The right font can instantly improve the look of your marketing presentation, impress your client, or escalate your design from average to exceptional.
But it's often tough to find a font that falls somewhere in-between classy and dramatic -- particularly when you're not willing to pay for an experienced calligrapher.
Calligraphy fonts are more artistic than the average font, often using a script style to emulate the look of handwriting. But as generic as this may sound, there are dozens of calligraphy styles you can choose from.
Types of Calligraphy
There are three main types of calligraphy: western, eastern, and Arabic. Each type reflects the language and handwriting of a different region of the world. Whereas western calligraphy demonstrates English handwriting, eastern calligraphy encompasses most Asian alphabets. Arabic calligraphy is a tall typeface based entirely on the Arabic alphabet.
We've compiled 17 of the best calligraphy fonts we found online, all of which are considered western calligraphy. These fonts are subtle, professional, and eye-catching. Best of all, they're free, so you can download and try them all before picking your favorite.
Check out our list, if for no other reason than to see me try to describe what fonts look like ...
Most of these fonts are for personal use only, but some of them are available for commercial projects. Below each font, we'll specify whether it's free for personal or commercial use -- however, if you're considering using the font for commercial purposes, please read the font's individual licensing agreement.
Free Calligraphy Fonts
1. Alex Brush
This font is classic and understated. It's also legible and clear, with decent space in between each letter, so you can use the font even for dense paragraphs of text.
Download at: 1001 Free Fonts
Free for personal and commercial use.
2. Adreno Script Demo Regular
Adreno Script is more playful and fun than most of the other calligraphy fonts in the bunch, making it a good option when your design intent is more lighthearted.
Download at Urban Fonts
Free for personal use.
3. Quigley Wiggly
Quigley Wiggly doesn't look as goofy as it sounds, but you'll still get a healthy dose of casual when downloading this typeface. Its bold style makes it a perfect title font for any campaign you might be hosting.
Download at: 1001 Fonts
Free for personal and commercial use.
4. Balqis
If you're designing an artsier project, like a book cover or presentation swag, this font is folksy and down-to-earth, and doesn't appear too formal.
Download at: Free Design Resources
Free for personal and commercial use.
5. Bukhari Script
Bukhari Script is bold and fluctuates in shading, making it appear vintage and old-school. It's a good font to use if you're trying to invoke some nostalgia in your marketing.
Download at: Font Fabric
Free for personal and commercial use.
6. Champignon
This font is decorative and classically formal -- you'd probably use this font for invitations, placeholders, or titles, rather than long paragraphs of text or a presentation.
Download at: Dafont
Free for personal and commercial use.
7. Easy November
The swoopy, exaggerated nature of Easy November makes it a great font for titles or branded items like calendars or stickers. Its eye-catching nature makes it appropriate for many different platforms.
Download at Font Space
Free for personal use.
8. Great Day
This font falls somewhere between retro and conservative, making it fitting for both professional presentations, or playful signs or titles. The spacing between each letter also makes it easier to read than some of the other calligraphy fonts.
Download at Font Space
Free for personal use.
9. Kristi
This is one of the more casual and spirited fonts in the mix, evoking memories of girls names in high school yearbooks, which could be ideal if you're looking to add a personal or hand-written feel to your design.
Download at: Font Squirrel
Free for personal and commercial use.
10. Arizonia Regular
This wide script font is super artistic but easy to read, making it well-suited for fun campaigns that need to be legible at first glance.
Download at Fontsc
Free for personal use.
11. Learning Curve Pro
If there was ever a font that mimicked a “Learn Cursive” activity book, this would be it. The simple, precise lines make it a good bet for any longform content you're trying to spruce up, while remaining traditional.
Download at: Font Squirrel
Free for personal and commercial use.
12. Pinyon Script
This formal design echoes nineteenth century letter-writing styles, making it a tasteful option for formal posters, invitations, or namecards. This is a good font to use if your theme is more conservative.
Download at: 1001 Fonts
Free for personal and commercial use.
13. Ralph Lanok Future
Ralph Lanok Future is dramatic, and sleek. While it seems too theatrical for dense text, it's a great option when you're aiming to draw a viewer's attention to a few words or phrases.
Download at Urban Fonts
Free for personal use.
14. Sacramento
This casual, funky font is a throwback to styles of the 1960s -- perfect for large signs or advertisements aiming to create a vintage feel.
Download at: 1001 Fonts
Free for personal and commercial use.
15. Sophia
Undoubtedly one of the more feminine, charming fonts in the list, Sophia uses wide and thin strokes to appear beautifully hand-drawn. This font would work perfectly for any design calling for a soft, graceful feel.
Download at: Creative Booster
Free for personal and commercial use.
16. Special Valentine
Special Valentine is one of the few classic fonts where the uppercase and lowercase letters are similar sizing and aligned. This makes it useful for full paragraphs by ensuring easy readability, but it's still elegant enough to also use for invitations or titles.
Download at Urban Fonts
Free for personal use.
17. Qaskin Black Personal Use
There's something about this font that screams “outdoors-y” to me. I don't know if it does the same for you, but regardless, Qaskin Black is an unusual calligraphy font, seeming more tough and rustic than the others.
Download at Font Space
Free for personal use.
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