files |
A corrupt font can hang an application at launch. If the fonts come from a source you are not certain about, install through Font Book so they get validated.
Installing several fonts through Font Book
Select every font you want in Finder and drag them onto the Font Book window. There is no need to open them one at a time.
- Select the font files in Finder (command + A for all, command + click to add individually)
- Open Font Book
- Drag the selection onto the Font Book window
The menu works as well: in Font Book choose File > Add Fonts to Current User and select multiple files in the dialog.
Dragging onto the Font Book icon in the Dock also works — drop the files there and click Install in the confirmation sheet.
Font Book validates each font for corruption as it installs and warns about duplicates against what is already on the system. A font that triggers a warning here is usually not worth forcing through.
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Copying into a Fonts folder
Fonts are picked up from either ~/Library/Fonts or /Library/Fonts. The fastest way there is Finder’s Go to Folder.
Press command + shift + G in Finder to open Go to Folder, then enter one of these paths and copy the files in.
~/Library/FontsFrom the terminal:
open ~/Library/FontsTo make the fonts available to every user account, open the system-wide folder instead. You will be asked for an administrator password.
open /Library/FontsIf the folder does not exist yet, create it first:
mkdir -p ~/Library/FontsThree install locations, and which to pick
Use ~/Library/Fonts for yourself and /Library/Fonts for everyone on the machine. Never touch /System/Library/Fonts.
▼Font locations on macOS
| Path | Available to | Admin rights | Use it? |
|---|---|---|---|
~/Library/Fonts |
Your account only | Not needed | Recommended |
/Library/Fonts |
All users | Required | On shared machines |
/System/Library/Fonts |
The system | Locked | Leave alone |
/System/Library/Fonts holds the fonts macOS itself depends on. System Integrity Protection normally blocks writes there, and working around it risks breaking system rendering.
Font Book’s default destination can be changed under Font Book > Settings. Unless you have a reason to change it, leaving it on the user location — which needs no admin rights — is fine.
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When a new font does not appear in an app
You do not need to restart the Mac. Quitting and reopening the application is almost always enough.
Most applications read the font list once at launch, so fonts added while the app is open will not show up. Quit properly with command + Q rather than just closing the window — check that the dot under the Dock icon has gone.
If it still does not appear, work through these in order:
- Check the font is not disabled in Font Book (disabled fonts do not appear in apps)
- Check for a duplicate of a different version (Font Book flags these in yellow)
- Validate the file (File > Validate Font in Font Book)
- Only then, restart the Mac
Restarting is the last resort, not the first step.
Using the fonts in design apps
Photoshop, Illustrator and the Figma desktop app all read the fonts installed on macOS. There is no per-application font installation step.
Install once using either method above and every application sees the same fonts.
This article was originally written about adding fonts for Adobe XD. Adobe XD entered maintenance mode in 2023 and no longer receives new features, and it is no longer sold as a standalone product to new customers, so Figma is the practical choice for new work. The font installation process is unchanged either way.
Figma in the browser needs a separate helper, the Figma font installer, to see local fonts. The desktop app does not.
Checking font licences
Always check the licence for commercial use. Plenty of fonts distributed free of charge are licensed for personal use only.
For work you are paid for, prefer fonts with clearly stated licence terms. Free font sites in particular mix personal-use-only and commercially usable fonts together without always making the distinction obvious.
Free font sites in particular mix personal-use-only and commercially usable fonts together, so read the licence file that ships with the download rather than relying on the category the site filed it under.
If you are gathering other assets as well, free image, video and illustration sources lists them grouped by licence terms.
