How-to · Figma for Mac
How to use local fonts in Figma on Mac: fonts installed on your Mac
To use a font installed on your Mac in Figma, install the .TTF or .OTF file in Font Book, then restart the Figma desktop app. Open a Design file, select a text layer, and in the right sidebar's Typography section, open the font menu, pick Installed by you, and search for the font name.
Quick answer
- Install the .ttf or .otf file in Font Book on your Mac.
- Quit the Figma desktop app with ⌘Q, then open it again so it picks up the font.
- Select a text layer, open the font menu in the Typography section, and choose Installed by you.
- Make sure collaborators have the same font version, or they see a missing font error.
What you need
- A Mac running macOS 12 (Monterey) or later
- The Figma desktop app, not only the browser version
- A .TTF or .OTF font file you have rights to use
- A Figma Design file to test the font in
How to Use an installed Mac font in Figma in Figma on a Mac
Unzip the font and find the right files
Double-click the downloaded .zip in Finder to unzip it. Look for files that end in .ttf or .otf. Figma reads only those two types, so skip PDFs, license text and folders for other formats.
Tip: A font family usually ships one file per style. Keep only the styles you plan to use.
Install the font in Font Book
Open Font Book from Applications, or search for it with Spotlight. Drag the .ttf or .otf file into the Font Book window. The font appears in the list once macOS has it.
Tip: Select the font in Font Book to check its version. Your team needs the same version.
Quit Figma completely
⌘Q
Choose Figma > Quit Figma. Wait for the app to close, then open the desktop app again. Figma needs a restart before it uses new fonts in the desktop app.
Tip: Closing a window is not the same as quitting. Use the menu or ⌘Q.
Open a Figma Design file
Open the Figma desktop app and open a Design file. If you want to test the font without touching live work, open a test file instead.
Tip: The font steps in this guide apply to Design files.
Create or select a text layer
T
Press T, click the canvas, and type a word. If you already have text, click that layer in the layers panel instead. The text layer must be selected so the right sidebar shows its settings.
Tip: New text layers start in Inter, Figma's default font.
Find the Typography section
With the text layer selected, look at the right sidebar. Find the Typography section. It holds the most common text properties, including the font name.
Open the font menu
Click the font name in the Typography section. The menu opens and browses web fonts, fonts installed on your computer, and shared fonts.
Tip: If you see only web fonts, the filter is set to the wrong source. Continue to the next step.
Choose Installed by you
Open the filter dropdown in the font menu. Choose Installed by you. The list now shows only fonts that Figma found on your Mac.
Tip: If your font is still missing, return to the restart step and check Font Book.
Search for your font family
Type the family name in the search field. Click the family to choose it. Then pick the style you want from the styles Figma shows for that family.
Check the result on the canvas
Look at the text layer on the canvas. The new font should appear right away. If the layer still shows Inter, the choice did not stick. Select the layer again and repeat the search.
Adjust weight and size from the keyboard
⌥⌘ < / >
Use ⌥⌘ > and ⌥⌘ < to step the weight up and down within the family. Use ⇧⌘ > and ⇧⌘ < to change the font size.
Tip: Figma's official shortcut list has no bold or italic key. Use the style list for those.
Open the missing-font modal if needed
If a missing-font icon appears in the left sidebar, click it. The Missing fonts modal opens. Compare the font name and style with what Font Book shows on your Mac.
Tip: Use the Replacement dropdowns only when the whole team agrees to swap the font.
Confirm your team has the same version
Send collaborators the same .ttf or .otf file, or ask them to check the version in Font Book. Mismatched versions lead to missing font errors for them.
Tip: Share the file only after your team has the same font styles installed.
Once a font sits in Font Book, the Figma desktop app can use it. You do not need a second installer on a Mac, because the desktop app bundles one. Browser users have to add that installer by hand. Most of this page covers the desktop app, then the cases that go wrong.
macOS 12
Minimum macOS version for the Figma desktop app, per Figma's Guide
Guide to the Figma desktop app (Figma Help Center)Six months
Before Figma removes support for a previous desktop app version
Guide to the Figma desktop app (Figma Help Center).ttf, .otf
The only font file types Figma accepts for fonts installed on your computer
Add a font to Figma (Figma Help Center)What you need before you start
Start with macOS. Figma's Guide to the desktop app says you need macOS 12 or later. macOS 12 is Monterey, which Apple released in October 2021. The app runs on both Apple silicon and Intel Macs. If your Mac runs an older version, update macOS first.
Next, get the font file. Figma reads only .TTF and .OTF files. Downloads often arrive in a .zip folder, and that folder can hold several weights of one family. Open it, then keep only the files for the styles you plan to use.
