diff --git a/docs/releasing.md b/docs/releasing.md
index feff91d87..44a1afaaa 100644
--- a/docs/releasing.md
+++ b/docs/releasing.md
@@ -64,6 +64,16 @@ whose glyph-coverage test checks the characters in available faces. `CRAFT_FONTS
 the native build fail if the pinned manifest lacks Noto Sans CJK SC Regular (`Hans`) or BIZ UDPGothic Regular;
 the web build requires BIZ UDPGothic Regular and packages Noto Sans CJK SC as a separate asset.
 
+Local macOS, Linux and Windows packaging scripts automatically use the sibling `../craft-fonts`
+checkout. If it is absent, they clone it at revision
+`8dcdacd5153e64560d109541a47d806f26f048c0` (keep the pins in `packaging/fonts.sh` and
+`packaging/windows/fonts.ps1` in sync with the release workflow). Existing checkouts are left untouched.
+Set `CRAFT_FONTS_DIR` to use another
+checkout; relative paths resolve from the workspace root. The script requires the Chinese and Japanese
+UI faces and includes their OFL licences in the package. Download failures or incomplete checkouts
+stop packaging with an error. `--skip-build` (`-SkipBuild` on Windows) packages existing binaries without downloading fonts or
+changing what they embed; pass the same `CRAFT_FONTS_DIR` used to compile them so their licences ship.
+
 ## Signing credentials
 
 All credentials are stored as secrets in the GitHub `release` environment. Signing is optional:
diff --git a/packaging/fonts.sh b/packaging/fonts.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..61dc913f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packaging/fonts.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+# shellcheck shell=bash
+# Font setup for local packaging; sourced after packaging/env.sh.
+prepare_fonts() {
+  local font_dir="${CRAFT_FONTS_DIR:-$ROOT/../craft-fonts}"
+  # Relative overrides are documented relative to the workspace, regardless of the caller's cwd.
+  case "$font_dir" in
+    /*) ;;
+    *) font_dir="$ROOT/$font_dir" ;;
+  esac
+
+  if [ -z "${CRAFT_FONTS_DIR:-}" ] && [ ! -e "$font_dir" ]; then
+    # Same revision as release.yml. Never update or reset an existing checkout.
+    local revision=8dcdacd5153e64560d109541a47d806f26f048c0
+    echo "==> downloading craft-fonts ($revision) to $font_dir"
+    if ! git clone --no-checkout https://github.com/storytold/craft-fonts "$font_dir" ||
+       ! git -C "$font_dir" checkout --detach "$revision"; then
+      echo "error: could not prepare craft-fonts; provide a complete checkout with CRAFT_FONTS_DIR" >&2
+      return 1
+    fi
+  fi
+
+  if [ ! -f "$font_dir/fonts/manifest.txt" ]; then
+    echo "error: missing $font_dir/fonts/manifest.txt; set CRAFT_FONTS_DIR to a complete craft-fonts checkout" >&2
+    return 1
+  fi
+  CRAFT_FONTS_DIR="$(cd "$font_dir" && pwd)" || return 1
+  export CRAFT_FONTS_DIR
+  # Fail the build if required faces are missing, rather than ship empty glyph boxes.
+  export CRAFT_FONTS_REQUIRED=1
+  echo "==> embedding fonts from $CRAFT_FONTS_DIR"
+}
diff --git a/packaging/linux/package.sh b/packaging/linux/package.sh
index b5e1d9457..383c20f07 100755
--- a/packaging/linux/package.sh
+++ b/packaging/linux/package.sh
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
 #   $DIST/lightcraft-<version>-linux-<arch>.tar.gz    plain FHS-style tree (bin/, share/)
 #
 # Usage: packaging/linux/package.sh [--skip-build] [--formats "appimage deb rpm tar"]
+# Fonts: use CRAFT_FONTS_DIR or ../craft-fonts; download the pinned checkout if absent.
 #
 # Needs: cargo; nfpm for deb/rpm (https://nfpm.goreleaser.com); appimagetool for the AppImage
 # (downloaded into $CARGO_TARGET_DIR if missing). Build on an old distro (CI: Ubuntu 22.04,
@@ -45,6 +46,9 @@ BASENAME="lightcraft-$VERSION-linux-$ARCH"
 echo "==> LightCraft $VERSION for Linux $ARCH ($FORMATS)"
 
