Gaining its massive popularity in the early days of poster designs, many have used display font – known as display typeface or simply displays – in formal and informal designs. Initially prevalent in print purposes, these typefaces are increasingly popular online, thanks to the web font invention.
Some of them are purely display fonts with their decorative features, some are traditional typefaces that can be exaggerated or embellished at a larger scale or size. Still, what is this display font?
Learn more as this article will share more about this typeface, the power it holds, and some striking font collections to use in your creative designs.
Walter Tracy, one of the celebrated English type designers, stated that a display font in a text is the one that when we enlarge them, we can use them for headings. However, when we reduce them, we cannot use them as the body text setting.
Indeed, display fonts are typically bigger and bolder, yet interestingly more peculiar. Designed at a large scale, many designers use them to create stand-out, easy-to-read, and eye-catching works.
Many designers have used them a lot in short-form and large-format applications like billboards, posters, headings or headlines, logotypes, etc. Moreover, they are everywhere, such as in book covers, magazines, and websites.
Transcending various styles, display fonts may fall under the category of serif fonts, slab serifs, sans serifs, and more. They also come in countless genres (shapes and styles), including geometric, ultra-bold, script, ultra-light, inclined, hand-drawn (handcrafted or handwritten), brush, right through, etc. Their inspirations are surprisingly extensive.
We can date back the distinctive and appealing power of display font or typeface to the long-standing rich heritage. Inspired by numerous lettering styles, including calligraphy and handcrafted signs, this typeface has embraced the inherent grandeur and drama.
Compared to simple and more reserved fonts for body copy, display typefaces are typically more eccentric and flexible, thus quirkier. Even each individual, expressive, and prominent form will appeal to readers by creating a certain mood or feeling.
What is more? The following are some perks of using display fonts in your designs.
The following are several examples of handcraft display fonts that will help you create powerful designs.
Butter Food is an attractive handicraft – script and handwritten – display font. As the name implies you may find this typeface under several tags, such as food, fun, restaurant, snack, drink, and more. Indeed, you can apply this font for various design purposes like restaurants, handicrafts, banners, packaging, etc.
You will love this typeface from the very first glance. Sweet Dream, indeed, instantly radiates a lovely and cute look. It is a display font that offers a unique, handcrafted, fun, and sweet cartoon-themed flair. Accordingly, you can ideally use it for designing crafts and baby necessities, among others.
Are you looking for a distinct and bold display font that has a vintage vibe? Try Tikgar – an impressive retro vintage serif display font designed in a bold typeface style. You will find it quirky and loopy, not to mention fun and playful at the same time. This font works well for any graphic design applications – games, videos, post templates, ad branding, logos, and more.
Gaming Sporty will instantly add a touch of futuristic style to any of your typographic creative works. Minimalist but bold in style, this typeface is a modern and funky sans-serif display font. Not only is it great for gaming font, but it is also suitable for sports, movies, or headlines.
Want to make a statement to your designs? Van Widen is a bold – chubby – display font that generates instant fun and playful flair. This typeface is great for designing an attention-grabbing title or headline. Many use it for YouTube or Instagram purposes, as well as movie posters.
A unique and lovely handcraft display font you can expect. It gives a cute and fun cartoon-themed vibe that goes well with any design work with various audience targets, ranging from kids to adults.
Danisa Club is a lovely handcrafted display font of sans serif typeface. It is sweet and eye-catching all at once, making it perfect for quotes, crafts, product packaging, branding, photography, and more. The light strokes and curves also offer a high-level readability.
You will find this font is not only cute but also fun and playful. Halloween Day’s is an eye-catching cartoon-like handcraft display font. As the name suggests, this font is highly suitable for special occasion themes in the form of handicrafts, quotes, logos and branding, labels, and more.
Toughwall will bring the spirit of energetic and rebellious street art to your design. This graffiti display font has expressively bold brush strokes, adding a sense of edgy, youth, and urban at the same time. It is great for various design applications, such as streetwear branding, album covers, posters, etc.
Another unique display font option is New Rosta, which is perfectly handwritten in bubble type and will make your design stand out from the crowd. The natural strokes took their inspiration from expressive and artistic free writing, embarking from classic and minimalist styles.
You can see from the above list that most of the display fonts indeed show various styles – shapes, weights, swashes, variations, or genres. Overall, they have common characteristics like boldness, uniqueness, embellishment, and the power to convey a particular tone or even mood.
Due to their boldness and distinctiveness, a display font is of limited use, often to create an original yet powerful impact on certain elements of a design, not for all the body text. Accordingly, the key here is flexibility to generate a balance between visual appeal and functionality.