Why the desktop app skips the installer step
Figma calls its helper FigmaAgent. The Guide describes it as a silent background process with no window of its own. It lets Figma use fonts on your device without a separate installer step. The helper only accepts connections from figma.com.
In the browser, you download the installer from figma.com/downloads, run it, then reload each open file. The browser route also depends on a local network setting. You can check that setting later in this guide.
Find your font in the Typography section
The font menu does not show one flat list. It pulls from web fonts, fonts installed on your computer, and shared fonts. The filter sorts those sources. Choose Installed by you, and the list changes to show only what your Mac has. Skipping that filter is an easy way to miss your font.
Figma uses Inter as the default font for new text layers. You will see Inter first, so do not worry when new text does not match the font you installed. Open the font menu and change it.
Worked example: set a headline in Brand Sans
Say you install a brand family called Brand Sans. It has a Regular file, a Bold file and an Italic file. You restart Figma, create a headline, open the font menu, choose Installed by you, and search for Brand Sans. You then pick Bold.
Next, size the headline. Select the layer and press ⇧⌘ > to grow the text. Press ⇧⌘ < to shrink it. For more weight, press ⌥⌘ > to step up within the family, which works only for weights the family includes.
Repeat the same font choice on each heading you want to match. Check each layer on the canvas. A layer that still shows Inter needs the font menu again, not a new text box.
Keyboard shortcuts for text once the font works
Figma's text shortcuts act on the selected text layer. The table below lists the Mac keys from Figma's official article on text properties. Check them against your own copy of Figma, because menus can change between releases.
| Action | Mac keys | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Underline | ⌥U | Underlines the selected text |
| Font weight up | ⌥⌘ > | Steps up a weight in the family |
| Font weight down | ⌥⌘ < | Steps down a weight in the family |
| Font size up | ⇧⌘ > | Increases the font size |
| Font size down | ⇧⌘ < | Decreases the font size |
| Letter spacing | ⌥ > or ⌥ < | Adds or removes space between letters |
| Line height | ⇧⌥ > or ⇧⌥ < | Adds or removes space between lines |
Figma's list has no key for bold, italic or alignment. Some third-party cheat sheets show ⌘B and ⌘I for bold and italic. Figma's own docs do not confirm those keys, so test them in a scratch file first. The style list is the safe route.
When Figma says the font is missing
A missing-font icon appears in the left sidebar when Figma cannot find a font in the file. Click it to open the Missing fonts modal. Figma lists these common causes: the font is not installed, a style is missing, or collaborators have a different version.
Replacing a font is a team decision. In the modal, use the Replacement dropdowns to pick a family and style, then click Replace fonts. Figma warns that the change applies to all collaborators, including people who have the original font.
Why a locally installed Inter gets ignored
Figma ships its own copy of Inter and uses that copy. A locally installed Inter is ignored, even though it looks like the same font. Each Inter style needs its own font file, so check which styles you have before you test.
Working with collaborators
Fonts on your Mac stay on your Mac. Figma's MCP and agent run on Figma's servers, so they cannot reach a font that lives only on your computer. Everyone who edits the file needs the same font styles, or they see a missing font error.
If the team needs a font on Figma's servers, upload it. Click your avatar in the top-left corner, then choose Settings > Account > Your uploaded fonts > Upload fonts. Confirm you have rights to the font before you upload it.
Browser users: what changes
The browser needs the Figma font installer, which you download from figma.com/downloads. After you run it, reload each open file. The installer should start in the background. Figma's troubleshooting article says you can also restart it by opening the desktop app.
Figma's troubleshooting article gives a browser check. Open the main menu, choose Preferences > Permissions and helpers, and look at Local network access. If it says Blocked or Not connected, allow local network access in your browser and reconnect the Font Installer. Figma documents this check for the browser only, so it is unconfirmed for the desktop app.
Keep the desktop app current
Figma removes support for previous desktop app versions six months after a release. The app prompts you to update when you are behind. Update first, then test the font again, so you know you are on the current build.
The build number is harder to find. Apple's About this Mac dialog shows the macOS version, not the Figma build. Figma's Guide gives no in-app About path for the Figma version. If a bug report needs the build number, check Figma's help center for current steps.
Mistakes people make with local fonts
- Installing the .zip. Figma reads the .ttf or .otf file inside it, not the archive.
- Skipping the restart. New fonts need the desktop app quit with ⌘Q and opened again.
- Searching the full list. Set the filter to Installed by you first.
- Trusting a shortcut from a cheat sheet. Test it in a scratch file first.
- Forgetting collaborators. Send the same font file and check the version in Font Book.
Where to go next
If Figma is new to you, start with how to install the desktop app. Once your font works, show the keyboard shortcuts panel lists more keys you can use while you design.
