Fonts I'm Currently Loving: February
I’ve been a font geek for some time now. Long before I had an idea that was even a FEB thing. I remember obsessing over fonts I saw in magazines, on billboards, and on logos. Once I took a class in graphic design, my obsession pursued. I loved the thrill of downloading a new font to my computer. It reminded me of my Sims 3 days when I got new creative content added to my game. It’s basically a toy for graphic designers.
My preferred style of fonts has definitely evolved. Which is natural. Every designer has their phases, especially before they lock down their personal style. Honestly, this is something I’m still struggling with. But, I figure it’s fine since I’m nineteen and I have plenty of font filled years ahead of me.
I’ve gone down a rabbit hole on Pinterest lately. I’ve started to really find a graphic design style that I love. I get so inspired by gradients, swatches, and fonts. I think this is rooted from my brief film background. If you don't know, I went into college as a film major. I approached film with the very same philosophy. I loved writing from a young age and anything I saw would inspire me. Leaves on a tree, an abandoned swing set, a small family-owned cafe. Everything in my life came to me as a story. And I still do that to this day. I still constantly think of things I would want to write. One of the main reasons I started this blog is because I love writing. However I HATE writing for other people. This is what makes a blog *chef’s kiss*.
When this strategy is applied to graphic design, it’s visually translated. I’ll find a color on the street, a vintage sign, graffiti, whatever I can and try to picture it into an artform. I study fonts on storefronts to decide what message they’re conveying. So that when I’m ‘font shopping’ I’m thinking “this font gives off donut shoppe vibes” (which for me usually means vintage, diner, 50s, rollerskating, etc). I’ve never been able to draw - and always wished I could - so being able to put out my internal imagination into a graphic is like a giant loophole.
Enough about me (kidding, this is my blog I can write what I want).
<tangent> It’s currently 2:30 am on a Sunday night and I suddenly had the urge to get (almost) all my work done for the week tonight. If any one has a cure for an overactive mind, I would greatly appreciate that.
This month I have four great fonts that I’ve been loving this February: let's dive in.
First font, Bogart, I literally discovered today. It reminds me a lot of Cooper Black, which is one of my favorite vintage fonts.
Funny story: I found this font on a Burger King ad and used the app What The Font to find it. Great app, you should totally download. You can upload or take a picture of any font and it’ll find it for you. God tier IMO.
Bogart to me is the perfect mix of playful and bold. Just like Cooper Black, this font looks great for vintage designs. It’s easy to read and it’s curved edges add a fun element.
I’ve included it in the graphic below to give you a sense of what I mean. I love the use of dark green in combination with this font.
DOWNLOAD HERE
Next up: Million Dreams. I recently featured this font in my Princess Polly logo redesign Youtube video.
This font is so freaking cute. See what I mean about a font geek? You know you’re a graphic nerd when you call a font cute. This font is pretty versatile.
I’ve been on a vintage kick lately and I think this font fits that aesthetic perfectly. However, it can also be easily modernized. I loved using this font for my Princess Polly logo to show off their playful style.
A timeless addition: Caslon Black. I stumbled across this font when trying to find a ‘font dupe’ for Glamour Absolute. I’m all for supporting and paying for a quality font, however this font is classic in itself. I especially love the G. I recently used this font for some logo work and I love it!
Long gone are my days of crazy fonts (however, I do still have a soft spot for them). I’ve found myself being obsessed with simple fonts lately and bringing out an edge. One of a graphic designer’s main jobs is to arrange elements into a cohesive set. It’s basically like a puzzle. One of my favorite graphic styles lately is taking a classic font (like this one!) and playing around with bold gradients. Psychedelic patterns are super in this year, this is basically a modernized version.
DOWNLOAD HERE
My last favorite font for this month is: Blacker Sans Pro. This one is a little more fun in the sense it gives off an art deco vibe, that’s also been super in lately. It looks a little calligraphic with its variance in thickness at certain points. This adds so much character to the font and I love it best in italic. A similar font (bonus font, yay) to this one is Bedla Didone, this counterpart is a little more curvy. Blacker Sans Pro has fine straight edges complimented by smooth lines. Bedla Didone is more script-like.
DOWNLOAD HERE
That concludes my favorite fonts for February. I’m sensing a theme here. However, one of my favorite things about these fonts is they can be transformed by any designer. They’re pretty versatile if they want to be. That’s a part of being a graphic designer, taking elements and making them your own.
Your work should be a reflection of you. It’s never shameful to turn down a gig that doesn’t represent your brand. Something better will always come along. Don’t sacrifice your talent and abilities for a check.