iphone - iOS: Programmatically add custom font during runtime

Question

I would like to allow my application users to use their own fonts in the app, by copying them inside the Documents directory (through iTunes). However, I can't find a way to use custom fonts in this way, since the right way to do it depends on using the UIAppFonts key in the app's Info.plist.

Is there any way to override this during runtime?

Thanks.

Answer 1

I know this is an old question, but I was trying to do the same today and found a way using CoreText and CGFont.

First be sure you add the CoreText framework and

#import <CoreText/CoreText.h>

Then this should do it (in this example I am using a font I previously downloaded and saved to a fonts directory inside the Documents directory):

NSArray * paths = NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains(NSDocumentDirectory, NSUserDomainMask, YES);
    NSString * documentsDirectory = [paths objectAtIndex:0];
    NSString * fontPath = [documentsDirectory stringByAppendingPathComponent:@"Fonts/Chalkduster.ttf"];
    NSURL * url = [NSURL fileURLWithPath:fontPath];
    CGDataProviderRef fontDataProvider = CGDataProviderCreateWithURL((__bridge CFURLRef)url);
    CGFontRef newFont = CGFontCreateWithDataProvider(fontDataProvider);
    NSString * newFontName = (__bridge NSString *)CGFontCopyPostScriptName(newFont);
    CGDataProviderRelease(fontDataProvider);
    CFErrorRef error;
    CTFontManagerRegisterGraphicsFont(newFont, &error);
    CGFontRelease(newFont);

    UIFont * finalFont = [UIFont fontWithName:newFontName size:20.0f];

Hope it helps anyone stumbling across this question!