KidsFonts Frequently Asked Questions

Click on your problem below:

There is an .otf file in the download folder. What do I do with it?

The .otf file is the actual font file. All you need to do now is install the .otf file into your system fonts folder. Click on How do I install new fonts on my computer? for instructions on how to do this.

Why can't I get the Trace/Color/NealFont program to work?

KidsFonts are not programs, they’re fonts. Fonts are different typefaces you can use in word processing and desktop publishing programs. In order for you to be able to use the fonts, they must be installed in your computer’s system fonts folder. Then you can open up any desktop publishing or word processing program, and select TraceFont, ColorFont or NealFont from the “fonts” menu, set the type size to 60 or larger, and type out your own worksheets.

How do I install new fonts on my computer?

Click on your operating system below, and a window will pop up with instructions for installing fonts on your computer. In most cases, you will need to quit the program you want to use the fonts with, and restart it after the fonts are installed in order to use them.

  • Windows Vista
    1. Right-click on the font file.
    2. Select “Install” from the context menu that appears.
    3. Click “Continue” in the user account control pop up window.

    If that doesn’t work, try this method instead:

    1. Open Fonts:
      1. Click the Start button
      2. Click Control Panel
      3. Click Appearance and Personalization
      4. Click Fonts
    2. Click File, and then click Install New Font. (If you don’t see the File menu, press ALT.)
    3. In the Add Fonts dialog box, under Drives, click the drive where the font that you want to install is located.
    4. Under Folders, double-click the folder containing the fonts that you want to add.
    5. Under List of fonts, click the font that you want to add, and then click Install.

    The new fonts are now installed and Windows programs can access them. However, in some cases you may need to restart (reboot) your machine first.

  • Windows XP
    1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
    2. Double-click the Fonts folder.
    3. On the File menu, click Install New Font. The Add Fonts dialog box will appear.
    4. Under drives, change to the drive where the fonts to be added are located. (If you downloaded your KidsFonts to your main hard-drive, you should not need to change drives.) Then, if necessary, double-click the folder containing the fonts.
    5. Click the font you want to add. To select more than one font at a time, hold down the CTRL key while you click each font.
    6. Make sure the Copy Fonts To Fonts Folder box is checked.
    7. Click OK.

    The new fonts are now in your Font folder and Windows programs can access them. However, in some cases you may need to restart (reboot) your machine first.

  • Windows ME
    1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
    2. Double-click the Fonts folder.
    3. On the File menu, click Install New Font. The Add Fonts dialog box will appear.

      4. NOTE: In some Windows ME systems, the Install New Font option is missing. To fix this problem, follow these steps:
      1. On your screen, locate and click the Start button.
      From the Start menu, click Run.
      2. In the Run dialog box, in the Open field, type:
      Attrib +S C:\Windows\Fonts, and then click OK.
      The Fonts folder now appears normally.

    4. Under drives, change to the drive where the fonts to be added are located. (If you downloaded your KidsFonts to your main hard-drive, you should not need to change drives.) Then, if necessary, double-click the folder containing the fonts.
    5. Click the font you want to add. To select more than one font at a time, hold down the CTRL key while you click each font.
    6. Make sure the Copy Fonts To Fonts Folder box is checked.
    7. Click OK.

    The new fonts are now in your Font folder and Windows programs can access them. However, in some cases you may need to restart (reboot) your machine first.

  • Windows 95/98/2000
    1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
    2. Double-click the Fonts folder.
    3. On the File menu, click Install New Font. The Add Fonts dialog box will appear.
    4. Under drives, change to the drive where the fonts to be added are located. (If you downloaded your KidsFonts to your main hard-drive, you should not need to change drives.) Then, if necessary, double-click the folder containing the fonts.
    5. Click the font you want to add. To select more than one font at a time, hold down the CTRL key while you click each font.
    6. Make sure the Copy Fonts To Fonts Folder box is checked.
    7. Click OK.

    The new fonts are now in your Font folder and Windows programs can access them. However, in some cases you may need to restart (reboot) your machine first.

  • Windows 7/8
    • The easiest way to install a font is to double-click on a font file to open the font preview and select ‘Install’.
    • You can also right-click on a font file, and then select ‘Install’.
    • Another option is to install fonts with the Fonts Control Panel. Follow these steps to open the Fonts Control Panel.
      1. On Windows 7, Select ‘Control Panel’ from the ‘Start’ menu, then select ‘Appearance and Personalization’ and then select ‘Fonts’. On Windows 8, you can get to the Font Control Panel simply by searching for ‘Fonts’.
      2. Drag a font file and drop it into the Fonts Control Panel.
    • Note: If you receive an error message make sure the font file is not compressed (it should not have a zipper icon). Also, make sure you have Administrator privileges (Control Panel/User Accounts).

    The new fonts are now in your Font folder and Windows programs can access them. However, in some cases you may need to restart (reboot) your machine first.

  • Windows 10
    1. In File Explorer, go to the folder where the new fonts are.
    2. Select the fonts you are interested in installing, right click and select Install.
    3. Note: If the above steps do not work, check your Microsoft Edge Internet Security options and make sure your settings allow you to open/install things you download from the internt. (You may want to change the setting back when you’re done.)

    The new fonts are now in your Font folder and Windows programs can access them. However, in some cases you may need to restart (reboot) your machine first.

  • For Mac users, visit Apple’s support page for FontBook for OS X

How do I get the worksheets?

The worksheets are included in every KidsFonts Download Pack. Each tracing font also has a font + worksheets option available for a lower price, if you only want one style of worksheets.

I got the Download Pack, but the worksheets won't print correctly.

First, let me thank you for supporting KidsFonts! Now, about your problem…
In order to keep the download size of the worksheets fairly reasonable, I decided not to “embed” the fonts into each worksheet file. That means you need to have BOTH TraceFont or NealFont AND ColorFont installed in your computer’s fonts folder before the worksheets will print correctly. If you don’t have the fonts installed, Acrobat Viewer (the utility that opens the worksheet files) will substitute an installed font in place of the KidsFonts.