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  • Welcome to TPK! This is your first of 2 free articles. For unlimited access to tutorials and articles, join TPK Premium for less than the cost of a latte.

    Best Free Fonts

    April 12, 2013

    by

    Lindsey Bugbee

    Design, Inspiration

    Up until a year or so ago, I had not considered downloading fonts. As far as I was concerned, handwritten was always best for putting on invitation design, social media banners, and other creations. However, the truth is, there are several free fonts on the web that are truly kick-butt. You just have to knowContinue…

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    Up until a year or so ago, I had not considered downloading fonts. As far as I was concerned, handwritten was always best for putting on invitation design, social media banners, and other creations.

    However, the truth is, there are several free fonts on the web that are truly kick-butt. You just have to know where to look and in what context to use them! You can find any sort of font you like, too. If you’re into pop culture, Men in Black Credits font is available at DaFont.com, as is True Blood and Harry Potter!

    Because of my font love, I wanted to share the best free fonts on the web. I have rated these purely on decorative value; not on utility. Before you use a font in a design you plan to sell, you should always make sure that it is available for commercial use. If you are unsure how to install a font, never fear — we’ll go over that at the end of this blog post!

    Best Free Fonts | The Postman's Knock

    FFF Tusj is a wonderfully made font; a handwritten rendition of Georgia font (Georgia is a bit like Times New Roman — very standard). FFF Tusj ranks first on my list of the web’s best free fonts because it’s so darn fun to look at. Plus it’s free for commercial use! You can see this font in action on the header of the Oh She Glows blog.

    Janda Stylish Script | The Postman's Knock

    Janda Stylish Script is a very well put-together loopy cursive font. It’s only a $5.00 donation for a commercial license. I know it might look a little campy in the example, but see in in glorious action on the Shrimp Salad Circus webpage to see how well it can complement the artsy/DIY vibe (see the gray bars on the right).

    The Best Free Fonts | The Postman's Knock

    I use Rosewood for everything I make that needs a western vibe. You can rasterize the text in Photoshop and use your paint bucket tool to fill white or black Rosewood letters in with color. It’s a fun font based on old western posters. I believe this is free for commercial use as it was created by Adobe.

    Best Free Fonts | The Postman's Knock

    Bellerose is a very pretty font, especially used in smaller materials (I like to use it in my save the date bookmarks). As fair warning, though, note that you may need to use punctuation from other fonts. The periods, quotation marks, and commas are so small that they are nearly indetectible.

    Best Free Fonts | The Postman's Knock

    Lauren Script is a fun font, although it does lack several special characters ($*#@, etc.). It is available for commercial use for $5.00, which can be sent to its author. Author Mike describes himself as a “grumpy guy” and owner of “DeNada Industries, one of the slowest growing non-corporate entities in all of North America.” If you have time and want a laugh, read the DeNada Industries terms of use page. The “Read Me” is especially good.

    Best Free Fonts | The Postman's Knock

    For some reason, Chicago House reminds me of Russian nesting dolls. It’s fun and kitsch. Note that the free version does not include any special characters or numbers; though you can buy the full font for $15.00 to get the whole nine yards.

    The Best Free Fonts | The Postman's Knock

    Porcelain is so pretty. It’s my favorite cursive font because it’s elegant, but a little bit messy as well. Also, the author grants permission for anyone to use it commercially!

    Installing fonts is a lot easier than you would think. You just click “download” at whichever font size you are on (dafont, Font Squirrel, 1001 Fonts, etc.), unzip the file, and double click the .ttf file that is in that zipped folder. A pop-up should appear giving you the option to install. Then, next time you are on Word, Photoshop, Illustrator, etc., you should be able to use the font. Of course, if you need more direction, go to Google!

    These are my choices for the best free fonts — what are yours? Do you have a font you love to use?

    I hope everyone is gearing up for a good weekend! Here at TPK, we’re nearing the end of our drawing for this month — on April 15th, one subscriber will win the print of his or her choice! So if you’re not part of The Postman’s Knock Family, please join us by subscribing. There could be a print in it for you!

