Saw a great font and want to use it for your next design? Cricut is a great tool for design projects but if you want to create according to your specifications and wishes, then you should be able to use fonts even though they are not in Cricut’s font library by default.
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Benefits of Using Custom Fonts in Cricut
Custom fonts can elevate your Cricut design projects by adding a unique flair that sets your creations apart. These fonts enable you to tailor your designs specifically to your vision, allowing your personality to shine through. Whether you’re aiming for a whimsical look or a professional edge, the right font can transform your work and communicate the desired mood or theme. This level of customization also helps make your projects memorable, whether for personal use or as part of a business.
There is a seemingly endless number of fonts out there, which is a great thing. Fonts have their individual personality, style, and vibe. Even though the differences seem so minor between fonts, their effect on the outcome of a design can be huge. So never underestimate the power and the importance of your fonts.
The good news is that while Cricut comes with a ton of fonts, you still can add more that suits your preferences or designs better. The steps to do it are easy as well.
Step 1: Finding New Fonts
The first thing you need is to figure out where to source new fonts. Some advanced designers create them themselves (which you can do as well). For those who were not blessed with creative handwriting, they can easily find them online and download them.
Best Practices for Font Selection
When selecting fonts for your Cricut projects, consider readability and style consistency. Choosing a font that aligns with the overall theme of your project is crucial; for example, a classic serif may suit a formal invitation, whereas a playful script might be better for a casual greeting card. Pay attention to the detail in the fonts too; intricate designs may not cut well at smaller sizes, affecting clarity and aesthetics. Always test the font in Cricut Design Space to ensure it matches your vision before finalizing your design.
Free fonts can be found in websites like Dafont or Google Fonts, while other websites feature paid fonts sold in bundles for a good price. Professional designers might find it better to pay for fonts to avoid any copyright issues and to also support the people behind the font design.
There are also interesting sites out there like WhatTheFont! which helps you identify a font you just discovered somewhere. All you need is a picture of the font.
Step 2: Adding The New Fonts To Cricut Design Space
Once you have identified the font/s you like, the next step is to download it to your computer. To keep track of them, create a special folder for fonts on your desktop. It will either be a TrueType Font file (if it has only one style) or a ZIP file if it has many layers. Open the files, one at a time, and click Install to add it to your computer.
Troubleshooting: Your New Font Is Not Showing Up in Cricut?
This does not mean that you made a mistake in the installation and instead, the program is simply not updating with all the new fonts you added. When this happens, try out the following steps:
- Refresh the page and check if your new TrueType font is showing up
- If not, try signing out and signing back in of Design Space
- If the second step is still not successful, try a computer restart
The last step is more or less enough to really update your Cricut’s font library and should solve the problem. Otherwise, the issue might lie with the font file itself, which is why you should make sure you download a TrueType font file.
Sometimes, compatibility issues can stem from unsupported font types or corrupt files. Ensure you’re downloading TrueType (.ttf) or OpenType (.otf) formats, as these are widely supported. If your font isn’t displaying, consider using a font conversion tool to adapt it to a compatible format. Checking for font file corruption by trying an alternate download source can also help resolve visibility issues in Cricut Design Space.
Step 3: Uploading Fonts on Mac OS X or iOS
Adding fonts on Mac OS X is not that different compared to Windows 10, except opening and installing the fonts can be easier. All you need to do is to open the file or the zip archive and save it on your computer.
If you want to work on your design on an iPad or iPhone (you need iOS 11 or higher), then you need to download an app called iFont first. Then look for the font you want to add and tap on it. You will see two options (“Open in Files” or “More”). Choose “More” and then tap on “Copy to iFont”.
You will be redirected to iFont and you will see an option to “Install the font” and tap on the install button. Some menus will show up and you need to choose “Allow”. You will see a window with settings and click on the button to “Install Profile”. You need to input your device’s passcode and press “Install” a few more times and the process is finished when you see “Profile Installed”. Click on “Done” and you should see the font on your device.
Restart the Cricut app and select “Text” at the bottom. Click on the tab “All” and type the name of your new font. Click on it and you will go back to the Canvas screen.
What You Can Do With Your New Fonts
How To Customize Fonts In Design Space
Once you have uploaded new fonts to Cricut, you can do much more with them. With this software, you can do edits not just with the font size, but also with how the letters are spaced out, for example. This step, called kerning, allows you to increase or decrease the space between the letters. Moreover, you can ungroup the text to individual letters so you can move each letter manually to make them look any way you like.
It is also possible to group letters so that they can be moved together easily. By adjusting the letter and line spacing, you can do much more to customize your text.
How To Filter Fonts
Filtering fonts makes it easy for you if you have tons of them. You can choose between single-layer cutting, multi-layer cutting, and writing. If you specifically need a font with a writing option, this feature is very helpful. Writing fonts are better because you can change the style of the text in the edit panel.
Final Words
Excited about creating new designs with your fonts? Cricut Design Space truly opens a lot of opportunities for designers to be more creative. Beyond being able to add new fonts, you can do much more and edit its appearance in any way you want to. Adding new fonts is very easy but knowing how to edit them might take a bit more time. Still, with a bit of practice, you can master this easily.
