How Do I Add Fonts to AutoCAD 2018?

Adding fonts to AutoCAD 2018 allows you to use a wider variety of text styles in your drawings. There are two primary ways to make fonts available for use in AutoCAD: by placing the font files directly into specific directories or by adding the location of your font files to AutoCAD's supported file search path.

## Method 1: Placing Font Files Directly

The most common method is to copy the font files into AutoCAD's designated font folders or the Windows system font folder. AutoCAD 2018 supports primarily two types of font files:

*   **SHX Fonts:** These are AutoCAD-specific shape font files, often used for technical drawing and older drawings.
*   **TTF Fonts:** These are TrueType fonts, standard across Windows and other operating systems, offering more flexibility and higher quality.

To add fonts this way:

1.  **Locate the Font Files:** Find the `.shx` or `.ttf` font files you wish to add.
2.  **Copy Files to AutoCAD's Font Folder:**
    *   Navigate to the AutoCAD 2018 installation directory, typically located at `C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2018\`.
    *   Open the `Fonts` subfolder.
    *   Copy your `.shx` files into this `Fonts` folder.
3.  **Copy TTF Files to Windows Fonts Folder:**
    *   Navigate to the Windows Fonts folder, typically `C:\Windows\Fonts\`.
    *   Copy your `.ttf` files into this folder. Windows will usually handle the installation process automatically.

After copying the files, restart AutoCAD 2018. The newly added fonts should appear in the Text Style dialog box and property palettes.

## Method 2: Adding a Custom Font Location (Using Supported File Search Path)

If your fonts are stored in a different folder or on a network drive, you can tell AutoCAD where to look for them by adding that folder to the supported file search path. This method is particularly useful for managing shared font libraries without copying files into the default installation directories.

Based on the provided reference, here are the steps:

1.  On the command line within AutoCAD 2018, type **OPTIONS** and press Enter. This opens the Options dialog box.
2.  In the Options dialog box, navigate to the **File** tab.
3.  In the list presented, open the tree structure for **Supported File Search Path**.
4.  Click the **Add** button located on the right side. A new path entry will appear.
5.  Click the **Browse...** button to open a folder selection dialog.
6.  Browse to and select the location (folder) containing your desired font files (both SHX and TTF files can reside in this folder).
7.  Click **OK** in the Browse for Folder dialog.
8.  The selected path will now be listed under Supported File Search Path.
9.  Click **Apply**, then **OK** to close the Options dialog and save your changes.

Autodesk AutoCAD will now search the specified folder for font files when opening drawings or creating text styles.

Regardless of the method used, ensuring AutoCAD can locate your font files is key to displaying text correctly in your drawings. Using standard SHX and TTF fonts minimizes compatibility issues when sharing drawings with others.