Free Fonts & Type Tools
Ranked #502 in Arts & Design, #5,344 overall | Donates to Room to Read
Cool Typography: Font Downloads, Lettering, Typefaces for Web Design and Print
In this free fonts lens you'll find the best fonts, font tools and typography web sites and lenses online. You'll also learn cool designer tricks with fonts. You can make cool word art and graphics using fonts and clip art or even just with fonts alone.
Too many fonts make a project look like a ransom note - unless that's your desire, limit your design to 1 or 2 typefaces. When in doubt, use an attractive sans serif font for headings and chapters, and a serif face for the text or body type.
Copyright applies to fonts, just as it applies to all creative works. Font designers work hard to make the typefaces we use. Always check Terms of Use for any free fonts you download - be sure they're okay to use without license or payment.
Photo: jeltovski, morguefile.com
Fun with Fonts
Letterforms - Visual Communication & Type as Art
It seems like everyone loves "fonts" - you can find thousands of examples online by surfing the web sea of personal pages, DIY web sites, blog posts, MySpace pages and free "bling" banner maker font toys.
History is filled with examples of typographic embellishment or graffiti on every markable surface - from walls to books, buildings, flags, clothing, jewelry, handbills, print media and packaging.
One of the first things people try their hand at with any publishing tool is to change the typeface to another size, another style, another color ... then they progress to warping and special effects: shadows, curves, stretching, skewing, adding outlines, 3-D, "word art" and animation.
What is it about type that is so compelling and makes us want to play with letters? Who knows, but there are many places to find free fonts and type toys, so read on and have Fun with Fonts.
Heyyy Abbott - Type as Humor
Visual Language Humor
Font Foundation
My first contact with a computer was because of fonts. It was in 1979, and I was working as an operator on a CompuGraphic typesetting machine. I sometimes miss the days of when you could really work with fonts - tweaking the ligatures, kerns and other typographical technical adjustments. But on the other hand, it's a lot easier to change fonts using my PC than to open a lid of a machine the size of a VW bug and remove a film strip that's spinning on a drum at thousands of RPMs just to change the font for your headline banner.
I do still tweak fonts when they become vector art. I convert them to outlines then start changing the shapes and ligatures in Illustrator. But that's a whole different story.
Big Font Collections on CD
Font Basics - Serif / Sans Serif
Those little curly things on a font are called serifs.
A serif is a calligraphic or typographic characteristic of a letterform. Small extra strokes or embellishments added to letters to distinguish them or make them artistically unique. If a font doesn't have serifs, it's classified as a "sans" serif typeface.
In typography, serifs are semi-structural details on the ends of some of the strokes that make up letters and symbols. A typeface that has serifs is called a serif typeface (or seriffed typeface). A typeface without serifs is called sans-serif, from the French sans, meaning "without". Some typography sources refer to sans-serif typefaces as "grotesque" (in German "grotesk") or "Gothic," and serif types as "Roman." - Wikipedia,
- Popular Sans Serif Typefaces - Arial is the most well known sans serif font on Windows computers, but there are many others that predate computer fonts that have been updated for desktop publishing use. This article lists 10 classics generally used as text or body fonts.
- Classic Serif Type Faces - Linotype presents classic and favorite serif typefaces, including history for some fonts, sample usage for more than a dozen, and a good explanation of the types of serif found on various serif typefaces (bracketed, slab, hairline).
Typography & Design Books
Type-Heads - For Font Freaks and Typography Fans
If you're really into typography, check out these links
- SOTA : The Society of Typographic Aficionados
- The Society of Typographic Aficionados (SOTA) is a non-profit, volunteer-driven organization devoted to type, typography, and the related arts.
- ATypI-Assoiciation Typographique Internationale
- ATypI (Association Typographique Internationale) is the premier worldwide organisation dedicated to type and typography. Founded in 1957, ATypI provides the structure for communication, information and action amongst the international type community.
- The Right Typeface for Text
- PDF article from Before & After magazine - sharing its practical approach to graphic design since 1990.
