How To Use Dingbat Fonts

Dingbat fonts are downloadable characters outside the number letters of the alphabet. They sit on your computer like fonts and to get them onto your page or design, you simply select the dingbat family you want and type until you find the character or illustration you want.

Dingbats come in all shapes and sizes from snowflakes to decorative borders, so if you're making your own wedding invitations, there are plenty of dingbats for you to choose from.

I've selected some of my favourite free ding fonts here. There's a link the relevant site where you can download them for free for your own personal use, but check the licensing of each dingbat typeface to make sure it's ok to use.

How to download dingbats

To download them, you simply click the download button and save the file to your desktop. You'll then need to extract the files and save them to your 'font' folder on your C drive. You'll then have instant access to them through your font dropdown menu.

For full step-by-step instructions on how to download dingbats and fonts, click here.

How to use dingbats

To use a dingbat in your design, you simply select the dingbat family from the dropdown menu as you would if you were selecting a different font to use. You then simply find the character you want by typing using the keyboard.

It's often difficult to find the character you actually want, so I often find I have to go through the entire alphabet to find the perfect character. With some dingbat families you need to use the shift key to access the characters, with others you'll get additional characters or the character will rotate by using the shift key.

Dingbat fonts act just like normal fonts on your computer, so if you need to increase the size of the dingbat, you simply change the font size using the dropdown menu. If you want to change the colour, just use the colour palette. It really couldn't be simpler. They work in Microsoft Word or your favourite graphics package.

Still confused? Find out exactly what a dingbat is.

Related articles:

Card Making Techniques For Beginners
Tips For Making Your Own Wedding Invitations