c# - How do I embed my own fonts in a WinForms app?

Question

I want to embed fonts in my WinForms application so that I don't have to worry about them being installed on the machine. I've searched a bit on the MSDN site and found a few hints about using native Windows API calls, for instance Michael Caplan's (sp?) tutorial linked to by Scott Hanselman. Now, do I really have to go through all that trouble? Can't I just use the resource part of my app?

If not I'll probably go the installing route. In that case, can I do that programmatically? By just copying the font file to the WindowsFonts folder?

I am aware of licensing issues.

Answer 1

This is what worked for me in VS 2013, without having to use an unsafe block.

Embed the resource

1. Double-click Resources.resx, and in the toolbar for the designer click Add Resource/Add Existing File and select your .ttf file
2. In your solution explorer, right-click your .ttf file (now in a Resources folder) and go to Properties. Set the Build Action to "Embedded Resource"

Load the font into memory

1. Add using System.Drawing.Text; to your Form1.cs file

2. Add code above and inside your default constructor to create the font in memory (without using "unsafe" as other examples have shown). Below is my entire Form1.cs:

   using System;
   using System.Collections.Generic;
   using System.ComponentModel;
   using System.Data;
   using System.Drawing;
   using System.Linq;
   using System.Text;
   using System.Threading.Tasks;
   using System.Windows.Forms;
   using System.Reflection;
   
   using System.Drawing.Text;
   
   namespace WindowsFormsApplication1
   {
       public partial class Form1 : Form
       {
           [System.Runtime.InteropServices.DllImport("gdi32.dll")]
           private static extern IntPtr AddFontMemResourceEx(IntPtr pbFont, uint cbFont,
               IntPtr pdv, [System.Runtime.InteropServices.In] ref uint pcFonts);
   
           private PrivateFontCollection fonts = new PrivateFontCollection();
   
           Font myFont;
   
           public Form1()
           {
               InitializeComponent();
   
               byte[] fontData = Properties.Resources.MyFontName;
               IntPtr fontPtr = System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.AllocCoTaskMem(fontData.Length);
               System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.Copy(fontData, 0, fontPtr, fontData.Length);
               uint dummy = 0;
               fonts.AddMemoryFont(fontPtr, Properties.Resources.MyFontName.Length);
               AddFontMemResourceEx(fontPtr, (uint)Properties.Resources.MyFontName.Length, IntPtr.Zero, ref dummy);
               System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.FreeCoTaskMem(fontPtr);
   
               myFont = new Font(fonts.Families[0], 16.0F);
           }
       }
   }
   

Use your font

1. Add a label to your main form, and add a load event to set the font in Form1.cs:

   private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
   {
       label1.Font = myFont;
   }