# Text

## Adding Fonts

GIMP uses the FreeType 2 font engine to render fonts, and a system called Fontconfig to manage them. FreeType 2 supports many common font file formats. You can also add modules to support other types of font files. See FREETYPE 2 for more information.

Any font in Fontconfig's font path is available in GIMP. In addition, any font which is located in GIMP's Font Folders is available in GIMP. Font Folders are set on the Fonts page in the Folders preferences. By default, there are two Font Folders: The system GIMP fonts folder (which you should not alter), and a `fonts` folder inside your personal GIMP directory. You can also add additional font folders if wanted.

- Linux:

  There are several ways to install a font:

  - Use an application like GNOME Fonts or KFontView to install the font.

  - Place the font file in the directory `~/.local/share/fonts/`. This will make the font available to you only.

  - If you have administrator rights, place the font file in the directory `/usr/local/share/fonts/`. This will make the font available to all users.

  In all cases, the font will become available to all programs that use Fontconfig.

- Microsoft Windows:

  There are several ways to install a font system-wide:

  - Drag the font file into the Fonts directory `C:\Windows\Fonts` `C:\\Windows\\Fonts`.

  - Install the font via the Windows Control Panel. In Windows 7 and Windows 10, go to Control Panel Fonts. In Windows 8.1, go to Control Panel Appearance and Personalization Fonts.

  Windows support for different font file formats varies by Windows version. Please ask in a Windows support forum in case of problems.

- Mac OS X

  Install the font via the Font Book application.

The installed font will show up the next time you start GIMP. If you want to use it in an already running GIMP instance, press the Refresh button in the Fonts dialog.

If for some reason you run into problems trying to install a font system-wide, try to install the font in the `fonts` folder of your personal GIMP directory instead (see above).

For the most authoritative and up-to-date information on fonts in GIMP, consult the Fonts in GIMP 2.0 page at the GIMP web site.

Text Fonts
Fonts Add

## Font Problems

In most cases, problems with fonts have been caused by malformed font files giving trouble to Fontconfig. If you experience crashes at start-up when GIMP scans your font directories, as a quick workaround you can start GIMP with the `--no-fonts` command line argument, but then you will not be able to use the text tool.

A frequent source of confusion occurs on Windows systems, when GIMP encounters a malformed font file and generates an error message: this causes a console window to pop up so that you can see the message. Do not close that console window. It is harmless, and closing it will shut down GIMP. When this happens, it often seems to users that GIMP has crashed. It hasn't: closing the console window causes Windows to shut GIMP down. Unfortunately, this annoying situation is caused by an interaction between Windows and the libraries that GIMP links to: it cannot be fixed within GIMP. All you need to do, though, if this happens, is minimize the console window and ignore it.

Fonts Problems
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