Erin Wright Writing

Writing-Related Software Tutorials

How to Install Fonts into Microsoft Word

By

This tutorial explains how to install fonts into Microsoft Word. These steps also apply to other desktop Office applications, such as Excel and PowerPoint.

After installation, we will also look at how to uninstall fonts.

Table of Contents

All the steps listed here are demonstrated in real-time on my YouTube channel:

These steps apply to Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2024, Word 2021, Word 2019, and Word 2016. These steps don’t apply to Word for Mac, Word for the web, or Word for mobile.

A Word of Caution: Fonts, like other digital products, are protected by law. Therefore, ensure that you are downloading fonts for reputable foundries (font vendors). If you are unsure where to start, review the registered font vendors on Microsoft’s Typography website.

How to Install Fonts

To install fonts into Microsoft Word and other Office applications, the fonts must first be installed into the Windows operating system.

  1. Download the font from the foundries website. (These steps will vary by foundry).
  2. Locate the font file in your Downloads folder.
  3. If the font is in a .zip file, double-click the file to open it.
Important Note: Your download may include OpenType and TrueType fonts. OpenType is a newer format and will be the best choice in most situations. However, TrueType may offer wider compatibility. To avoid unexpected results, don’t install both formats onto your machine at the same time.
  1. Double-click the individual font file to open the Font Previewer.
  2. Select the Install button.
  3. Close the Font Previewer.
  4. Open Microsoft Word.
  5. Select the Home tab.
  6. Ensure that your new font is listed in the Font menu.

You can now use the font in your document as you normally would.

How to Uninstall Fonts

  1. Type Fonts in the Windows Search box in the taskbar.
  2. Select Fonts Control Panel from the menu.
  3. Select the three-dot menu next to the font in the Font Control Panel.
  4. Select Uninstall from the menu.

When you close and then reopen Word, the uninstalled font should no longer appear in the Home tab Font menu.

Related Resources

How to Change the Font, Font Size, and Font Color in Microsoft Word

How to Find and Replace Fonts in Microsoft Word

How to Change the Default Font in Microsoft Word