How to preview fonts in Adobe Illustrator

Use the up or down arrow key to cycle
through the fonts in the character panel.

Highlight the text or select the text frame in the illustrator document. Click once on the font name in the character palette which should highlight the font name in blue. Use the up or down arrow keys to cycle through the fonts. The selected text in the document will change to the new font. Alternatively you can hover the pointer over the name of the font in the character panel, and then scroll up or down. These techniques also work for other values in panels such as the font size or leading.

If you enjoyed this tip you may be interested in my post about illustrator tips and keyboard shortcuts.