Typography is one of the most significant factors in design, yet it's often overlooked!
Whether you're designing a website, a business card, or a poster, the type of fonts you choose can make or break the entire project. Thankfully, there are now thousands of trending fonts free to use by designers, so you can get creative with brand typography!
But what is brand typography anyway?
It's the art and science of arranging type to make written language legible, readable and appealing when displayed.
Typography is not just about choosing a font; it's also about designing the text's spacing, size, weight and color. These elements combine to create a visual hierarchy that guides the reader's eye and helps them navigate the content.
Good typography can convey a message, set a tone and create an emotional response. It can make a design look professional, playful, elegant, or edgy. It can even distinguish between a website users love navigating and one they can't wait to leave. Thus, choosing the right brand typography is every designer's priority.
In this article, we've compiled the free trending fonts to help you create text designs that viewers can’t resist looking at, especially in your website design projects!
Whether you're a seasoned designer or a neophyte, these fonts will add a touch of creativity to your next design – without hurting your pocket.
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A Collection of Trending Fonts Free for Designing Logos, Posters, Websites and More
Now that we know the essence of typography, it's time to dive into the exciting part – the fonts!
Here, we'll explore various trending free fonts that elevate your design projects. Take your picks from vintage and playful retro to elegant script fonts now!
Retro Fonts
First on our list of free trending fonts is the Retro fonts family! This style adds a touch of nostalgia to any design, and with the resurgence of vintage aesthetics, they have become more popular than ever! Here are great fonts to give your designs a retro flair:
- Bangers - This bold and lively display font features a 1950s style inspired by the lettering used on retro pulp magazine covers. It’s an ideal font for logos, headlines and posters!
- Castillo - Influenced by retro travel posters, Castillo features a bold and striking design perfect for sprucing up your titles, headings and signages.
- Pacifico - This casual script font was inspired by the 1950s American surf culture, featuring a playful and friendly style. Its stylish appearance makes it a popular choice for adding a vintage charm to invitations, product labels and social media graphics.
- Butcherman - This is one of the best retro fonts oozing with bold and fun aesthetics. It’s perfect for vintage-style posters and packaging designs! Bold typography is always an excellent choice for print designs – look at these print designs with bold fonts that stand out.
- Barrio - This rounded sans-serif font has a fun and festive style that will surely be a scene-stealer in social media graphics, product packaging and other creative projects. If you’re aiming for an upbeat design, this retro-themed trending free font is the way to go!
- Lemon Milk - This modern and condensed sans-serif font has a retro vibe – use it to add a lively character to your visuals in digital advertising, packaging and branding projects
- Old Standard - This serif retro font is based on old book typefaces from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its classic style and elegant design make it a superb choice for titles, headings and body text in print materials and websites.
- Riesling - This elegant, Art Deco-inspired font features tall, thin lettering – also a nice pairing for headlines and titles. No wonder it’s in the trending free fonts list!
- Riffic - This condensed display font rocks a retro aesthetic with a modern twist. Its bold and geometric design with a slightly curvy figure is perfect for funky headlines, logos and product packaging.
- Oswald - This sans-serif font was inspired by the typography used in classic posters and signage from the mid-20th century. Its clean and modern style makes it a versatile option for web and app interfaces. It’s also one of the best Google fonts for websites!
- Lazer 84 - This futuristic, neon-colored retro font is taken straight out of the colorful 80s and is marvelous for gaming or music projects.
- Norwester - Next on our retro fonts recommendations is this bold and geometric sans-serif font with a classic vintage feel. Its height, width and sharp edges make it an ideal choice for logos, headlines and posters.
- Gist Rough - This condensed, hand-drawn font has a distressed and vintage style that would look great in slogan brand statements. It would be a stunner in any branding, packaging and apparel design!
Script/Handwriting Fonts
Naturalistic and personalized look? Script/handwriting fonts are an easy choice!
The Script or Handwriting family deserves a spot on the best free trending fonts for adding a personal touch to any design. From elegant and formal to casual and playful, there's a font here to suit your handwritten aesthetic.
- Dancing Script - This elegant and flowing script/handwriting font has a casual feel and would look great in invitations, greeting cards and social media graphics. Its smooth lines and friendly appearance make it a go-to font for personal projects.
- Belligerent - Belligerent is all about being bold and unique. It features letters styled with edgy diagonal strokes – perfect for capturing that grunge aesthetic!
- Great Vibes - This trending free font sports a classic and elegant design that would fit well in wedding invitations, logos and other posh materials. Its swashes add a touch of sophistication to any design!
- Chocolate Heart - This beautifully handwriting-inspired font is perfect for wedding invitations, greeting cards and other elegant designs, adding a touch of sweetness and romance to the print!
- Alex Brush - Another option of trending free fonts you can use is this formal script font that offers a vintage feel through its delicate curves and flowing lines. It’s also a popular choice for creating stylish invitations and cards!
- Better Together - Better Together is an ideal handwriting font for playful and romantic themes. This style adds a personal touch to digital branding projects like social media posts, blogs and more! Its boldness will make for an eye-catching design.
