Tired of the same old fonts? These different designs will make you see lettering in a new light.
You've seen a lot of fonts in your time, but lately the classics don't seem to be doing anything for you. Tattoo fonts? Old news. Cursive fonts? Been there, done that. If you're suffering from font fatigue, the best thing to do is try something new and explore the world of different fonts.
What do we mean by different fonts? They're more than just unusual. They're something a little quirky and innovative, with a design that you'd be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. Explore our run down of 10 of the best different fonts the internet has to offer below, and be sure to download them if you're feeling in the mood for lettering with a unique edge.
Type With Pride honours the creator of the iconic Rainbow Flag
Format: OTF
Earlier this year, Gilbert Baker – the creator of the iconic Rainbow Flag – passed away. To honour the memory of the LGBTQ activist and artist, NewFest and NYC Pride partnered with Fontself to create this free font inspired by the design language of his flag.
We all have bad hair days every now and then, but you'll never have a bad font day with this fuzzy family. Designed by New York-based art director Filiz Sahin, this follicle-themed handmade font can be downloaded for free.
Fonts don't come much more different than BitSyringe. This set was inspired by drill bits and medical syringes, and it certainly shows in the finished design. With a comical and jagged appearance, BitSyringe is certainly one of a kind. We're not sure when exactly you'd use this free uppercase font, but it's sure to leave an impression if you do.
This animated font is well-suited to video projects
Format: OTF
And now for something completely different. Snake Alphabet is a wrapped animated font made up of dots and colourful lines that wriggle around silhouettes of letter and numerals, based on the Comfortaa font family. Available to download for $17, Snake Alphabet includes three scenes that work at any resolution.
With its bold colours and harlequin-style patterns, CIRCO is an unmissable font that calls to mind all the magic and spectacle of the circus. Created by Argentinian freelance designer Tano Veron, CIRCO is an uppercase-only font that you can download for personal use for free.
The suitably named Polya takes its name from the polygon wireframes behind 3D animations. This doesn't mean that Polya looks unfinished or half-baked, though. The geometric uppercase font looks stunning when you play with the background colours and let it bounce off the typography. What's more, you can download it for free for personal and professional use.
Nope, your screen isn't playing up. Sango is a deliberately glitchy font that harks back to the warped images you'd get from worn-out VHS tapes. Available as an immaculate regular weight, or with the eye-catching but still readable distortion, you can download Sango for personal use for free.
Trixie is a layered typeface that breaks down letters into blocky shapes. Thanks to linework that blends the letters into the background, Trixie never looks imposing – despite its square appearance. Designers can play around with the colours, although we quite like the image above, which brings back memories of the famous Solo Jazz pattern. It can be yours to experiment with for just $12.
Is this font name ringing a bell? If so, you're clearly clued up on the De Stijl art movement, which had an important contributor in the shape of Piet Mondrian. Named after the Dutch painter, this font set builds on his idea of neoplasticism and can be yours to download for personal use for free.
This font design was one of those lightbulb moments
Another inspirational figure rounds off our list of different fonts. This time, it's inventor Nikola Tesla who finds a font named after his work. Echoing the circuitry of lightbulb filaments, this intricate uppercase font comes in two styles and is available to download for free.
Dom Carter is a freelance writer who specialises in art and design. Formerly a staff writer for Creative Bloq, his work has also appeared on Creative Boom and in the pages of ImagineFX, Computer Arts, 3D World, and .net. He has been a D&AD New Blood judge, and has a particular interest in picture books.
