Tools Utilized: Adobe Creative Cloud | iMac Desktop
Are you tired of looking at Times New Roman or Arial? Henceforth, it be nice to freshen up your next project with something new. Therefore Many bloggers, artists, and web designers go on a great journey to discover font(s) that make their next project pop. You might be wondering where on earth do I go to a new font. However, when searching for a font online, you always want to keep in mind the license agreement, the price, and the method of installation. In this article, we will be going over various outlets to get them. Some fonts are free to use and others are commercial. Let’s see what best suits you!
Google Fonts
Quite possibly the best resource out there for fonts. Best part is Google Fonts is free! Officially launched in 2010, this open source font directory site has over 900 fonts to choose from. The fonts are diverse and high quality. Thus, you will find similar fonts to the pricey famous ones. The interface for the site is very clean and simplistic making it easy to find what you are looking for. There are filters for font categories like Serif, San Serif, Display, Handwritten, and Monospace. Also there are font properties, languages, and search filters. Once you click on the font you like one can see what font looks like as well! Additionally, You can type in your own text to see what it looks like. This is ideal for logo or title display. There is additional info/options about the font such as glyphs, about, license, and pairings. Let me elaborate on pairings! It’s like a matchmaker for fonts. You can select another font to go with your first one and see how they look together as title or paragraph text. The feature also lets the user swap between both of them. Consequently, you don’t need an account to download the fonts. Finally, Google fonts is my go to choice for all my projects!
Adobe Fonts
The Software juggernaut offers many design solutions, including fonts. Indeed, the amount of in-house and big name fonts all can be found here. However, a few are absent like the controversial Helvetica, but when it comes to quality Adobe does it like no one else! Because of this Adobe Fonts is a subscription service. After spending time navigating around their site it seems the only way to use this service is through an Adobe Creative Cloud Subscription. Alternatively, the lowest is the photography plan which includes Photoshop and Lightroom at $9.99 (as of 10/06/20). If you’re already a Creative Cloud User you are in luck, you can use Fonts for no additional charge. On the other hand, if you are no longer using Adobe CC, you lose the ability to edit projects with the fonts. Since you are renting the fonts not owning them. In spite of this you may still use the fonts in rasterized or pdf file types. Lastly, if you need to ever make a change to a project with a that particular font it will be listed as missing until you re-up your subscription The website is overall easy to navigate due to the minimal amount of tabs and reduced clutter. You can browse fonts, look for packs, Typekit web Fonts, support, and find FAQs. If you are already a subscriber then this is a no brainer for the quality that’s offered. Thus, If you are not it’s a great option as well, but realize the importance of keeping up with your subscription.
Font Squirrel
Feeling Squirrely? Font Squirrel has a plethora of options. There are no shortages of fonts here. The site has a simple layout design and the bolded tabs at the top, make it easy to navigate. Next, You will find most downloaded hot fonts of the day and most recently added as well. Additionally there are deals on fonts, where you can purchase fonts and bundles at extremely low prices. Otherwise the rest of the fonts are free throughout the site. You don’t need an account either. So Fonts can simply be downloaded. The only drawback to Font Squirrel is not all the fonts can be used across certain devices or media. For instance, some fonts can only be used in print. Others may only be used for web only. In contrast, Some fonts can be used across all mediums. Two of my favorite features that stand out from everyone are the generator and font identifier options. The font generator lets you take fonts and upload them. This feature enables you to use them in website or digital projects after agreeing to owning the license to the fonts. Font identifier is so cool, you can upload a quality picture of a font and Font Squirrel will suggest or pinpoint the fonts that match your image. Therefore, the best results occur when you upload an image with lowercase a,b,e,g,i,v letters. Also, if you love Font Squirrel or font related merchandise they offer a store under the swag tab. The last two pages offer a forum for fonts called Font Talk. Additionally, one can check out their blog for their latest news. Lastly, the site offers an extensive filter system on the right side of the website, here you can narrow or expand your search for all your font needs! Font Squirrel offers a bevy of various options for your font quest!
Fonts Arena
The fonts battle it out for your attention on Fonts Arena site. Foremost, the grid layout of the site presents a modern clean aesthetic. Tabs at the top left focus you right away on fonts and will let you quickly filter Best, All, Sans, Serif, Mono, Slab, and more just to name a few. The Fonts are very high quality and no account is needed for downloading. Plus they are free to use in your projects. The tabs on the right offer News, Articles, and statistics. Unfortunately you will need one extra step if you want to use the fonts on the web. For Example, you will need a web font generator like Font Squirrel has. This will help turn those OTF and TTF font files into web optimized files. Hence the extra step is a minor, compared to the quality and easy use of the website. Finally, I enjoy using the site and seeing so many font choices. I dare say that Font Arena is a gladiator and fairs well against its competition.
Font Foundries
The official, original and most expensive way to purchase font licenses is through font foundries. Foundries are used by alot of design firms, Client requested, or need a specific font. Sometimes the only way to get a license to a specific font like Helvetica is by going to Font Foundry Linotype. Therefore, by purchasing these elite fonts it brings high recognition to your brand and respect within the creative community. Consequently, you usually create an account for these sites. There are many sites that also offer partnerships with multiple foundries. Thus offering the consumer a broad range of professional fonts. Here are a few of them:
Don’t worry not all fonts are super expensive. Some licenses are as low as $39. If you want the most choices and prestige for your brand or project Font Foundries is no doubt a valuable tool!
Font Wrap-up
When you see that cool logo, billboard, or book and wonder how all those words (typeface/s) come together. Additionally, if you want to convey a memorable message to your audience through font type and just need a place to start. Hopefully this article has helped shed some light on the subject. It takes a good eye and lots of resources to find the right fonts for each project. Keep a lookout for more insightful blog articles!
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