- Typofile Magazine - Home
- Almost everything we know in the world can be described in just 26 letters--isn't that amazing? Yet this most visible
art--which we all see all around us each day--has long been invisible in most people's minds. Part of this was intentional - because the content, not the type, is the message. - EsperFonto - Type Face Selector
- Typeface / Font selection system - choose the most appropriate FONT for your job with the help of this nifty online tool.
- Choose Your Fonts Well - Type Tells a Story
- Concise words of advice for typeface selection - type tips from Seth Godin.
Cool Font Tools
Bend me, shape me, glitter me, convert me ...
What the Font - put a name to a face when you know what it looks like but not the font name.
Mac Font Converter - convert TrueType fonts to Mac fonts with this share ware tool
What's that Font in my bitmap image? - great lens with free font identification resources.
Font Toys
Wordle App - Fun with Fonts and Text
- Wordle - Beautiful Word Clouds
- Wordle is a toy for generating "word clouds" from text that you provide.
Dover Font & Type Books
Specialized Typography, Lettering & Calligraphy
Font of Knowledge
How Well Do You Know Typefaces and Fonts?
This fun quiz will test your knowledge about fonts, typefaces and typography.
Drop Caps & Manuscript Initials
Illuminata and Attention Grabbers
This drop cap example utilizes HTML style controls - check out HTML Squidoo Tricks to find out how to add this feature to your blog, lens or web page.
- HTML Squidoo Tricks
- HTML Squidoo tricks how to lens with sample codes & step-by-step instructions to change fonts, make drop caps, alter background colors, add images and lots more.
- How To Article: Drop Cap
- Use the Microsoft Word Drop Cap feature to make the first letter of a paragraph stand out.
- Easy Magazine Style CSS Drop Cap Tutorial
- Copy and paste CSS drop caps. Tutorial for drop caps including magazine and novel style big first letters in a paragraph.
Best Free Font Sites
Vote 'em as you see 'em
[DIVIDE BY ZERO] Fonts : Free TrueType Fonts
Lots of free, original Truetype Fonts for download more...2 points
dafont.com
Archive of freely downloadable fonts. Browse by al more...2 points
Fonts | Smashing Magazine
Free Fonts Of The Month 40+ Excellent Freefonts Fo more...1 point
Harold's Fonts
Get cool fonts for free or for very few dollars at more...1 point
Download Free Fonts @ 1001 Fonts .com
Download free fonts for Windows and free fonts for more...0 points
Oliver Conte Design -- FREE Custom Designed Fonts
Oliver Conte Design specializes in web site design more...0 points
SimplytheBest Free Fonts
SimplytheBest Free Fonts. A collection of the best more...0 points
UrbanFonts.com
Download free fonts and free dingbats. PC fonts, M more...0 points
Font Paradise
Choose from thousands of free fonts for windows to more...0 points
PCFonts.com - List of Free Font Sites
PCFonts.com - comprehensive list of 2000+ PC font more...0 points
MacFonts.com - Free Mac Font Sites
MacFonts.com-premiere site for all your Mac font n more...0 points
HTML Squidoo Tricks How To Lens with sample codes step-by-step
HTML Squidoo Tricks How To Lens with sample codes more...0 points
25 Free Handwriting Fonts for your Designer Toolbox
Add a personal touch to your designs with fonts th more...0 points
fontsy.com | free fonts | kostenlose Schriftarten | gratuito tipos de fuentes
fontsy.com is a big free fonts archive. Here you c more...0 points
Fun Font Fashions and Gifts
Text Expressions and Fonts Make Cool Art
BFF Note Cards by imagefactory
Design a photo note card at zazzle
Specialty Font Sources
- Font Diner
- Retro style fonts and type history - cool, hip fun site.
- Free Scrapbooking Fonts
- The Best Scrap You can Find... Online!
- MusicEffect Band Fonts
- Fonts from band logos-band fonts, music fonts, metal fonts, different fonts. Indexed by band name, with cool mouse-over previewer.
- Free Scrapbook Fonts by KevinandAmanda.com
- Free handwritten and playful fonts for personal or commercial use (see terms of use for requirements to use commercially or to purchase a license without linking).
- ENIGMA FONTS
- All of the Fonts on this site are made by Brian Kent, and all are Freeware. You can use them any way you want (Personal use, Commercial use, or whatever).
