What font should I use when I sell resources on TpT

The font you use to create resources to sell on Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT) matters. If you choose the wrong font, you’re in for a world of hurt!

(Scroll down for the QUICK LINKS to different parts of this video)

THE PROBLEM:

I love choosing fun fonts when I make lessons and handouts for students.

But, when I try to sell that resource on Teachers Pay Teachers, I might hit this unexpected problem.

The issue is that the fun font you choose may not be installed on everyone’s computer.

If the font isn’t available, the computer will automatically substitute a different font… which can mess up the layout and page count. (For example, it can push a line of text onto a blank page.)

This font issue only applies to teachers who sell TpT resources that

Use Microsoft Word or Powerpoint formats
Want teachers to be able to edit their products.

This missing font issue does not affect:

Easel by TpT products (because you can only use their font selection.)
Google Docs / Google Slides resources (because Google loads the fonts from the internet. You don’t need the font installed on your computer.)
PDFs or images (because you can’t edit these files.)

SOLUTION #1: USE A SAFE FONT

The easiest solution is to use one of the following fonts. They are fonts that are already installed on Windows and Mac computers.

Arial
Arial Black
Comic Sans MS
Courier New
Georgia
Impact
Lucida Console
Lucida Sans Unicode
Palatino Linotype
Tahoma
Times New Roman
Trebuchet MS
Verdana
Symbol
Webdings
Wingdings
MS Sans Serif
MS Serif

Source – this list comes from a third-party source. I have not yet verified it: https://www.it-authority.com/common-fonts/

SOLUTION #2: EMBED THE FONT INTO THE DOCUMENT

If you really want to use that fun font and have teachers edit a Microsoft Word or PowerPoint document, then you’ll have to get the font to them somehow.

It’s possible to embed some free fonts into your document.

This is what I’ve tried to do, but it doesn’t seem to be fool-proof.

SOLUTION #3: ASK THE TEACHER TO INSTALL THE FONT THEMSELVES.

You could provide a link to the font and ask the teacher to install the font themselves. I’ve done this before, but I’m really hoping to find a simpler solution. Not everyone is comfortable installing fonts.

SOLUTION #4: STICK TO GOOGLE DOCS and GOOGLE SLIDES.

Although I love Google Docs and Slides, there are a good number of teachers out there who are in school boards that use Microsoft Teams.

So then when they download your Google Docs or Google Slides TpT Resource, they’ll still have to face this issue of missing fonts.

Here’s the Teachers Pay Teachers resource I was talking about in the video:

SEOT Goal Setting slideshow for students

ASK QUESTIONS IN THE COMMENTS

Maybe I can provide suggestions!

CHALLENGE MY ASSUMPTIONS and CLICKBAIT SENSATIONALISM!

Let’s avoid an echo chamber.
Why might this strategy work or not work for you?
Why do you think I got these results after using this strategy?
How long do you think it will last?

Watch the Video

Click here to watch on YouTube.

Questions? Comments? Need Help?

Any questions? Do you agree or disagree? Challenge my assumptions!
Need help? Maybe I can provide suggestions!

Say something in the YouTube video comments

VIDEO TABLE of CONTENTS –

00:00 START
0:30 Question: Do you use Google Docs or Microsoft Word?
0:56 The problem: Beware of the fonts you use in creating TpT resources
1:41 Title Credit with sales dashboard (all time)
1:46 People will ask questions (or leave bad reviews!)
2:32 Question: Do you use fun fonts, regular fonts, or it’s not an issue (i.e. PDF)
2:57 TpT Digital Download (Zip File) Product Type
3:29 STRATEGY: How to find good fonts
4:07 STRATEGY: Build your brand – use consistent fonts
4:37 STRATEGY: Keep it simple – use one font for titles / headings
5:11 STRATEGY: Create resources with common fonts
6:16 The Solution: What it looks like if the font is EMBEDDED (included in the document)
7:23 The Problem: What it looks like if you don’t have the font on your computer
7:44 TECH TIP: How to install a font on your computer. (WHERE TO GET FONTS YOU CAN EMBED FOR COMMERCIAL USE)
10:51 STRATEGY: Embed the font into your resources
12:19 QUIZ: What font has been used by these companies? (Don’t use this font!!!)
12:37 TECH TIP: How to embed a font into your PowerPoint file. (Same for Word)
14:25 TINKERING: When you export Google Docs (or Google Slides,) are the fonts now embedded?
16:16 SUPPORT TIP: Why teachers can’t edit your PowerPoint or Word file
16:48 BOTTOM LINE / Summary