ShowFonts User Guide

Version 1.0 · Updated June 2026

Everything you need to scan, review, and package presentation fonts on macOS.

1. Welcome to ShowFonts

ShowFonts is a Mac utility built for presenters, designers, and AV production teams. It scans Keynote and PowerPoint files, identifies every font used in the presentation, and packages everything into a clean folder ready to hand off.

If you have ever opened a presentation on the wrong Mac and watched the fonts shift, the layout break, and the speaker get stressed — ShowFonts solves exactly that.

What ShowFonts does

• Scans Keynote (.key) and PowerPoint (.pptx / .ppt) files locally on your Mac
• Identifies every font used in slides and slide masters
• Classifies each font as Found, System, Restricted, Missing, or Needs Review
• Packages installed fonts into a clean folder for the AV team
• Generates an optional report listing every font, with notes
• Runs entirely on your Mac — no cloud, no analytics, no tracking

2. Installation

System Requirements

• macOS 14.6 (Sonoma) or later
• Apple Silicon or Intel Mac
• Approximately 10 MB of disk space

Installing on Your Mac

1. Download ShowFonts-1.0.dmg from www.showfonts.com.
2. Double-click the DMG to mount it.
3. Drag the ShowFonts icon onto the Applications folder shortcut.
4. Eject the DMG.
5. Launch ShowFonts from your Applications folder.

3. The Three-Step Workflow

ShowFonts is organized into three numbered steps. Work top to bottom.

Step 1 — Select Presentation

Choose your Keynote or PowerPoint file. You can either drag the file onto the drop zone, or click Browse Files and pick it from a panel.

Supported formats: .key, .pptx, and .ppt.

Step 2 — Review Font Status

ShowFonts scans the file and shows you exactly which fonts are used and whether they are installed on this Mac. The summary at the top shows five categories with counts.

Expand the Font List to see every font with its status, location, and a live preview.

Step 3 — Create Package

Click Create Package, choose a destination folder, and ShowFonts will build a clean handoff folder containing the installed fonts (and optionally the presentation file and a text report).

4. Understanding Font Statuses

Every font is classified into one of five categories. Understanding what each one means helps you know exactly what to send to your AV team.

5. Portable Mode (USB Drive)

ShowFonts is designed to work from a USB drive. This is the recommended setup for AV teams and freelance presentation specialists who scan presenter Macs on-site.

Why use Portable Mode?

When you carry ShowFonts on a USB stick, you can plug it into any Mac and scan the fonts on that machine without installing anything. Your license travels with the drive, so the same stick works on every event you attend.

Setting up a Portable USB Drive

1. Format a USB stick as APFS or macOS Extended. 8 GB or larger is more than enough.
2. Mount the USB drive on your Mac.
3. Open the ShowFonts DMG.
4. Instead of dragging the app to Applications, drag it directly onto your USB drive.
5. Eject the DMG.
6. Launch ShowFonts directly from the USB drive.

What to expect

ShowFonts automatically detects that it is running from a removable drive. From the License menu, choose Show License Info and you will see the storage shown as Portable Drive (instead of This Mac).

Your license key, trial state, and activation data are stored in a hidden file next to the app on the USB drive — not on the host Mac. When you unplug the drive, the host Mac is left untouched.

Using ShowFonts on a presenter's Mac

1. Plug the USB drive into the presenter's Mac.
2. Open the drive in Finder and double-click ShowFonts.
3. Drag the presenter's .key or .pptx file onto the drop zone.
4. Review the font list.
5. Click Create Package and choose a folder on your USB drive as the destination.
6. Quit ShowFonts, eject the USB drive, and you are done.

6. Creating Your Handoff Package

When you click Create Package, ShowFonts asks where to save the folder and then assembles everything in one place.

What goes in the package

• Fonts folder — all selected Found fonts as TrueType or OpenType files
• Presentation file (optional) — a copy of the original .key or .pptx
• font-report.txt (optional) — a plain-text summary listing every font used, classified by status

Customizing what is included

In the Package Contents card you can toggle each section on or off. By default the presentation file is excluded and the font report is included — adjust to your needs.

Open package when done

Toggle Open package when done on the Create Package card (top right) to have Finder automatically reveal the new folder after it is created.

7. License Activation

Free Trial

ShowFonts launches with a 7-day free trial. No credit card required. The countdown appears as a banner at the top of the app. When the trial ends, you will be prompted to enter a license key to continue.

Entering Your License Key

After purchasing ShowFonts, you will receive a license key by email from Lemon Squeezy. To activate:

1. Open ShowFonts.
2. Click Enter License in the trial banner, or use the trial-expired screen.
3. Paste your key into the field.
4. Click Activate.

Device Activations

Each license includes three activations. You can use ShowFonts on up to three Macs or USB drives at the same time. To free up an activation slot, open License > Show License Info and click Deactivate This Device.

Managing Activations Online

You can also manage activations from your Lemon Squeezy customer portal. The link is included in your purchase confirmation email.

8. Tips and Shortcuts

Keyboard Shortcuts

Cmd + Shift + 1	Switch to Light mode
Cmd + Shift + 2	Switch to Dark mode
Cmd + Shift + 3	Follow system appearance
Cmd + Shift + L	Show License Info
Cmd + Q	Quit ShowFonts

Hidden Gems

• Click a missing font's name to search Google for where to buy or download it.
• Click an installed font's path to reveal the font file in Finder.
• Drag any installed font out of the table to copy the font file elsewhere.
• Right-click any font for context-menu options (Copy name, Copy path, Show in Finder).
• Sort the font table by clicking the Font Name or Status column headers.

9. Frequently Asked Questions

10. Support

If something is not working as expected, we want to know.

Before contacting support

• Confirm you are running macOS 14.6 or later.
• Try quitting and relaunching ShowFonts.
• Check License > Show License Info to confirm your license status.
• If running from a USB drive, try also from your Applications folder to isolate the issue.

Get in touch

Email: hello@showfonts.com
Website: www.showfonts.com

Thank you for using ShowFonts. Built with care for the people behind every great presentation.