Add a font as an XML resource

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Android 8.0 (API level 26) introduces fonts in XML, a feature that lets you use fonts as resources. You can add the font file in the res/font/ folder to bundle fonts as resources. These fonts are compiled in your R file and are automatically available in Android Studio. You can access the font resources using the font resource type. For example, to access a font resource, use @font/myfont, or R.font.myfont.

To use the fonts in XML feature on devices running Android 4.1 (API level 16) and higher, use Support Library 26.0. For more information on using the Support Library, refer to the Use the Support Library section.

To add fonts as resources, perform the following steps in Android Studio:

1. Right-click the res folder and go to New > Android resource directory. The New Resource Directory window appears.
2. In the Resource type list, select font, then click OK.

   Note: The name of the resource directory must be font.

   

   Figure 1. Adding the font resource directory.

3. Add your font files in the font folder.

   The folder structure below generates R.font.dancing_script, R.font.lobster, and R.font.typo_graphica.

   

   Figure 2. Adding the font files in the res/font directory.

4. Double-click a font file to preview the file's fonts in the editor.

   Figure 3. Previewing the font file.

Create a font family

A font family is a set of font files along with style and weight details. In Android, you can create a new font family as an XML resource and access it as a single unit, instead of referencing each style and weight as separate resources. By doing this, you let the system select the correct font based on the text style you are using.

To create a font family, perform the following steps in Android Studio:

1. Right-click the font folder and select New > Font resource file. The New Resource File window appears.
2. Enter the filename, then click OK. The new font resource XML opens in the editor.
3. Enclose each font file, style, and weight attribute in the <font> element. The following XML illustrates adding font-related attributes in the font resource XML:

   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
   <font-family xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
       <font
           android:fontStyle="normal"
           android:fontWeight="400"
           android:font="@font/lobster_regular" />
       <font
           android:fontStyle="italic"
           android:fontWeight="400"
           android:font="@font/lobster_italic" />
   </font-family>

Use fonts in XML layouts

Use your fonts, either a single font file or a font from a font family, in TextView objects or in styles by using the fontFamily attribute.

Note: When you use a font family, the TextView switches on its own, as needed, to use the font files from that family.

Add fonts to a TextView

To set a font for a TextView, do one of the following:

• In the layout XML file, set the fontFamily attribute to the font file you want to access.

  <TextView
          android:layout_width="wrap_content"
          android:layout_height="wrap_content"
          android:fontFamily="@font/lobster"/>

• Open the Properties window to set the font for the TextView.
  1. Select a view to open the Properties window.

     Note: The Properties window is available only when the design editor is open. Select the Design tab at the bottom of the window.

  2. Expand the textAppearance property, and then select the font from the fontFamily list.
  3. 

     Figure 4. Selecting the font from the Properties window.

The Android Studio layout preview, shown in the rightmost pane in Figure 5, lets you preview the font set in the TextView.

Figure 5. Previewing fonts in layout preview.

Add fonts to a style

Open the styles.xml file and set the fontFamily attribute to the font file you want to access.

<style name="customfontstyle" parent="@android:style/TextAppearance.Small">
    <item name="android:fontFamily">@font/lobster</item>
</style>

Use fonts programmatically

To retrieve fonts programmatically, call the getFont(int) method and provide the resource identifier of the font you want to retrieve. This method returns a Typeface object. Although the system picks the best style for you from the fonts' information, you can use the setTypeface(android.graphics.Typeface, int) method to set the typeface with specific styles.

Note: The TextView does this for you.

val typeface = resources.getFont(R.font.myfont)
textView.typeface = typeface

Typeface typeface = getResources().getFont(R.font.myfont);
textView.setTypeface(typeface);

Use the Support Library

The Support Library 26.0 supports fonts in XML on devices running Android 4.1 (API level 16) and higher.

Note: When you declare font families in XML layout through the Support Library, use the app namespace to ensure that your fonts load.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<font-family xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto">
    <font app:fontStyle="normal" app:fontWeight="400" app:font="@font/myfont-Regular"/>
    <font app:fontStyle="italic" app:fontWeight="400" app:font="@font/myfont-Italic" />
</font-family>

To retrieve fonts programmatically, call the ResourceCompat.getFont(Context, int) method and provide an instance of Context and the resource identifier.

val typeface = ResourcesCompat.getFont(context, R.font.myfont)

Typeface typeface = ResourcesCompat.getFont(context, R.font.myfont);