Install Custom Fonts Application-Wide on BrightSign Devices

Install custom fonts application-wide on BrightSign devices in Appspace so non-Latin text renders correctly across cards and AI cards. Custom fonts deployed through the Appspace App: Install font device task only load into the main app HTML by default. Setting the device.font.supportedtypes property extends those fonts to every rendering surface on the BrightSign device after a reboot.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure the following are in place. These cover both the base font installation and the BrightSign-specific requirements introduced in Appspace App for Devices version 2.96.0.

• The Appspace user account has the Account Owner, Platform Administrator, or Location Administrator role for the target location or device.
• The BrightSign device is running Appspace App for Devices version 2.96.0 or later.
• The custom font file is hosted at a URL accessible to the BrightSign device.
• The custom font file uses one of the BrightSign-supported types listed in Supported Font Types on BrightSign.
• The custom font has been successfully installed on the device using the Appspace App: Install Font device task. See Install Custom Fonts for Appspace App for Devices.
• The font file is present in the device's cache/font.cache directory after the install task completes.
• The BrightSign device is online and reachable from the Appspace console for property updates and reboot commands.
• You can reboot the BrightSign device. Custom fonts are loaded only during roHtmlWidget creation, which happens at app start.

Install Custom Fonts Application-Wide on BrightSign Devices

Follow the instructions below to make installed custom fonts available across the entire Appspace App on a BrightSign device, including cards and AI cards.

1. Log in to the Appspace console.
2. Click Devices from the ☰ Appspace menu.
3. Click the Devices tab, and select the desired BrightSign device to install the custom font application-wide.

   Note

   To install the custom font application-wide on multiple BrightSign devices from a Location level:

   • Click the Locations tab, and select the desired location containing the devices.
   • Click the Properties tab, and click +ADD.
   • Continue to Step 4 to add the device property.
4. In the Device Overview page, click the Settings tab, and the Device Properties tab in the side-panel.
5. In the Device Properties section, enter the following device property and value:

   Property: device.font.supportedtypes
   Value: ttf,otf,woff

   Enter the value as a comma-separated list of file extensions, including only the font file types present in your installed font set. See Supported Font Types on BrightSign for validated extensions.

6. Click the Save icon to apply the property and confirm it has been pushed to the device.
7. Reboot the BrightSign device. Custom fonts are loaded only during roHtmlWidget creation, which happens at app start.
8. After the device reboots, open a channel or AI card containing text in the language matching the installed font, for example a card with Japanese translation enabled. The non-Latin text should render at full resolution instead of appearing pixelated.

   Note

   If the custom font is still not displaying application-wide:

   • Confirm the font file is present in the device's cache/font.cache directory.
   • Confirm the file extension of the installed font is included in the device.font.supportedtypes value.
   • Access the Appspace App Device Menu, and select Restart to ensure the custom font is reloaded during roHtmlWidget creation.

Supported Font Types on BrightSign

The following font types have been validated by Appspace for use with the device.font.supportedtypes property. Only list extensions for files that exist in cache/font.cache.

Recover From a Black Screen After Setting an Invalid Font Type

If the BrightSign device boots to a black screen after applying device.font.supportedtypes, the property likely contains an unsupported extension that caused roHtmlWidget creation to fail. Follow the instructions below to restore the device.

1. Access the BrightSign device storage and download the appspace/_config.json file. Keep this copy as a backup.
2. Open a duplicate of the file and remove the supportedFontTypes property from the JSON.
3. Save the modified file and replace the original at appspace/_config.json on the device.
4. In the Appspace console, open the device or location property page and remove the invalid font extension from device.font.supportedtypes. Update the value with only the validated supported types listed in Supported Font Types on BrightSign.
5. Reboot the device.

The device should now boot normally with custom fonts available application-wide for the remaining valid types.