How to change the font on the TextView?

Question

How to change the font in a TextView, as default it's shown up as Arial? How to change it to Helvetica?

Answer 1

Best practice ever

TextViewPlus.java:

public class TextViewPlus extends TextView {
    private static final String TAG = "TextView";

    public TextViewPlus(Context context) {
        super(context);
    }

    public TextViewPlus(Context context, AttributeSet attrs) {
        super(context, attrs);
        setCustomFont(context, attrs);
    }

    public TextViewPlus(Context context, AttributeSet attrs, int defStyle) {
        super(context, attrs, defStyle);
        setCustomFont(context, attrs);
    }

    private void setCustomFont(Context ctx, AttributeSet attrs) {
        TypedArray a = ctx.obtainStyledAttributes(attrs, R.styleable.TextViewPlus);
        String customFont = a.getString(R.styleable.TextViewPlus_customFont);
        setCustomFont(ctx, customFont);
        a.recycle();
    }

    public boolean setCustomFont(Context ctx, String asset) {
        Typeface typeface = null;
        try {
            typeface = Typeface.createFromAsset(ctx.getAssets(), asset);
        } catch (Exception e) {
            Log.e(TAG, "Unable to load typeface: "+e.getMessage());
            return false;
        }

        setTypeface(typeface);
        return true;
    }
}

attrs.xml: (Where to place res/values)

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<resources>
    <declare-styleable name="TextViewPlus">
        <attr name="customFont" format="string"/>
    </declare-styleable>
</resources>

How to use:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<LinearLayout 
    xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    xmlns:foo="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
    android:orientation="vertical" android:layout_width="fill_parent"
    android:layout_height="fill_parent">

    <com.mypackage.TextViewPlus
        android:id="@+id/textViewPlus1"
        android:layout_height="match_parent"
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:text="@string/showingOffTheNewTypeface"
        foo:customFont="my_font_name_regular.otf">
    </com.mypackage.TextViewPlus>
</LinearLayout>

Hope this will help you.

Answer 2

get font from asset and set to all children

public static void overrideFonts(final Context context, final View v) {
    try {
        if (v instanceof ViewGroup) {
            ViewGroup vg = (ViewGroup) v;
            for (int i = 0; i < vg.getChildCount(); i++) {
                View child = vg.getChildAt(i);
                overrideFonts(context, child);
         }
        } else if (v instanceof TextView ) {
            ((TextView) v).setTypeface(Typeface.createFromAsset(context.getAssets(),"DroidNaskh.ttf"));// "BKOODB.TTF"));
        }
    } catch (Exception e) {
 }
 } 

Answer 3

When your font is stored inside res/asset/fonts/Helvetica.ttf use the following:

Typeface tf = Typeface.createFromAsset(getAssets(),"fonts/Helvetica.ttf"); 
txt.setTypeface(tf);

Or, if your font file is stores inside res/font/helvetica.ttf use the following:

Typeface tf = ResourcesCompat.getFont(this,R.font.helvetica);
txt.setTypeface(tf);

Answer 4

import java.lang.ref.WeakReference;
import java.util.HashMap;

import android.content.Context;
import android.graphics.Typeface;

public class FontsManager {

    private static FontsManager instance;

    private static HashMap<String, WeakReference<Typeface>> typefaces = new HashMap<String, WeakReference<Typeface>>();

    private static Context context;

    private FontsManager(final Context ctx) {
        if (context == null) {
            context = ctx;
        }
    }

    public static FontsManager getInstance(final Context appContext) {
        if (instance == null) {
            instance = new FontsManager(appContext);
        }
        return instance;
    }

    public static FontsManager getInstance() {
        if (instance == null) {
            throw new RuntimeException(
                    "Call getInstance(Context context) at least once to init the singleton properly");
        }
        return instance;
    }

    public Typeface getFont(final String assetName) {
        final WeakReference<Typeface> tfReference = typefaces.get(assetName);
        if (tfReference == null || tfReference.get() == null) {
            final Typeface tf = Typeface.createFromAsset(context.getResources().getAssets(),
                    assetName);
            typefaces.put(assetName, new WeakReference<Typeface>(tf));
            return tf;
        }
        return tfReference.get();
    }

}

This way, you can create a View which inherits from TextView and calls setTypeface on its constructor.

Answer 5

Typeface tf = Typeface.createFromAsset(getAssets(),
        "fonts/DroidSansFallback.ttf");
TextView tv = (TextView) findViewById(R.id.CustomFontText);
tv.setTypeface(tf);

Answer 6

First, the default is not Arial. The default is Droid Sans.

Second, to change to a different built-in font, use android:typeface in layout XML or setTypeface() in Java.

Third, there is no Helvetica font in Android. The built-in choices are Droid Sans (sans), Droid Sans Mono (monospace), and Droid Serif (serif). While you can bundle your own fonts with your application and use them via setTypeface(), bear in mind that font files are big and, in some cases, require licensing agreements (e.g., Helvetica, a Linotype font).

EDIT

The Android design language relies on traditional typographic tools such as scale, space, rhythm, and alignment with an underlying grid. Successful deployment of these tools is essential to help users quickly understand a screen of information. To support such use of typography, Ice Cream Sandwich introduced a new type family named Roboto, created specifically for the requirements of UI and high-resolution screens.

The current TextView framework offers Roboto in thin, light, regular and bold weights, along with an italic style for each weight. The framework also offers the Roboto Condensed variant in regular and bold weights, along with an italic style for each weight.

After ICS, android includes Roboto fonts style, Read more Roboto

EDIT 2

With the advent of Support Library 26, Android now supports custom fonts by default. You can insert new fonts in res/fonts which can be set to TextViews individually either in XML or programmatically. The default font for the whole application can also be changed by defining it styles.xml The android developer documentation has a clear guide on this here