Complete Guide to Font Migration on macOS

Method 1: Manual Backup (Recommended)

1. Create backup folder: "Font_Backup_[Date]"
2. Copy ~/Library/Fonts/ to backup folder
3. Copy /Library/Fonts/ if you have admin access
4. Copy ~/Library/FontCollections/ to preserve collections
5. Copy ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.FontBook.plist
6. Store backup on external drive or cloud storage
7. Verify backup integrity by checking file count

Method 2: Script-Based Backup

#!/bin/bash
# Font backup script

BACKUP_DIR="~/Desktop/Font_Backup_$(date +%Y%m%d)"
mkdir -p "$BACKUP_DIR"

# Backup user fonts
cp -R ~/Library/Fonts "$BACKUP_DIR/User_Fonts"

# Backup Font Book collections
cp -R ~/Library/FontCollections "$BACKUP_DIR/FontCollections"

# Backup Font Book preferences
cp ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.FontBook.plist "$BACKUP_DIR/"

echo "Backup complete: $BACKUP_DIR"

Step-by-Step Process:

1. On old Mac: Copy ~/Library/Fonts to external drive or network location

   cp -R ~/Library/Fonts /Volumes/ExternalDrive/Font_Migration/

2. Copy Font Book data:

   cp -R ~/Library/FontCollections /Volumes/ExternalDrive/Font_Migration/

3. On new Mac: Quit Font Book and all applications
4. Copy fonts to new Mac:

   cp -R /Volumes/ExternalDrive/Font_Migration/Fonts/* ~/Library/Fonts/

5. Restore Font Book collections:

   cp -R /Volumes/ExternalDrive/Font_Migration/FontCollections/* ~/Library/FontCollections/

6. Clear font cache:

   sudo atsutil databases -remove

7. Restart Mac to rebuild font cache
8. Open Font Book and verify all fonts appear

Important Notes:

• • Never copy /System/Library/Fonts (protected by SIP)
• • Preserve file permissions during copy (use -R flag)
• • Avoid overwriting existing fonts without verification
• • Test with small batch before full migration

Export from Old Mac:

1. Open Font Book
2. Select fonts or collections to migrate
3. File → Export Fonts
4. Choose destination (external drive)
5. Export creates organized folder structure

Import on New Mac:

1. Open Font Book on new Mac
2. File → Add Fonts
3. Navigate to exported fonts folder
4. Select all fonts (Cmd+A)
5. Choose installation location (User or Computer)
6. Click "Open" to install
7. Verify fonts appear in Font Book

Limitations:

• • Doesn't preserve Font Book collections
• • Requires manual reorganization
• • Must recreate custom collections
• • Good for selective migration only

Recommended Structure:

• • Essential Fonts: Always active, core design fonts (20-50 fonts)
• • Project Fonts: Collections per client/project, activate as needed
• • Experimental Fonts: Fonts being tested, keep disabled until validated
• • Archive: Old/unused fonts, stored externally, removed from system

Naming Conventions:

• • Collections: "Client_ProjectName_2025"
• • Smart Collections: "Type_Category" (e.g., "Type_Sans", "Type_Serif")
• • Date-based: "Fonts_Added_2025_Q1"