How to Add a Font to Shopify: A Comprehensive Guide

Want to inject some personality and brand identity into your Shopify store? A crucial element is, without a doubt, typography. Choosing the right fonts can dramatically impact your store’s aesthetic, readability, and overall user experience. But how exactly do you add those beautiful, custom fonts to your Shopify store? Let’s dive in.

The simplest answer is: You can add a font to Shopify using several methods: by uploading the font file directly to your theme’s assets folder, by using a Shopify app specifically designed for font management, or by linking to an external font service like Google Fonts through your theme’s code. Each method offers different levels of control and complexity, so choosing the right one depends on your technical skills and desired level of customization.

Understanding Your Font Options

Before jumping into the “how,” let’s briefly discuss the different types of fonts and where you can find them.

Font Types

Common font file formats you’ll encounter include:

• TTF (TrueType Font): A widely supported font format, compatible with most browsers and operating systems.
• OTF (OpenType Font): An advanced version of TrueType, often containing more typographic features.
• WOFF (Web Open Font Format): Optimized for web use, offering better compression and performance.
• WOFF2 (Web Open Font Format 2): The successor to WOFF, offering even better compression and performance. This is the recommended format for web fonts.

Finding Your Perfect Font

There are many resources for finding fonts, both free and paid:

• Google Fonts: A vast library of open-source fonts that are free to use and easily integrated with websites.
• Adobe Fonts (formerly Typekit): A subscription service offering high-quality fonts, integrated with Adobe Creative Cloud.
• Font Squirrel: Offers free fonts for commercial use, with a focus on web-friendly formats.
• MyFonts: A large marketplace for purchasing fonts from independent foundries.
• Creative Market: Features a variety of fonts from independent designers, often bundled with other design assets.

Method 1: Uploading Font Files Directly to Your Theme

This is the most direct method, giving you the most control but also requiring some coding knowledge.

Step 1: Download Your Font Files

Ensure you have the font files in WOFF or WOFF2 format. If you only have TTF or OTF, you can use an online font converter to create WOFF/WOFF2 versions.

Step 2: Upload Fonts to Shopify Assets

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Themes.
2. Click the “Actions” button next to the theme you want to edit, and select “Edit code”.
3. In the code editor, open the “Assets” folder.
4. Click “Add a new asset” and upload your WOFF/WOFF2 font files. Give them descriptive names (e.g., “myfont-regular.woff2,” “myfont-bold.woff2”).

Step 3: Modify Your Theme’s CSS

Now, you need to tell your theme how to use these fonts. You’ll do this by adding a @font-face rule to your theme’s CSS.

1. In the code editor, find your theme’s main CSS file. This is often named theme.scss.liquid, theme.css.liquid, or style.scss.liquid within the “Assets” folder. The exact name may vary depending on your theme.

2. At the very top of the CSS file, add the following @font-face declarations. Replace "MyFont" with the name you want to use for your font family, and adjust the src URLs to match the filenames you uploaded:

   @font-face {   font-family: "MyFont";   src: url("{{ 'myfont-regular.woff2' | asset_url }}") format("woff2"),        url("{{ 'myfont-regular.woff' | asset_url }}") format("woff"); /* Fallback for older browsers */   font-weight: normal;   font-style: normal; }  @font-face {   font-family: "MyFont";   src: url("{{ 'myfont-bold.woff2' | asset_url }}") format("woff2"),        url("{{ 'myfont-bold.woff' | asset_url }}") format("woff"); /* Fallback for older browsers */   font-weight: bold;   font-style: normal; } 

   Important: Pay close attention to the use of {{ 'filename.woff2' | asset_url }}. This Shopify Liquid code generates the correct URL to your font file within the assets folder.

3. Now you can use your font in your CSS. For example, to apply “MyFont” to all paragraphs, you would add:

   p {   font-family: "MyFont", sans-serif; /* sans-serif is a fallback font */ } 

4. Save your CSS file.

Step 4: Test and Adjust

Check your store to see if the font is displaying correctly. You may need to clear your browser’s cache. Experiment with different font weights and styles (e.g., italic) to achieve the desired look.

Method 2: Using a Shopify App

Several Shopify apps simplify the font installation process. These apps typically provide a user-friendly interface for browsing and selecting fonts and then automatically integrate them into your theme.

Finding a Suitable App

Search the Shopify App Store for terms like “custom fonts,” “font manager,” or “typography.” Some popular options include:

• Fontify: A dedicated font app designed for easy integration.
• PageFly: Page builder apps often include font management features.
• Shogun: Another popular page builder app with advanced font options.

Using the App

The exact steps will vary depending on the app you choose, but generally, you’ll follow these steps:

1. Install the app from the Shopify App Store.
2. Follow the app’s instructions to connect it to your theme.
3. Browse or upload your desired fonts within the app’s interface.
4. Assign fonts to specific elements (headings, body text, buttons, etc.) using the app’s visual editor or settings.
5. Save your changes.