Install one font, check it on one layer, then roll it out to the rest of the file. That order makes a bad font choice easy to spot and easy to undo.
Figma shortcuts for this on Mac
| To do this | Press |
|---|---|
| Create a text layer | T |
| Quit Figma to restart the app | ⌘Q |
| Underline selected text | ⌥U |
| Font weight up | ⌥⌘ > |
| Font weight down | ⌥⌘ < |
| Font size up | ⇧⌘ > |
| Font size down | ⇧⌘ < |
| Letter spacing up or down | ⌥ > or⌥ < |
| Line height up or down | ⇧⌥ > or⇧⌥ < |
If it does not work
- Installed by you filter shows no fonts
- Check that the file ends in .ttf or .otf. Quit the Figma desktop app with ⌘Q, open it again, then open the font menu and choose Installed by you.
- Font is still missing after a restart
- Open Finder > Applications > Utilities > Activity Monitor, click the CPU tab, and search for FigmaAgent. Select it, click the Stop button, and choose Force Quit. Open the Figma desktop app again so the helper restarts.
- A collaborator sees a missing font
- Ask them to install the same font version and check it in Font Book. Replacing the font changes it for everyone in the file, so agree on the swap with your team first.
- Local Inter does not change the text
- Figma uses its own copy of Inter and ignores a locally installed one. Use Figma's Inter, or choose another installed family for that layer.
- Browser version cannot see the font
- Download the font installer from figma.com/downloads and run it, then reload open files. In the main menu, go to Preferences > Permissions and helpers. If Local network access says Blocked or Not connected, allow it and reconnect the Font Installer.
- Font came in a zip with many files
- Unzip the folder and install only the .ttf or .otf files for the styles you need. Leave the other files out of Font Book.
Faster with Lazur
Do it faster: ask Lazur while you are in Figma
Hold ⌥ ⌘ and say what you want. Lazur sees your Figma window. Lazur draws a circle and a label around the button or menu you need.
- 1
Hold ⌥⌘ and talk
- 2
Lazur draws a circle and a label around the button or menu you need.
- 3
You stay in Figma. Nothing to copy into a chat window.
Free for 3 days, then $18/month. Download for Mac
You say“Where's the Installed by you option?”
Lazur · points at itOpen the filter dropdown first. Then Lazur circles Installed by you and labels it. You make the click yourself, since Lazur does not press buttons.
Questions people ask
Why does my installed font not show under Installed by you?
Check the file type first. Figma reads only .ttf and .otf files, so a .zip or a web font will not appear. Then open Font Book and confirm the font is installed. Quit the Figma desktop app with ⌘Q, reopen it, and check the filter again.
Do I need a separate font installer on a Mac?
Not for the desktop app. Figma bundles its font installer, called FigmaAgent, into the desktop app. Browser users must download it from figma.com/downloads, run it, and reload open files.
Can I use Inter that I installed myself?
Not really. Figma uses its own copy of Inter and ignores a locally installed Inter. Other fonts you install work through the Installed by you filter.
Will my teammates see my local font?
Only if they have the same font installed, in the same version. Figma says everyone in a shared file needs the same font styles. Otherwise they see a missing font error. If the font must live on Figma's servers, upload it under Settings > Account > Your uploaded fonts, after you confirm you have rights to it.
Why does Figma still say the font is missing after I installed it?
Quit the FigmaAgent helper, then reopen the desktop app. Use Finder > Applications > Utilities > Activity Monitor, click the CPU tab, and search for FigmaAgent. Select it, click the Stop button, and choose Force Quit. Open the Figma desktop app again, and the helper should start on its own.
Which macOS version do I need for local fonts in Figma?
Figma's Guide says macOS 12 or later. macOS 12 is Monterey, released in October 2021. The desktop app runs on Apple silicon and Intel Macs. The Guide does not list a higher minimum, so check Figma's current Guide if you are unsure.
Is there a keyboard shortcut to open the font menu?
Figma's official text shortcut list does not include one. Click the font name in the Typography section instead. Once the font is set, use ⌥⌘ > and ⌥⌘ < to change the weight.
Can I use a .woff web font file on my Mac?
Not as an installed font. Figma supports only .ttf and .otf files for fonts installed on your computer. Look for the desktop version of the same font from the same source, then install that file in Font Book.
Sources
- Add a font to Figma · Figma Help Center · checked 2026-11-07
- Guide to the Figma desktop app · Figma Help Center · checked 2026-11-07
- Troubleshoot the Figma Font installer · Figma Help Center · checked 2026-11-07
- Missing font alert in Figma Design · Figma Help Center · checked 2026-11-07
- Explore text properties · Figma Help Center · checked 2026-11-07
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