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Overview

Using custom fonts in Nexrender Cloud allows you to maintain brand consistency and typography control. However, incorrect font handling is a common source of layout issues and rendering bugs. This guide outlines best practices for referencing and managing fonts inside your render job payloads.

Preload Fonts in the fonts Array

All fonts must be explicitly preloaded in your render job payload:
"fonts": [
  "Montserrat-SemiBold.ttf",
  "Roboto-Bold.ttf"
]

Why this matters:

  • Fonts not listed in fonts won’t be loaded during rendering
  • Fallback to system defaults is silent but incorrect
  • Text may shift, break, or lose styling

Use Preview Mode to Test Fonts

"preview": true
Preview renders are faster and cheaper — ideal for catching:
  • Font name mismatches
  • Layout shifts
  • Rendering errors from missing or misapplied fonts

Version-Control Your Fonts

Treat fonts like code assets:
  • Store .ttf files in Git or cloud buckets
  • Bundle fonts with template archives or CI pipelines
  • Never use non-versioned URLs (e.g. latest.ttf)

Prefer Google Fonts (When Possible)

Google Fonts are:
  • Open-source
  • License-safe
  • Render-friendly across OSes and pipelines
If branding allows, use them to reduce friction and ensure stability.

Summary of Do’s and Don’ts

DoDon’t
Include every font in the fonts array of the render jobAssume AE or OS fallback will match your design
Validate using preview: true rendersWait for production jobs to catch font errors
Keep fonts versioned and committedLoad from changing external CDN links
Stick to known-good, portable fontsRely on obscure or platform-specific fonts