diff --git a/example/freetype/main.go b/example/freetype/main.go
index 81f0d4dacc0cf26795fb8794d4256d1019b873ad..d25fa2b919607a6ce4017c99eece298c8fd60a1c 100644
--- a/example/freetype/main.go
+++ b/example/freetype/main.go
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@
 // FreeType License or the GNU General Public License version 2 (or
 // any later version), both of which can be found in the LICENSE file.
 
+// +build ignore
+//
+// This build tag means that "go install github.com/golang/freetype/..."
+// doesn't install this example program. Use "go run main.go" to run it.
+
 package main
 
 import (
diff --git a/example/gamma/main.go b/example/gamma/main.go
index a3d04933745d68745065703e762fb8bd3695a300..adae4eaef82464b933f628a1fb49d5092db3fe69 100644
--- a/example/gamma/main.go
+++ b/example/gamma/main.go
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@
 // FreeType License or the GNU General Public License version 2 (or
 // any later version), both of which can be found in the LICENSE file.
 
+// +build ignore
+//
+// This build tag means that "go install github.com/golang/freetype/..."
+// doesn't install this example program. Use "go run main.go" to run it.
+
 package main
 
 import (
diff --git a/example/raster/main.go b/example/raster/main.go
index 45f23c18fa927fb7f7e90ce9e5412d3eb4ab4660..a8d0baa6652c77f613c0d69249ca96581d5700af 100644
--- a/example/raster/main.go
+++ b/example/raster/main.go
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@
 // FreeType License or the GNU General Public License version 2 (or
 // any later version), both of which can be found in the LICENSE file.
 
+// +build ignore
+//
+// This build tag means that "go install github.com/golang/freetype/..."
+// doesn't install this example program. Use "go run main.go" to run it.
+
 package main
 
 import (
diff --git a/example/round/main.go b/example/round/main.go
index 2333c454fc2484cbb665ec631a632e12b9746508..efee89a8d3b5ac970132dc743e593c656e08d9f7 100644
--- a/example/round/main.go
+++ b/example/round/main.go
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@
 // FreeType License or the GNU General Public License version 2 (or
 // any later version), both of which can be found in the LICENSE file.
 
+// +build ignore
+//
+// This build tag means that "go install github.com/golang/freetype/..."
+// doesn't install this example program. Use "go run main.go" to run it.
+
 // This program visualizes the quadratic approximation to the circle, used to
 // implement round joins when stroking paths. The approximation is used in the
 // stroking code for arcs between 0 and 45 degrees, but is visualized here
diff --git a/example/truetype/main.go b/example/truetype/main.go
index 04c26c13ecddd3a98e86b87e4f24da8961a3fe89..bca1755ebe2073b71ce72e7f0abe238bc6b2e496 100644
--- a/example/truetype/main.go
+++ b/example/truetype/main.go
@@ -3,6 +3,11 @@
 // FreeType License or the GNU General Public License version 2 (or
 // any later version), both of which can be found in the LICENSE file.
 
+// +build ignore
+//
+// This build tag means that "go install github.com/golang/freetype/..."
+// doesn't install this example program. Use "go run main.go" to run it.
+
 package main
 
 import (