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Practically Perfect DISNEY Techniques: Disney Themed Fonts 101

by Fran Cassano

Hi Everyone! We are many weeks into Practically Perfect DISNEY Crafting and there are a number of new and wonderful crafting opportunities to be had throughout WDWRadio.com. By now you see how easy Disney crafting really is. So, I encourage all of you to join in the fun and participate in the contests that Christy and Lou are inspiring us to create submissions for.

With this in mind, I am changing gears a little bit with our Disney crafting this week. I think this is a great opportunity to show you a technique that is going to come in handy from here on out…How to download free Disney themed fonts and use them in your crafting projects.

Please do not worry about using Disney fonts for your designs. They will not breach copyright if they will be solely for personal use.

I discovered working with Disney themed fonts around the time we began planning our wedding. Back then, I found the perfect site to download free fonts of all types~dafont.com. I had a great time coming up with custom, Disney themed stationery. I knew I was going to carry this technique over to my other Disney crafting projects, and I have.

Now, I can’t wait for you to try it. So, let’s get started together!

dafont.com has a large number of Disney themed fonts, such as:

  • Alice in Wonderland (the Tim Burton film)
  • Bradley Gratis (like Fantasyland or Epcot’s European Pavilions)
  • Florida Project Phase One (Epcot Future World and the original Walt Disney World logo)
  • Mickey (Mickey cartoons and Disney California Adventure)
  • Minnie (a solid version of the Mickey font)
  • Mouse Tags (a non-letter font of retro Disney Parks graphics and logos)
  • Pieces of Eight (the Pirates of the Caribbean films)
  • Ravenscroft (The Haunted Mansion)
  • Tr2n (Tron Legacy and Tron Uprising)
  • Tron (a solid version of the Tron fonts)
  • Waltograph (the familiar, stylized version of Walt Disney’s autograph)

How to safely download the fonts to MS Word:

  1. Go to dafont.com
  2. Using the search box on the upper right of the site, search the fonts listed above (or browse for other non-Disney fonts you might like)
  3. When you find the font you like, such as the Waltograph example here, click Download, then open the Zip file. Unzip the file to your desktop.
  4. Let’s say you also unzipped Florida Project Phase One like shown, open the font file and click Install. This will install it right into MS Word.
  5. Go into Word and use the Font pull down menu to locate your downloaded font(s).
  6. If you happen to have a Mac, please follow the directions to download at dafont.com.

Using Disney themed fonts and symbols for your crafting projects:

  1. In MS Word, find your font of choice in the Font pull down menu.
  2. Type whatever you want to write for your project. In my example, this is how I created the lettering for the Cars Land layout I did of Lou and Beci several weeks ago. I enlarged the font point and printed the wording out on card stock, then I cut out, arranged, and affixed the letters onto my project.
  3. Many of these Disney themed fonts have coordinating symbols that add such a fun element to your crafting.
  4. To use the symbols function, click the Insert tab in Word, then click Symbols all the way to the right of the screen. A window will pop up and then select your symbol of choice. Here, I inserted all the Ravenscroft symbols before I decided which I wanted. Enlarge the symbol as you would your font of choice and incorporate it into your project.
  5. I provided a graphic of examples of what the above fonts and accompanying symbols look like.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once you have downloaded your favorite Disney themed fonts, here are some project ideas for you to get started:

  • Using Disney themed fonts is a great way to get “PINspired” for your submissions to the WDW Radio PINspiring Disney—Disney Pinterest Contests.
  • Use these Disney themed fonts, like it suggests, for your Cruise Cabin Door Decorating Contest submission for this November’s WDW Radio Cruise on the Disney Dream.
  • How about taking the Tiki from Disney’s Polynesian Resort in Mouse Tags and make a votive candle wrap or the Servants Quarters Bat in Ravenscroft and make a witty door sign? The Disney font-based symbol possibilities are endless.
  • Consider taking a larger version of your symbol of choice to act as a template for a layering piece. This can to add dimension to your projects. Cut this “shadow” out of card stock. Then add the slightly smaller symbol, itself, on top to create a custom embellishment.
  • As you can see, I often use Disney themed fonts printed on card stock as an alternative to using store bought sticker or chipboard letters.
  • Try to experiment with different color schemes and shapes of Disney fonts on your digital projects.

For reference, here are links to previous Practically Perfect DISNEY Crafting projects where I used Disney themed fonts downloaded from dafont.com:

I am so excited to see what you all come up with!

Enjoy your day and craft away!

Fran’s Notes:

~I keep my downloaded font files in a special crafting folder for reference, but this is not necessary. Once they are downloaded, you can discard the font files. When needed, you can manage your fonts under your computer’s Control Panel (recommended for advanced desktop users or parents only).

~I make the disclaimer that the above are my own tips and in following them, you may be subject to various Internet terms of usage. I am not soliciting or representing anything for dafont.com, but rather, giving you a technique how-to. When downloading from any site, please proceed with your normal caution. As always and where applicable, read through all the terms of use, third party policies and do not feel pressure to download anything you are unsure of.

 

Like so many of us, Fran Cassano’s life is sprinkled with Mickeys. From collecting Park brochures as a child, to creating ideas for her own Disney Fairy Tale Wedding, paper crafts have kept the magic of Disney a part of her everyday life. Fran invites us capture our own memories through Practically Perfect DISNEY Crafting… Break out the tools that have been gathering dust. And let’s figure out how, together!

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About Lou Mongello

Lou Mongello is a former attorney who left the practice to pursue his passion, and is now a recognized Disney expert, author, speaker, and host of WDW Radio. Learn more…

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