- Black Jack - This casual script font has a hand-drawn feel and a cheerful and friendly personality. This trending font is free to use in your social media graphics, product packaging and other informal designs to make the brand more approachable!
- Allura - This script/handwriting font is elegant and decorative. It boasts a formal and sophisticated style ideal for wedding invitations, product packaging and other high-end designs.
- Windsong - This calligraphic beauty has a flowing and romantic style that looks enchanting in wedding invitations, love letters and other romance-themed projects!
- Alegreya - If you want to add a graceful and decorous vibe to your design, this elegant serif font has a calligraphic feel that would beautify your titles and headings.
- Qwigley - Qwigley is an elegant script/handwriting font with a formal and chic style. Its intertwined edges would look great in high-end designs, such as wedding invitations and product labels.
- Satisfy - This casual script font also has a hand-drawn feel that exudes an approachable and youthful aesthetic. It is perfect for social media graphics and product packaging!
Loopy Fonts
Fonts with loops, twists and curves are always in the top trending free fonts list for a reason: they add a touch of whimsy and creativity to your designs! These fonts will surely steal your audience’s attention and elevate your projects, whether you aim for bold and active design or elegant and decorative.
- Lobster - This bold and intertwined loopy font features a distinctive and eye-catching style. Its looped strokes and thick lines make it a perfect option for flashy headlines, logos and branding materials.
- Amatic - Amatic is one of the friendly and informal loopy fonts perfect for children's books, games and educational materials. Its loops and curves add a spark of playfulness to any design!
- Ollie - A humorous and quirky font with hand-drawn letters and plenty of loops and curves. Great for playful projects like storybooks, fun logos and eccentric branding!
- Arizonia - This elegant loopy font is adorned with swashes that give it a stylish and sophisticated look. Use it to spruce up your invitations, product labels and other formal designs!
- Sacramento - This casual, cursive script font has a hand-drawn feel, made with curves that add a personal touch to any material. It would stand out in your social media graphics, product packaging and other informal projects.
- Bettendorf - A fun and whimsical font that pleases the eye with its curvy, looped letters. Perfect for creative and mischievous designs!
- Indie Flower - This loopy handwritten font has a personal style perfect for children's books, greeting cards and other creative projects. Its stylized letters add youthful energy to any material!
- League Script - This free trending font is elegant and formal, styled with looped strokes and swashes that give it a chic and polished aesthetic. It’s perfect for classic themes, such as invitations for special occasions and high-end product labels.
- Kaushan Script - One more loopy typeface under our trending fonts free for use is Kaushan Script. It’s bold and decorative while playful and eye-catching. It works best for headlines, logos and branding materials. Its slightly tilted height creates movement in any layout.
- Daisy Script - This is one of the favorites among trending free fonts because of its feminine and delicate style with loopy fonts and thin, flowing strokes. Perfect for fashion, beauty and lifestyle designs!
- Freckle Face - This free trending font has a childlike feel appropriate for children's books and other educational materials.
- Pacific Northwest Letters - This decorative font features looped and swirling strokes with extended edges, giving it a touch of fantasy.
Neue Nouveau
Neue Nouveau typeface is another group of trending free fonts that we love. These fonts feature a contemporary twist on classic typefaces. They're perfect for designers looking to add an elegant and sophisticated touch to their projects. If this is right up your alley, here are free trending fonts you can try.
- Arapey - First on our Neue Nouveau free trending fonts list is Arapey. It’s An elegant and versatile font with thin, elongated letters and curved serifs. Its Art Nouveau-inspired details make it a match for any lavish design!
- BonvenoCF - Featuring a refined and modern take on the Neue Nouveau style, BonvenoCF has thin, delicate lines and a sophisticated retro feel.
- Champagne & Limousines - Try this chic and refreshing Neue Nouveau font with clean and bold lines! This would look fantastic when designing luxury branding materials and contemporary layouts.
- Charis SIL - This elegant Neue Nouveau font features classic Art Nouveau elements, with flowing lines and intricate details that give it a timeless and unique look.
- Cylburn - A beautiful and delicate font with intricate swirls and curls reminiscent of Neue Nouveau’s signature curves. Perfect for wedding invitations, logos and other high-end designs!
- Dosis - If you’re looking for a modern and minimalist font, try this trending free Neue Nouveau font! Its clean lines and geometric shapes make it an ideal choice for contemporary designs.
- Euphoria Script - Euphoria Script is a trending free font with aesthetically pleasing curves and embellishments. Its elegant, hand-drawn feel is also perfect for luxury branding and editorial designs.
- Gabo - This bold and modern Neue Nouveau font features clean, sharp lines with smooth and subtle curves that give it a classic yet stylish look.
- Inknut Antiqua - As the name hints, this Neue Nouveau font is inspired by antique creations in a distinct period. A classic serif font with delicate details that give it a refined and elegant feel!
- Jura - This sleek, widely-spaced, modern font is great for future designs. Its clean lines and geometric shapes are perfect for contemporary visuals on digital formats like websites, social media graphics and more.
- Lato - A versatile and modern Neue Nouveau font with a clean, minimalist design. Its bold and simple style makes it perfect for designing clear, legible body text.