Method 3: Linking to an External Font Service (e.g., Google Fonts)

This method is generally easier than uploading fonts directly, especially for those less comfortable with coding. Google Fonts is a very popular and free option.

Step 1: Choose Your Fonts on Google Fonts

Go to Google Fonts and browse the available fonts. Select the font you want to use and click the “+” button next to each style (e.g., Regular 400, Bold 700).

Step 2: Embed the Font in Your Theme

Google Fonts provides code snippets that you can copy and paste into your theme.

1. Copy the <link> tag provided by Google Fonts. It will look something like this:

   <link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com"> <link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.gstatic.com" crossorigin> <link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Your+Font+Name:wght@400;700&display=swap" rel="stylesheet"> 

2. In your Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Themes.

3. Click the “Actions” button next to the theme you want to edit, and select “Edit code”.

4. Find the theme.liquid file. This is the main layout file for your store.

5. Paste the <link> tag inside the <head> section of the theme.liquid file, ideally above the <link> tag that loads your theme’s main CSS file.

Step 3: Apply the Font in Your Theme’s CSS

1. Google Fonts also provides a CSS rule to use the font. Copy this rule. It will look something like this:

   font-family: 'Your Font Name', sans-serif; 

2. In your theme’s CSS file (e.g., theme.scss.liquid, theme.css.liquid, or style.scss.liquid), use the font-family rule to apply the font to the desired elements. For example:

   h1, h2, h3 {   font-family: 'Your Font Name', sans-serif; } 

3. Save your CSS file.

Step 4: Test and Adjust

Check your store to see if the font is displaying correctly. You may need to clear your browser’s cache.

Important Considerations

• Performance: Using too many custom fonts, especially large font files, can slow down your store’s loading speed. Optimize your font files (use WOFF2, subset fonts) and consider using a CDN.
• Legibility: Choose fonts that are easy to read, especially for body text. Test your fonts on different devices and screen sizes.
• Licensing: Ensure you have the proper license to use any font you download, especially for commercial purposes.
• Accessibility: Consider users with visual impairments. Choose fonts with good contrast and readability, and provide alternative text for images.
• Theme Updates: When you update your Shopify theme, your font customizations may be overwritten. Keep a record of your changes so you can reapply them after the update. Alternatively, create a child theme (if your theme supports it) to preserve your customizations.

FAQs: Your Questions Answered

Here are some frequently asked questions to further clarify the process of adding fonts to Shopify:

1. What is the best font format to use for Shopify?

WOFF2 is the recommended format due to its superior compression and browser compatibility. WOFF is a good fallback.

2. Can I use any font I find online?

No. Many fonts are copyrighted and require a license for commercial use. Always check the font’s licensing terms before using it on your Shopify store. Google Fonts are typically a safe bet as they are open-source.

3. How do I convert TTF or OTF files to WOFF2?

There are several online font converters available, such as Font Squirrel’s Webfont Generator. Simply upload your font file, select the desired formats, and download the converted files.

4. Why is my custom font not showing up on my Shopify store?

Possible reasons include: incorrect file paths in your CSS, browser caching issues, incorrect @font-face syntax, or the font file not being properly uploaded. Double-check each step carefully.

5. How do I change the font size on my Shopify store?

You can change the font size in your theme’s CSS file by using the font-size property. For example: p { font-size: 16px; }.

6. Can I use different fonts for different sections of my store?

Yes. You can apply different fonts to specific elements by targeting them with CSS selectors. For example, to use a different font for your product titles: .product-title { font-family: "AnotherFont", sans-serif; }.

7. How do I subset a font to improve performance?

Font subsetting involves removing unused characters from a font file, reducing its size. Online font subsetting tools can help you generate smaller font files containing only the characters used on your website.

8. How do I use Adobe Fonts (Typekit) with Shopify?

Adobe Fonts provides instructions for embedding their fonts into websites. Follow their guide to generate the necessary code and then add it to your theme.liquid file and CSS, similar to Google Fonts.

9. Will adding custom fonts slow down my website?

Potentially, yes. Large font files can increase page load times. Optimize your fonts by using WOFF2 format, subsetting, and using a CDN.

10. How do I clear my browser cache to see the updated fonts?

The process varies depending on your browser, but generally, you can find the option to clear your cache in your browser’s settings or history menu. Try a hard refresh (Ctrl+Shift+R or Cmd+Shift+R) first.

11. What is a CDN and how can it help with font performance?

A Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a network of servers that distributes your website’s content (including fonts) to users from the closest server location, reducing latency and improving loading speed. Consider using a CDN if you are experiencing slow loading times due to your font files.

12. How do I revert to my theme’s default fonts?

Remove the @font-face declarations from your CSS and remove any font-family rules that specify your custom font. Your theme will then use its default fonts. You might need to clear your browser cache to see the changes.

Adding custom fonts to your Shopify store is a powerful way to enhance your brand identity and create a more engaging user experience. By following these steps and considering the important considerations, you can ensure that your store looks its best and performs optimally. Now go forth and beautify your Shopify store!