Font hunting can be a fun side hobby, especially when you constantly see nice typography used on Instagram or Pinterest images, or anywhere else. I have a particular fancy for beautiful handwriting fonts.

But what do you do when you come across a wonderful new font and don't know what it is? How do you find out? Fortunately, Photoshop CC 2017 has just the "forensic tool" to help you.

How to Identify Fonts Used in Any Photo or Image

Photoshop has a precise tool to help you identify the right font, or at least come very close to it. The feature is called Match Fonts and here's how you use it:

  1. Open the image and draw a selection box (e.g. with the rectangular marquee) around the text you want to analyze.
  2. Select Type > Match Font. Photoshop will show you a list of fonts installed on your system that are similar to the font in the image. Suggestions will also include fonts from Typekit.
    Match Fonts Photoshop
  3. You can deselect Show Fonts Available To Sync From Typekit to view only fonts available on your computer.
  4. From the suggested results, click the font closest to the font in the image.
  5. Click OK. Photoshop selects the font you clicked.

This official Adobe video shows you how you can come close to the font you want to imitate:

Accurate selection will improve your chances of success. Straighten the image or correct the perspective of the image before you select the area around the font. Draw the selection as close to the text as possible. Also, limit the selection to a single line of text.

The Match Fonts tool is an invaluable ally when you need to go back and remember a font you used in your own past projects. It is a timesaver and can make you fall in love with the elegance of typography.

Did you spot a beautifully printed font out in the wild and discovered its name with the help of Photoshop?

Image Credit: guteksk7 via Shutterstock