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Hi, I’m Lindsey Bugbee, the illustrator, calligrapher, and author behind The Postman’s Knock (TPK). Since 2012, the TPK Blog has been a vibrant creative space filled with tutorials and lessons on modern calligraphy, hand lettering, and illustration. After publishing The Calligraphy Book, I wanted to elevate the quality of content even further—so I launched TPK Premium. You can join here to receive access to some of the internet’s best creative inspiration and project tutorials.

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5 responses

  1. Holly13 Avatar
    Holly13
    September 16, 2019

    Hello,

    I just wanted to start out and say that I have found your site to be very useful and inspirational. I am Slowly working my way through the beginners course and am thoroughly enjoying my time, so thank you for all your hard work. Now, onto the question portion. I know the Harry Potter font that is linked is a font, but would you have any advise on trying to hand create it? Would you advise dip pen (if so any special nib), faux (any special pen), etc? I’am new to calligraphy in general, would difficulty level be a thing in this and would your approach work for any fonts that may be found and that my seem hard to do when done by hand?

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  2. Nathan Avatar
    Nathan
    March 26, 2016

    I will very likely never use it, but FFF Tusj just shot to the top of the list for my absolute favourite typeface! I don’t even have words for how much I love it.

    I have also now officially made it through your entire blog, as evidenced by the comments on posts dating further and further back over the past several days, haha. Can’t wait to see the new posts.

    Log in to Reply
    1. Lindsey Bugbee Avatar
      Lindsey Bugbee
      March 26, 2016

      I noticed; you deserve a Certificate of Completion!! 🙂

      Log in to Reply
  3. Izak.J Avatar
    Izak.J
    November 30, 2013

    Thanks for sharing, the fonts look great! For you info, you may find a lot more free impressive fonts on this website http://www.freefontspro.com They have more than 13,000 fonts of all kinds.

    Log in to Reply
    1. Lindsey Bugbee Avatar
      Lindsey Bugbee
      November 30, 2013

      Thanks! I’ll check it out. I really like Font Squirrel, too, for its free for commercial use fonts.

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🎁 These printable gift tags are one of my favor 🎁 These printable gift tags are one of my favorite free printables on the TPK site. Just download, print, cut them out, and — if you want to — reinforce them with a bit of cardstock.

Inside the PDF you’ll find four designs: Festive Frida, Flourished Tree, Pine Boughs, and Merry & Bright. They’re all hand-drawn, and they make even the simplest wrapping look bespoke and artistic. 🎨 

Pro tip: If you’ve got a bit of extra time, add a pop of watercolor or some gold dots; and consider mounting the tag on a contrasting piece of cardstock for extra oomph.

They’re free to download at: thepostmansknock.com/free-super-cool-hand-drawn-printable-gift-tags/ (or visit the link in my stories today). Happy holidays!

#handdrawn #gifttags #printablegifttags #freeprintables #holidayprintables #christmascrafts #holidaygifts #papercrafts #snailmailinspo #mailart #creativegiftwrapping #diyholiday #diygifttags #artistsoninstagram #illustrationartists #thepostmansknock #tpkcommunity #calligraphycommunity #stationerylove #creativecommunity
There’s something extra fun about a card that do There’s something extra fun about a card that doesn’t just open … it comes to life. ✨ This little stand-up tree might look fancy, but it’s totally approachable — relaxing to make, satisfying to embellish, and (my favorite part) it folds up perfectly to pop in the mail. 💌🎄

If you’re looking for a holiday project that feels creative and doable, this is *such* a good one. The printable template does half the work for you, and you can customize the rest with flourishes, white ink, ornaments, or whatever feels festive to you.

The full step-by-step tutorial is waiting for you on the TPK website; just head to the link in my bio and tap “Blog.” I think you’ll have as much fun making this as I did. ❤️

#calligraphy #calligraphytutorial #holidaycalligraphy #flourishedcalligraphy #moderncalligraphy #calligraphycommunity #calligraphypractice #calligraphyart #letteringcommunity #letteringart #papercraft #papercrafting #diycards #handmadecards #holidaycards #christmascards #christmascrafts #snailmail #snailmailrevolution #snailmaillove #creativecommunity #stationerylove #makersgonnamake #thepostmansknock
I love it when I can make simple pointed pen pract I love it when I can make simple pointed pen practice on cardstock ... and it magically turns into a festive card! Find instructions + a printable template for making this “Loop-de-Loop” tree in the TPK 2025 Holiday Calligraphy Worksheet set. 🎄 (Link in bio, then navigate to the Blog!)

