Using Adobe Fonts in Procreate

I Need My Font

Sometimes we just need to use a font that we pay for in Adobe Fonts via our Creative Cloud subscription, but we want to use it in Procreate.

Not always easy to do and I spent considerable time last night trying to figure out how to actually do it!

So how do we unlock the full potential of our digital designs by integrating Adobe fonts into Procreate? In this guide, I’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of importing and using Adobe’s vast font library in Procreate.

This guide is for Mac users only. If you’re looking for the PC version, you might as well ask me about unicorn grooming tips–equally clueless here! 😂

How To Get Adobe Fonts in Procreate…

There are plenty of sites and videos that deal with installing fonts in Procreate and it is relatively simple once you have downloaded the OTF or TTF font file. OTF (OpenType Font) and TTF (TrueType Font) are both digital font formats used in typography. They are the most common file formats for fonts that you’ll encounter when downloading or purchasing fonts online:

• Download the font to your iPad.
• Import the font to Procreate.
• All done, go and feed the ducks and celebrate with the universe on the simplicity of your digital life—easy peasy.

For more details on the above procedure, simply Google or YouTube your way to fontastic success…

…But Adding Adobe Fonts from your Creative Cloud Subscription is Another Bag of Whales

If you have an Adobe subscription you have access to all their fonts via Creative Cloud.

So far so good—but the issue is getting them to work in Procreate, it is not as simple as it sounds. In fact, it’s as near impossible as Optimus Prime arriving on a well-groomed pink unicorn next Tuesday at your front door to discuss Bitcoin cupcakes.

There is a workaround / hack for this. You will need to do the following:

Grab Ya Font

I use a MacStudio and an iPadPro.

Log into your Adobe Creative Cloud Account on your Mac and add the font family or typeface that you need. It will install on your Mac (and your other devices).

Locate Ya Font

Now we need to locate the font on your Mac.

Adobe fonts are hiding in a folder deep inside Middle Earth and are protected by horrid magic and angry orcs. So do the following:

Go to Finder and select Library, then

Navigate to the Adobe Font folder here:
Library > Application Support > Adobe > CoreSync >
plugins > livetype

Now, if you see nothing in the livetype folder that is because orcs have hidden them as an offering to Percy the Balrog.

You will need to slay the orcs first by selecting the livetype folder and pressing Shift + Cmd + .

Good!

Orcs slain.

Folder revealed.

Adventure forth…

Now we need to choose the .r folder.

In that .r folder lie all the captive Adobe Fonts installed on your system. Locate your font (and they have lost their names because of mistreatment by the orcs). You can get a rough approximation of what a font is by clicking on the font file and using Get Info to confirm the name.

Maybe the .r folder stands for Ravensboil Penitentiary where all Adobe fonts are held in chains made of rotting dragon hide.

Copy and Rename Ya Font

So now that you have recovered your hidden Adobe Creative Cloud Font, copy and paste it somewhere smart. I created an Assets folder that I dump many creative things in and created folders called Fonts > forProcreatefromAdobeCloud.

Paste your font in your folder and rename it – I simply copy the full name of the font from the Get Info pop-up screen. Make sure you do not erase the file extension.

AIRDROP Ya Font TO YOUR IPAD

Now that you have your font as a file we can see, we can AirDrop the font file to your iPad.

Ensure you can receive files via Airdrop on your iPad.

On the iPad go to Settings > General > AirDrop > Contacts Only is selected.

Then right click on the files in Finder, click Share, select AirDrop.

Wait for the pop-up on your iPad and accept the files and save them to a folder on your iPad selecting Files on the AirDrop pop-up.

Install Ya Font in Procreate

Bit of a quest getting these bedraggled and imprisoned font set free, but we are nearly done!

You can now add the font as you would any font to the Procreate font file system.

• Open Procreate on your iPad
• Tap the Actions icon (the little wrench on the top left of the screen).
• Now click on Add and then Add Text in the Actions Menu.
• Select the Aa icon at the right of the keyboard to access the Procreat font dialogue.
• Click Import Font

And there you have it, my Adobe Fonts from Creative Cloud are installed.

You may notice that one of my locations above is Creative Cloud – but I can never access fonts from there in the Procreate Import Fonts dialogue for some reason.

Did this help?

In our whimsical world of technology, it’s clear that not everything is as straightforward as it seems. Whether you’re navigating the Mac universe with a Procreate compass, or attempting to harness the vast font galaxy of Adobe’s Creative Cloud, challenges can feel as unexpected as an orc invasion that captured your favorite font.

But amidst the quirks and clashing of steel blades, it’s these very tales that make our quest to free fonts from their prison.

Be Ethical, Be Good

Adobe Fonts (previously known as Typekit) are protected by copyright. When you use Adobe Fonts through a Creative Cloud subscription, you’re essentially getting a license to use those fonts, but you don’t own them. This license allows you to use the fonts in various projects, including commercial ones, without having to purchase individual licenses for each font or font family.

You cannot distribute the font files themselves. For instance, if you’re sending a design to someone else, you can’t include the actual font file. Instead, they would need their own license (or Adobe subscription) to access and use that font.

Can you use Adobe Fonts in non Adobe programs (like procreate)?

If you end your Creative Cloud subscription, you lose access to Adobe Fonts. Any projects that used those fonts will still exist, but you won’t be able to edit them with those fonts unless you have another valid license.

Check out all the Adobe Font licensing FAQs.

I can use Adobe Fonts on my Mac Studio in any software that I have installed on that device. The above work around is to overcome a shortcoming within the Procreate font management system.