- Nexa Rust - A modern and industrial font with rough, worn edges and unique details. It’s perfect for edgy designs and grunge-inspired branding!
Svelte Serifs
Next on our list of free trending fonts are the Svelte Serif fonts. This typeface is all about elegance and sophistication. Its thin, delicate lines and refined details are great for high-end branding, editorials and other projects that exude unique style and exclusivity.
Here are free trending fonts in the Svelte Serif family you can try.
- Aleo - This classic and elegant Svelte Serif font translates to a refined and luxurious look with its dainty linear character! This font is an excellent choice if you design magazines or brand assets in this niche.
- Amiri - Amiri is one of the trending fonts free to use. It’s a modern and versatile Svelte Serif font with clean lines and delicate, Art Nouveau-inspired details. Perfect for sophisticated designs with a contemporary touch.
- Cardo - If you want body text to look refined, classic and timeless, go for this Svelte Serif font. Its thin, sharp edges and fine lines will add a regal aesthetic to your designs!
- Cormorant - If you’re looking for a thinner variant of Cardo, this chic Svelte Serif font is the right match! Make your typography look like royal texts from classic books with its refined beauty.
- Crimson Text - This Svelte Serif font, designed in 2007, was inspired by old-style typefaces and is characterized by its high contrast, elegant appearance and excellent legibility. It is suitable for use in both print and digital media.
- EB Garamond - This serif font was designed based on the 16th-century typeface created by French Type designer Claude Garamond. It has a classic, elegant feel often used for body text and book design.
- Libre Baskerville - Although this Svelte Serif font was based on the 18th-century Baskerville typeface, it has a modern touch! It has a slightly higher contrast and sharper edges, making it suitable for digital and print use.
- Merriweather - This Svelte Serif font was designed for on-screen reading. It has a modern feel that works well for web and print design. It has a large x-height and generous spacing, making it highly readable even at small sizes.
- Playfair Display - Playfair Display is another trending font you can use for free. It’s a high-contrast serif font with a traditional and classic feel. Its unique letterforms make it a popular choice for editorial design and luxury branding.
- Source Serif Pro - This Svelte Serif font was designed to complement the Source Sans Pro font family. It has a modern, clean, highly readable design, making it suitable for body text, textbook design and web content.
Design Typography – Best Practices To Follow
Having access to an extensive selection of free trending fonts doesn’t mean you can pick just any font and call it a day. There are several factors to consider when choosing fonts that will translate to stunning typography!
Keep these best practices in mind when deciding on your font styles:
Tip #1: Consider Readability and Legibility
To utilize your chosen free trending fonts better, take this tip to heart!
Readability determines how easy it is to read a block of text, while legibility measures how easy it is to distinguish individual characters. And these two are equally important!
Typography’s goal is to convey a clear message, so choosing a font that is easy to read and understand is crucial. When selecting a font, consider the size, line spacing and color contrast to ensure the text stays pleasant on the eyes.
Tip #2: Match the Font to the Message and Brand
The next tip to consider when creating designs with trending free fonts is knowing if the typeface communicates the brand message. As you may have seen from the styles above, different fonts convey different emotions and moods. So, choosing a font that aligns with the message you want to communicate is an utmost priority.
Additionally, you must consider the brand's identity and personality to guarantee that the font matches the brand's overall image.
For example, a modern and bold font may be appropriate for a tech startup, while a more traditional font may be better suited for a law firm. Check out the best tech startup website designs.
Tip #3: Choose a Font With a Range of Weights and Styles
Choosing free trending fonts with many styles can add variety and visual interest to your design while maintaining consistency.
On top of that, choosing a font family with multiple variants, such as bold, italic and condensed, gives you more flexibility in your design. Check out some of the best fonts for websites here.
Tip #4: Don't Use Too Many Fonts
The next tip designers must remember is to avoid over-styling, which may confuse your readers. It's best to limit the number of fonts in a single design to two or three at most (unlike our hero image).
If you want to add visual dynamics, go back to tip #3! Using a single font family with multiple weights and styles is an amazing way to create visual interest without overwhelming the design with too many contrasting fonts.
Tip #5: Check the Font’s License
Lastly, don’t forget to carefully read the font’s license before using it. There are several types of font licenses: commercial rights, free licenses and open-source licenses. Each has its own set of usage restrictions and requirements.
Failing to check the font's license can lead to legal issues, harming the reputation of your project or brand.
Free Trending Fonts Bring Endless Wonders for Various Design Projects
Well-designed typography can enhance the overall aesthetics of your project.
Choosing the right font can make all the difference!
Many trending free fonts have become staples in design and are frequently used in various projects.
However, new fonts are constantly being developed and rising in popularity, so it's always a smart move to keep an eye out for emerging trends and new typefaces!
Remember – using typography to its full potential can turn a good design into a great one.
So, why not experiment with different fonts and see where they take you? Who knows, you might discover a new go-to style.
But if you're feeling overwhelmed or would like some expert guidance, consider working with a design agency that has mastered the art of typography.
A skilled designer can help you choose the perfect font for your project and elevate your design to the next level. So don't hesitate to reach out and take your design game to the next level!
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