- Kat's Fun Fonts!
- Free original alpha ding and pictorial fun fonts!
- Neferchichi's Tomb at neferchichi.com
- Neferchichi's Fonts - trial downloads and full collections for sale. Includes Egyptian heiroglyphics and numbers, Egyptian deities and symbol dingbats.
- 64 Free Fonts
- Free fonts from CoffeeCup Software
- 10 Awesome Free Handwritten Fonts | My Ink Blog
- It's no secret in the MyInkBlog community the hand drawn websites are a growing trend, and one that I rather enjoy. This post will showcase ten such free handwritten style fonts that are sure to add a touch of personality to you next design.
- Graffiti Fonts
- Graffiti fonts - limited edition free download. Fonts include: FatCap, Magik Marker, RapScript, Paint Cans, Scrawler, Cali Chisel plus VectorGraff Drawing Application, 30 Stock Images, Opcion Font Viewer & more.
- Skull-A-Day: FREE Skull Font!
- Letters of the alphabet created with skulls in this free downloadable skull font (true type and open type versions).
- Handwriting Fonts
- Learn where you can download free Handwriting Fonts to use for homeschool and educational use.
Funky Font Video
Tramp Typography
Doodle Fonts, Ding Bats, Glyphs, Symbols
Type a key, get a picture ...
Tom 7/Divide by Zero Hand drawn and grungy dingbat characters.
FontGarden Dingbats - many categories of unusual dings including borders, dividers, tags and buttons useful for scrapbooking
Deliahs Doodles from Fonts for Peas Happy little doodle characters and caricature fonts, free download for personal use
Dinosaur Fonts - no, not old and obsolete fonts but picture fonts with dinosaur characters instead of letters!
Specialized Font Sets on CD-ROM
Hard to find type collections
Typography & Font Lenses
Learn about type and design from these lensmasters
WTF - What the Font Typeface Identifier
Forget the name of the font? You can figure it out with this nifty tool.
Have you ever forgotten the name of a font or typeface you used to design a project or spruce up a written document? It's frustrating, and also very common - even for professional designers. Well, don't pull out all those catalogs and sample sheets, just use this font identification program to figure out that familiar face ...
The best samples to submit are scanned images with characters about 100 pixels in height on a horizontal baseline. MyFonts offers many other helpful tips and guidelines for submitting a font for identification.
What the Font is a neat online tool that can help you figure out what font you used. You can upload an image to the database or specify an URL that has the font and you'll get assistance from the font detectives at What the Font, a service of Myfonts.com.
Clip Art and Font Lenses
Free graphics resources on Squidoo
Word Music - Kinetic Typography and Fonts that Move
Live Out Loud
Font-Tastic Type Freaks Mug
Cool retro type designer mug by Steve Mehallo
Font Me Typography by mehallo
Create custom coffee mugs with zazzle
Historical font measurements, classifications, decimal conversions, proofreader marks ... plus, beverage holder! Perfect gift for graphic designers, web developers; anyone who works with fonts. Vintage style, detailed black and white mug, black interior.
I Was Once a Typesetter ...
Does anyone under 35 even know what that means?
Love Fonts? Show Some Love for Free Fonts!
Gimme a Thumbs Up ... if you like free fonts
This module only appears with actual data when viewed on a live lens. The favorite and lensroll options will appear on a live lens if the viewer is a member of Squidoo and logged in.
What's Your Type?
Say hi, tell me about your font or design lens, suggest a link ...
Leave a comment or note in this free fonts lens guestbook ... I like to know who's been here. Make a suggestion for free fonts if you know of a great resource I can add.
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undeadllama
Dec 30, 2011 @ 11:58 am | delete
- Holy crap! I hit the mother load!
Excellent information. Thanks for collecting it up in one place.
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ggalea
Dec 26, 2011 @ 12:40 pm | delete
- Wow!, is a great lens. Lot of info about types. Very useful for me.
Thanks by share,
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rauspitz
Dec 7, 2011 @ 6:51 pm | delete
- Outstanding lens! I know I'll be visiting a few of those sites. Thank you.
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Joie Nov 25, 2011 @ 3:04 am | delete
- An absolute treasure trove! I'm in heaven!
