Free Fonts

There are a fantastic variety of free font resources on the Web. These range from traditional designs to the artsy and far-out. Few things can make your computer and your graphics designs come alive more than having a variety of fonts.

 

  • Larabie Free Fonts - A popular, well-designed free fonts site, Larabie offers fonts in five general categories: "Fun," "Future," "Rough," "Tidy," and "Style." There's also information on making your own fonts, free fonts links and more.
  • Font Mania - This is one classy free font site. I almost expected there to be valet parking here! Font Mania offers over 400 free Windows TrueType fonts, conveniently organized. There's a "Top 10" listing and an archive of past favorites. A nice collection, with many fonts t not seen elsewhere. This site offers a message board for you to place requests on. There's also helpful tips and tricks on using fonts.
  • FontLister (direct download: 234K) - If you have a lot of fonts on your computer, then you need this free essential utility. FontLister allows you to quickly view, browse, print, and work with your fonts. FontLister's latest version is shareware, but you can still get version 2, which is free. FontLister's home page is here.
  • Font Farm 4 Freaks - This is an eye-catching freeware font site. Categories include "Futuristic," "Handwriten," "Weird," "Gothic," and more. Each font has a helpful description and you can see a sample display.
  • TrueType Font Library - Excellent German site offering mostly freeware fonts. Here, you'll find lots of TrueType fonts for use in your graphics, DTP and word processing tasks. All Font Samples are 22 points in size. There's standard, design and symbol fonts here.
  • Fontasia - U.K.-based site offering lots of freeware and shareware fonts. Lots of unusual and decorative fonts that you won't see elsewhere. A new selection of Truetype fonts is added every Sunday. There's also a Photoshop tutorial.
  • The Font Empire - A large and growing archive of free Windows TrueType fonts for download. Currently includes over 400 and more are added every day. Each font has an example shown for easy previewing. The fonts are conveniently arranged alphabetically and by style. Categories include Bulky/Wavy, Calligraphy, Decorative, Extreme, Funky, Futuristic, Gothic/Horror, Handwriting, Outline and Regular.
  • Fonts R Us - This classy site offers a "Font of the Day." Lot of colorful, quality fonts here and a helpful FAQ to help you make the most of them.
  • Free musical fonts - Matthew Hindson's site offers free music notation fonts, such as tablature clefs and metronome markings. For Windows and Macs.
  • Redsun.com - Over 700 Truetype freeware, shareware and "charityware" fonts (mostly for Windows). This site also features many other great typography resources such as a type classification guide (A guide to classifying typefaces with examples). There's also a page layout guide, a logo type guide, a mixing type guide, Windows and Mac typography software and a typography glossary with hundreds of entries.
  • Fontocide - A wild font site with attitude and killer fonts with names like Road Hoe, Yellow Dog and Nose Bleed. If you use `em, the author wants you to let him know. There's stuff for Windows Truetype and for Mac folks too.
  • Free TrueType Fonts for the Web - Free fonts for both the Mac and Windows at this Microsoft site. Lots of goodies here.
  • KatGyrlr's Fontain of Youth - A freeware and shareware font site that includes many cool and unusual fonts. Nothing ordinary here. Fonts are available in ZIP format for quicker downloading. Installation instructions available.
  • Fontopolis - This is a site that serves up one or two of the "best free fonts" each week for PC users, in an attractive, entertaining and amusing way. Also includes archives, links and special font-related features. All fonts are in Windows TrueType formats for Windows 95, although you can make them work with a Mac.
  • Free Font Fiesta - Do you tire easily of the installed fonts on your computer and yearn to see your words displayed with little feet attached to them or blood dripping off the serifs or as if they have been carved out of hunks of pungent Swiss cheese? If so, click over to this site. A free font to download each week and a very complete link list brought to you by Mary Forrest, "Fontmonger to the Masses."
  • Slipknot - A new Truetype font served up every day. Stuff for Macs, too. Note: not all are free; fonts are marked as either freeware or shareware. Also includes info on the foundry responsible for each font. There's also a font "Tip of the Day."
  • Fonts for Free - Truetype fonts (mostly for Windows). A resource site for free Windows TrueType fonts.
  • TarmSaft Font Factory - Almost 100 free fonts are available at this noncommercial Swedish site. Lots of alternative, cutting-edge fonts in categories like "Handwriting," "Distressed," and "Techno."
  • The Dingbat Pages - An U.K. resource, offering over 500 shareware and freeware dingbats and fonts. Categories include "Alien," "Ancient," "Arrows," "Art & Media," "Business," "Cool Dings," "Creatures," "Esoteric," "Ornaments," and more.
  • Vance's Font Page - A different freeware or shareware font served up daily. Past fonts available, too.
  • E-Signature Digital Graphics - This site offers a free sample signature font for download.
  • David and Alex's Font World - Plenty of eye-catching TrueType fonts here, with instructions on how to use them.
  • Looking for Fonts - Lots of free Windows TrueType format fonts here.
  • Windows 95 Font Smoother - Great, free utility that previously was available only with the commercial Microsoft Plus! package. This program makes text easier to read and more pleasant to look at. Note: This utility will only work on machines capable of, and set to, 16bit (HiColor) color display modes or higher.