Microsoft Windows 7 & fonts
This page provides a comprehensive overview of the way fonts are handled by Windows 7. It covers the following topics:
- What is new?
- Font types that Windows 7 supports
- Typefaces that are included in Windows 7
- How to install fonts?
- Other sources of information
What is new in Windows 7 when it comes to fonts?
- The thumbnails in the fonts folder show 3 characters of the font’s alphabet on the icon. This makes it easier to identify fonts. Stacked icons indicate that different font styles are available. Such a group of fonts is called a ‘collection’. The use of collections reduces the clutter in the font folder.
Font collection
- Windows 7 can hide certain fonts automatically when needed. Fonts that are hidden are not available to applications although they are still installed in the operation system. One way in which this mechanism is used is for hiding fonts deemed useless based on the regional settings: if you indicate that Windows 7 should use western regional settings, japanese fonts will be hidden. This font hiding mechanism frees up memory and simplifies font selection.
- The ‘Install New Font’ menu option that hadn’t changed since Windows 3.1 or so is no longer available in Windows 7. You install fonts by copying them into the fonts folder.
- Gabriola is a new font that is included with the operating system. It is a script font with support for a wide variety of advanced OpenType features.
Gabriola
- Font rendering has improved: the ClearType technology that is used to anti-alias type on LCD displays has been optimised and now displays sharper fonts. Programmers also get easier access to advanced OpenType functionalities.
Font types that are supported by Windows7
I haven’t found a good list yet and assume that Windows 7 supports the same font types as Vista does.
- Type 1 (as with other versions of Windows, you need .PFM and .PFB files)
- Multiple Master (see the work-around below on how to get them working)
- TrueType (.TTF/.TTC/.OTF)
- OpenType (using CFF outlines, .OTF)
- bitmap fonts (.FON)
- Old vector font format fonts (typically .FON as well).
- A new composite font file format that is used to describe international font linking and fallback logic (.CompositeFont).
Fonts that are included in Windows 7
Windows 7 ships with 235 fonts, versus 191 in Vista and 133 in Windows XP. The list of typefaces that ship with Windows 7 can be found here. Microsoft publish them on this page and list all the new fonts here.
To view a list of all the fonts on your system, go to the Fonts control panel or simply type ‘font’ at the Start menu. This will take you into the same control panel.
How to install fonts
Copy fonts to the Fonts folder (usually C:\Windows\Fonts) to install them.
How many fonts can you install? All Windows versions that have been released in the last 10 years or so are designed to cope with large font lists. The system only loads the fonts that it is using. To keep your font list manageable, you may still want to invest in a font manager, such as SuitCase.
Fonts that should never be deleted in Windows 7
Apparently it is incredibly difficult to find a list of the mandatory system fonts. Add a comment if you are aware of such a list.
Other sources of information
I haven’t run across Windows 7-related prepress stuff yet. Here is an interesting article on ClearType.
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Actually, for those of you that are missing the old ‘Install new font’ dialog, there are a number of ways to install fonts in Windows 7:
- Through the ‘Install’ button in font viewer.
- Right-click -> install in explorer.
- Drag and drop.
- Copy and paste.
Yes, the fonts are really fantastic that are introduced in windows 7.
Hello.
I have windows2k professional linked to a new windows7 box. How do I get multiple master fonts from win2kPro to windows7 ? They won’t show up when I drag and drop them. This is a disaster…
I just keep getting messages…… “does not appear to be a valid font” … I drag the pfm and the pfb at the same time…. no dice.
Windows 7 font issue. I have a bunch of Alberta fonts of different varieties. When I open the font group there are only 3 displayed. If I delete those 3, 3 new ones appear. If I add new fonts of the same type to the group, it says they are already installed even though they do not show in the folder, and when I say reinstall they show for a few seconds and then go away??? I’m not sure they are there or not, I can’t use them in any applications, but they are already installed?
Has anyone found a way to delete unwanted fonts?
Nicholas……
When I try to install or Copy/Paste Fonts in Windows 7, I get the message that it “Does not appear to be a valid Font”.
The fonts (.ttf) I am trying to install worked well with WinXP. This is for our Native American Language Department.
Please advise.
Thank you,
Larry Murner
Cape Flattery School Dist.
Hi Larry
I had this problem also, when trying to copy over fonts from a WinXP partition. I found by right-clicking the font file and “Taking Ownership”, then right-click again & choose “Install” worked.
Hope it works for you too!
Cheers
Fonts that should never be deleted in Windows 7:
Marlette – This is the font used for the minimize, maximize and close buttons on your window borders. Don’t remove this!
Arial (TrueType)
Times New Roman (TrueType)
Courier New (TrueType)
Any .FON files. These are fixed size fonts used for MS-DOS windows and some dialog boxes.
Hiding fonts is just wonderful if it just worked! I have hide all the junk fonts that i don’t want Indesign and Illustrator to see. Nothing happens! The font lists are still crowded with junk. This is rubbish!
I use Paint Shop Pro 7, 9 and X2 and now with Windows 7, I have a major font issue. With all other operating systems, any of my 8200 fonts (in folders) could be opened and minimized and they would then appear in PSP’s font list to be used in graphics projects. Windows 7 doesn’t support this and it’s a major hit for us.I was told that W7 will hold 750 fonts. I need access to more than that! Looks like I’ll be constantly installing and uninstalling fonts.
Paula I use Paint Shop X2 and X3. All you have to do is have a font viewer like AMP Font Viewer which is free, and there are others. With it you can add your favorite fonts or folders, have them open in the Font Manager and when you open your Paint Shop Program those fonts will show up in the drop down menu.
I have tried to intall some type 1 fonts onto Windows 7. I have both the .PFB and .PFM files. When I drag them into the font folder I get a message saying that ‘this is a ‘PBF’ file for a Type 1 font and cannot be installed directly. Please install the associated ‘PFM’ file.
I have installed the ‘PFM’ file but the fonts don’t show up in any of my applications ie: photoshop, indesign, illustrator.
Can anyone help me, am I doing something wrong?
Just installed Windows 7 and am using Suitcase fusion 2 – now Windows will only show postscirpt fonts as active – none of the truetype fonts wehn activated will work, they immeditaley get deactivated – is there a solution to this problem?
I have an expensive CD-ROM with 25 TrueType fonts in non-Romanized double-byte characters. They have been used in Windows 3.1/95/98/NT. There are setup98.exe and setupNT.exe inside. But none of them works in (English) Windows 7 Professional, WIndows 7 Virtual PC and Windows 7 XP Mode. I also tried using Windows 7’s XP SP2/SP3 Compatibility Modes. Hopeless there.
Any insight?