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fleewe
Nov 14, 2011 @ 6:02 am | delete
- awesome resources thanks will check out this one above, blessed
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SuneXtra
Oct 10, 2011 @ 3:41 am | delete
- Double thumbs up (if I could)! lol
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RenaissanceWoman2010
Oct 8, 2011 @ 9:06 am | delete
- Fonts have beguiled me since childhood. And then, upon getting my first Mac back in the 80s, fonts became a full-blown love affair. Thanks for these great resources. Appreciated!
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thneto
Sep 24, 2011 @ 8:05 am | delete
- Love your lens - inspiring (heading out to some of your links) & fun!
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ledouxrt
Sep 23, 2011 @ 6:45 pm | delete
- I failed the quiz :(
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tagsforkids
Sep 22, 2011 @ 5:17 pm | delete
- Passing back through again. My wife accuses me of having a font fetish! By the way, I do know what a typesetter is...but then again I'm a bit beyond 35! :-)
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robinrags
Jun 28, 2011 @ 1:08 pm | delete
- Nice lens - I've bookmarked this so I can find these great fonts as I need them ... thanks!
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Donnette
Jun 24, 2011 @ 2:31 am | delete
- Apparently I cannot get enough of your lenses.. again outstanding, thank you.
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Ella90
Jun 16, 2011 @ 6:20 pm | delete
- Great lens, even if I did completely fail at the quiz
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BozMatthews
May 23, 2011 @ 3:36 am | delete
- Awesome resource! Love the collection of free font sites.
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LensSeller
Apr 23, 2011 @ 5:06 am | delete
- Fascinating! I loved reading this lens even if I bombed at the quiz! My favourite part has to be the wordle section - that's going to be a bag of fun I just know it :-)
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jseven
Apr 20, 2011 @ 2:53 pm | delete
- I love the script and kid fonts, thanks for the cool lens!
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SukoMiabals
Mar 19, 2011 @ 9:27 pm | delete
- Most excellent work. Thank You!
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Fignewton37
Mar 17, 2011 @ 5:25 am | delete
- Great lens. You have put in a lot of hard work. I have been looking for sites to help me improve my lenses and you have a nice, informative tutorial. BTW I know what a typesetter does. I worked for a number of years as an editor at various newspapers. Thanks again.
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UKGhostwriter
Mar 15, 2011 @ 3:44 am | delete
- Excellent lens!
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KM9999999
Feb 24, 2011 @ 11:29 pm | delete
- I love the font mug. It's cute.
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Word Art - Font Graphics
Calligraphy, too
- Word Art--Gulf War
- Peace activist's pen & ink drawings from the Gulf War based on quotes and word art.
- The Word Art of Juan Osborne | Webdesigner Depot
- Fine art quality graphical posters created from lettering and word art.
- Word Graphics, Word Art, Sayings
- Word Graphics, Word Art, Sayings - lettering with fancy fills and decorative font treatments.
- Centsational Girl Blog Archive - Word Art
- I'm a simple gal with a simple dream: transforming the drab into the fab with an arsenal of paintbrushes, primer and power tools. I completely reject the notion that second hand is second class. I shop thrift stores, flea markets, antique stores, and Craigslist with an eye for transforming and repur
- Wordle - Beautiful Word Clouds
- DIY Word Art Collages - Wordle is a toy for generating
"word clouds" from text that you provide from a page or list. - Word Art by Abrakadoodle Art Widget — Widgetbox
- Get the Word Art by Abrakadoodle Art widget on Widgetbox.com! and create your own word art!
by Pastiche
I'm a graphic designer and typeface-loving font freak. Fonts are fun and an easy way to create design on a budget. I'm a Squidoo Rocket Mom,a Giant Squid... more »
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Best Free Fonts Online
Freefonts!: Designer Fonts Online
Amazon Price: $3.49 (as of 02/14/2012)
Graphic Design Delights
Free Clip Art, Fonts, Design Tips
4000 Fonts for You
Use for commercial projects - no royalty fees
4000 Fonts
Amazon Price: $3.88 (as of 02/14/2012)
If you can't find a great font from this collection then you might need to design your own typeface. These fonts work for any program and can be included in PDF files.
