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Fonts and typefaces have been around since 1588, when the Gutenberg Bible was printed using movable punch in.

Today, there are tens of thousands of different fonts, with more being created every day.

Fonts

We’re all familiar with Times New Roman, Arial, and the much-derided Comic Sans.

But sometimes, you need something specific that isn’t in the drop-down list onMicrosoftWord or LibreOffice Writer.

It’s easy to download and install new fonts, and there’s plenty to choose from.

Screenshot showing how to install fonts - Check existing fonts

Our step-by-step guide will show you how to find the perfect font.

How to install fonts

The screenshots in this guide show Microsoft Word running on a Windowsoperating system.

These steps will also work on Macs, Chromebooks, and Linux distros like Ubuntu.

Screenshot showing how to install fonts - Go to 3rd party font site

For the party invitation in the screenshot above, I want to use a calligraphy-style font.

Caution:In this guide, we’ve used a well-known and reputable third-party site.

I’ve selected Calligraphy.

Screenshot showing how to install fonts - Select font

I have chosen Bridgerton Script Font for my party invitation.

When you have chosen your font, press the name to go to the download page.

Download font

On the font download page, selectDownload.

Screenshot showing how to install fonts - Download font

This will download a zip file containing your font file.

Your font file will be in either OTF (OpenType font) or TTF (TrueType font) format.

Both formats are fine for Word, LibreOffice Writer, and most other word processors.

Screenshot showing how to install fonts - Install font

This will open a window showing the font details and examples of text.

Select your new font.

There are, after all, thousands and thousands of fonts to choose from!

Screenshot showing how to install fonts - Use new font

There are many different font websites offering both free and paid fonts for you to install.

Keep in mind that many free fonts are intended for personal use only.

The dafontfree.io site provides a link to purchase fonts for commercial use where applicable.

Check out the options and have fun experimenting with different styles.