 if [ "$SKIP_BUILD" = 0 ]; then
+  # shellcheck source=../fonts.sh
+  . "$ROOT/packaging/fonts.sh"
+  prepare_fonts
   (cd "$ROOT" && cargo build --release --locked -p lightcraft -p lightcraft-cli --features lightcraft/heif,lightcraft-cli/heif \
     ${CROSS_TARGET:+--target "$CROSS_TARGET"})
 fi
diff --git a/packaging/macos/package.sh b/packaging/macos/package.sh
index b26aa96d6..f26237a4c 100755
--- a/packaging/macos/package.sh
+++ b/packaging/macos/package.sh
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #   $DIST/lightcraft-cli-<version>-macos-<arch>.zip      the headless CLI
 #
 # Usage: packaging/macos/package.sh [--arch universal|aarch64|x86_64] [--skip-build]
+# Fonts: use CRAFT_FONTS_DIR or ../craft-fonts; download the pinned checkout if absent.
 #
 # Signing (env):
 #   MACOS_SIGN_IDENTITY   codesign identity (name or SHA-1). Default "-" = ad-hoc (local testing;
@@ -56,6 +57,9 @@ echo "==> LightCraft $VERSION for macOS ($ARCH), identity: $IDENTITY, notarize:
 
 # ---- build -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 if [ "$SKIP_BUILD" = 0 ]; then
+  # shellcheck source=../fonts.sh
+  . "$ROOT/packaging/fonts.sh"
+  prepare_fonts
   args=()
   for t in "${TARGETS[@]}"; do args+=(--target "$t"); done
   (cd "$ROOT" && cargo build --release --locked -p lightcraft -p lightcraft-cli --features lightcraft/heif,lightcraft-cli/heif "${args[@]}")
diff --git a/packaging/windows/fonts.ps1 b/packaging/windows/fonts.ps1
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c927fbb7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packaging/windows/fonts.ps1
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+# Font setup for local packaging; dot-sourced by package.ps1.
+function Initialize-CraftFonts([string] $WorkspaceRoot) {
+  $fontDir = $env:CRAFT_FONTS_DIR
+  if (-not $fontDir) { $fontDir = Join-Path $WorkspaceRoot '../craft-fonts' }
+  if (-not [IO.Path]::IsPathRooted($fontDir)) { $fontDir = Join-Path $WorkspaceRoot $fontDir }
+
+  if (-not $env:CRAFT_FONTS_DIR -and -not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $fontDir)) {
+    # Same revision as release.yml and packaging/fonts.sh. Existing checkouts stay untouched.
+    $revision = '8dcdacd5153e64560d109541a47d806f26f048c0'
+    Write-Output "==> downloading craft-fonts ($revision) to $fontDir"
+    & git clone --no-checkout https://github.com/storytold/craft-fonts $fontDir
+    if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw 'Could not download craft-fonts; provide a complete checkout with CRAFT_FONTS_DIR' }
+    & git -C $fontDir checkout --detach $revision
+    if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw 'Could not check out craft-fonts; provide a complete checkout with CRAFT_FONTS_DIR' }
+  }
+
+  $manifest = Join-Path $fontDir 'fonts/manifest.txt'
+  if (-not (Test-Path -LiteralPath $manifest -PathType Leaf)) {
+    throw "Missing $manifest; set CRAFT_FONTS_DIR to a complete craft-fonts checkout"
+  }
+  $env:CRAFT_FONTS_DIR = (Resolve-Path -LiteralPath $fontDir).Path
+  $env:CRAFT_FONTS_REQUIRED = '1'
+  Write-Output "==> embedding fonts from $env:CRAFT_FONTS_DIR"
+}
diff --git a/packaging/windows/package.ps1 b/packaging/windows/package.ps1
index e2cd2a8e7..27e0f0a03 100644
--- a/packaging/windows/package.ps1
+++ b/packaging/windows/package.ps1
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@
   zip needs the Visual C++ redistributable. Signing is delegated to sign.ps1 (skipped with a
   warning when no signing secrets are set).
 
+  Fonts: uses CRAFT_FONTS_DIR or ../craft-fonts; downloads the pinned checkout if absent.
+
   Needs: Rust (MSVC toolchain + the target), the Windows SDK (rc.exe, signtool.exe),
   and WiX v5: dotnet tool install --global wix --version 5.0.2
   The WiX UI and Util extensions (installer dialogs, "Launch LightCraft" on Finish) are added to
@@ -81,6 +83,8 @@ if (-not $env:LIGHTCRAFT_BUILD_DATE) { $env:LIGHTCRAFT_BUILD_DATE = (Get-Date).T
 Write-Output "LightCraft $Version for Windows $Arch ($Target)"
 
 if (-not $SkipBuild) {
+  . (Join-Path $PSScriptRoot 'fonts.ps1')
+  Initialize-CraftFonts $Root
   # Static CRT: no VC++ redistributable needed. Scoped to the target so host build scripts and
   # proc-macros are unaffected.
   $flagVar = 'CARGO_TARGET_' + ($Target.ToUpper() -replace '-', '_') + '_RUSTFLAGS'