#pointedpen #calligraphy #calligraphypractice #pointedpenpractice #holiday #christmastree #treedrawing #doodles #goldwatercolor
Every November since 2016, I’ve looked forward t Every November since 2016, I’ve looked forward to sitting down with a cup of something warm ☕️ and sketching out ideas for the TPK holiday worksheet. This year was no exception, and I think you’ll be pleased with the motifs! They’re designed to bring calm, beauty, and (sneaky) pointed pen practice to your holiday season. 🎄Visit the TPK Blog (link in bio, then navigate to Blog) for details!
The other day, I was thinking about sending out ho The other day, I was thinking about sending out holiday cards, and I immediately dismissed the thought with, “I have zero time to calligraph envelopes for those.” ✍️

... But is that true? I put it to the test for the latest article on the TPK Blog. Using some time-saving tricks I’ve learned over the years (like using a watery ink, a bouncy calligraphy style, and minimal pencil guidelines), I timed myself making three envelope concepts. Two of them took 5 minutes or less. The most time-intensive took 5 minutes, 30 seconds. The envelopes still turned out looking elegant, especially with the help of some artistic postage stamp collages. 💌

For clear step-by-step tutorials detailing how to make these envelopes and sourcing pretty postage, visit the TPK Blog (link in bio, then navigate to “Blog”)!

#snailmail #mail #calligraphy #pointedpencalligraphy #happymail #snailmailrevolution #mailbox #postage #vintagepostage
After I chose this music to accompany this reel, i After I chose this music to accompany this reel, it dawned on me: drawing a calligraphy medallion is like, well, Belle’s arc with the Beast. 

At first, it’s a bit of a weird situation. Strange shapes, questionable structure, possibly some growling (à la “YOU WILL JOIN ME FOR DINNER. That’s not a request!”) when the inevitable ink smudge happens. You keep thinking, “I’m not sure why I’m doing this ... should I hop on Felipe and gallop away?” 🐎

But something shifts as the medallion starts to come to life. And when you finish that last detail and pull back, the music swells. Light bursts from your paper like it did from Beast’s digits as he transformed into a stunningly beautiful prince. ✨ You’re practically in a ballroom celebrating, and, wait, did your furniture just turn into an adoring crowd that’s celebrating your fortitude and skill?

(And now you know how my mind works 🧠 ... I love a good metaphor, no matter how weak it may be!) 

To learn how to make a calligraphy medallion, just search for “calligraphy medallion” on the TPK site (link in bio). You’ll find both free Blog tutorials and detailed premium worksheets.

... I’ll show myself out now. 🙈

#pointedpencalligraphy #calligraphy #handwritten #pointedpen #dippen #calligraphymedallion #calligraphydrill #calligraphypractice
My favorite autumn projects are the ones that remi My favorite autumn projects are the ones that remind you how cozy this season can be. 🍂 This project definitely fits the bill ... create it with a hot, comforting drink nearby and an excellent audiobook, and you’re in for a treat! ☕️ ✍️ The tutorial on the TPK Blog (link in bio, then navigate to Blog) is super detailed, with mini tutorial videos to guide you every step of the way.

#autumnart #watercolortutorial #arttutorial #handpainted #paintingtutorial #pointedpen #dippen #flourishing
Happy Halloween! 👻 This year, I’m pretending Happy Halloween! 👻 This year, I’m pretending to be ... someone who writes calligraphy quickly! (No, just kidding — not about the video being sped up, but the choice of costume. I actually picked up a skeleton PJ set at Goodwill. 💀)

Even if you won’t be indulging in candy, remember to treat yourself this season, starting this weekend! The holiday season can be hectic, and it’s important to claim some relaxing time for yourself. Cheers to the “holidaze”! 🥂

#halloweencalligraphy #calligraphy #pointedpen #dippen #handwritten #writingvideo #calligraphyvideo
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