# Microsoft fonts

Related articles

- Metric-compatible fonts
- Fonts
- Font configuration
- Infinality
- Java Runtime Environment Fonts

This article explains how to install TrueType Microsoft fonts and emulate Windows' font rendering.

Tip: See Metric-compatible fonts for alternatives available in the official repositories.

## Installation

### Using fonts from a Windows partition

If there is a Windows partition mounted, its fonts can be used by linking to them.

For example, if the Windows C:\ partition is mounted at `/windows`:

    # ln -s /windows/Windows/Fonts /usr/share/fonts/WindowsFonts

Then regenerate the fontconfig cache:

    # fc-cache

Alternatively, copy the Windows fonts to `/usr/share/fonts`:

    # mkdir /usr/share/fonts/WindowsFonts
    # cp /windows/Windows/Fonts/* /usr/share/fonts/WindowsFonts
    # chmod 755 /usr/share/fonts/WindowsFonts/*

Then regenerate the fontconfig cache:

    # fc-cache

### Current packages

Note: These packages do require access to a Windows 7/8/10 and/or a Office 2007 setup or installation media, consult corresponding PKGBUILD for details.

- ttf-office-2007-fontsAUR — Office 2007 fonts
- ttf-win7-fontsAUR — Windows 7 fonts
- ttf-ms-win8AUR — Windows 8.1 fonts
- ttf-ms-win10AUR — Windows 10 fonts

### Legacy packages

Note: The fonts provided by these packages are out-of-date and are missing modern hinting instructions and the full character sets. It is recommended to use the above packages.

ttf-ms-fontsAUR includes:

- Andalé Mono
- Arial
- Arial Black
- Comic Sans
- Courier New
- Georgia
- Impact
- Lucida Sans
- Lucida Console
- Microsoft Sans Serif
- Symbol
- Times New Roman
- Trebuchet
- Verdana
- Webdings
- Wingdings

Warning: According to original Microsoft's End User License Agreement, there are some legal limitations when using the above fonts.

You can also obtain ttf-tahomaAUR which, as you might expect, contains Tahoma.

ttf-vista-fontsAUR includes:

- Calibri
- Cambria
- Candara
- Consolas
- Constantia
- Corbel

## Fontconfig rules useful for MS Fonts

Often websites specify the fonts using generic names (helvetica, courier, times or times new roman) a rule in fontconfig replaces this fonts with (ugly) free fonts:

    /etc/fonts/conf.d/30-metric-aliases-free.conf

to make full use of the MS fonts it is necessary to create a rule mapping those generic names to MS specific fonts contained in the various packages above:

    <?xml version="1.0"?>
    <!DOCTYPE fontconfig SYSTEM "fonts.dtd">
    <fontconfig>
           <alias binding="same">
             <family>Helvetica</family>
             <accept>
             <family>Arial</family>
             </accept>
           </alias>
           <alias binding="same">
             <family>Times</family>
             <accept>
             <family>Times New Roman</family>
             </accept>
           </alias>
           <alias binding="same">
             <family>Courier</family>
             <accept>
             <family>Courier New</family>
             </accept>
           </alias>
    </fontconfig>

It is also useful to associate serif,sans-serif,monospace fonts in your favourite browser to MS fonts.

## Windows 7

Use Infinality's patched freetype2 package, and use the Windows 7 profile in the provided `local.conf`.

## Windows 8

The ttf-ms-win8AUR split package is intended as a more up-to-date replacement for ttf-ms-fontsAUR, ttf-vista-fontsAUR and ttf-win7-fontsAUR.

Although it provides newer versions of the fonts, it cannot automatically download the fonts due to license issues .

Note: usage of Microsoft fonts outside running Windows system is prohibited by EULA (although in certain countries EULA is invalid). Please consult Microsoft license before using fonts.

You can acquire fonts from an installed and fully updated Windows 8.1 system. Any edition of Windows 8.1 build Windows 8.1 6.3.9600.17238 will work.

On the installed Windows 8.1 system fonts are usually located in `%WINDIR%\Fonts` and license file is `%SYSTEM32%\license.rtf`.

You need the files listed in the `source=()` array. Place them in the same directory as this PKGBUILD file, then run makepkg.

`makepkg --pkg ttf-ms-win8` will make just the Windows 8.1 core fonts package which should cover even more than ttf-ms-fontsAUR.

Fonts are best viewed with Infinality. Infinality offers great font rendering and customization.

Category:

- Fonts