Being a member of the FontShop International Font Identification and Type Research team I occasionally receive questions concerning font installation. Many people use font management software, but there's nothing wrong with installing fonts the old-fashioned way if you have to manage a modest number of digital typefaces. Yet installing fonts on a computer is not always as easy as we'd like it to be. There are different operating systems, different versions of those operating systems, and different font formats. The parameters we have to take into account are numerous, which make easy-to-understand installation guides most welcome. All professional fonts come with an – often illustrated – installation guide besides the EULA, so always check the documents that are included with the font files after download.

FontShop has something a little more elaborate in the Help section of the website. I was recently reminded of those Font Installation guides through a Tweet by Jason Castle:

Easy-to-follow, illustrated font installation guide for Mac, Windows XP, Vista at FontShop: http://bit.ly/8b33d (via @fontshop) #fonts

The guides are in fact slide shows that show you step by step – even the most elaborate one (for MS Windows) has no more than a dozen – what to do with the font files. If you have any problem with installing fonts, you'll find all the information you need, as well as basic information about the different font formats, all conveniently located on one page.

Header image:Font Folder Icon by benjigarner