The art of type design is for a special breed of designer. The insane attention to detail required to create typefaces is enough to drive the average person crazy, as every subtle curve and rule matters. One tiny mistake is the difference between a masterpiece and junk.
One genre of display typeface is the thick script and/or brush style, which when done right, can look down right sexy.
Here’s a list of 11 curvy, thick typeface that are just-right. Some are completely free, and others aren’t, but they’re all definitely worth a pretty penny if you have it on you.
FF Pitu
“This typeface is rich, voluptuous and mondo bodacious; but it’s also clever, educated and exceedingly gracious. If Kim Kardashian had class, she would be FF Pitu (via Typographica).”
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➤ FF Pitu ($65)
Pompadour
Pompadour is a chunky, display numeral set inspired by the 1950s Rockabilly Hairdo. The numbers, which each fit perfectly inside of a square, are best used at large sizes.
➤ Pompadour (free)
Sugar Pie
Sugar Pie is a straight forward packaging typeface. Its many ligatures and alternates are just as visually effective as Candy Script‘s, but in a subtler and less pronounced fashion.
➤ Sugar Pie ($79)
Karmaform
Karmaform is a robust type design, inspired from a mix of heavy serifs, curvilinear, and voluptuous shapes. Don’t let the sample fool you, this is a crisp and quality typeface. Visit the link, and then scroll down to the bottom (all the way) for the correct download.
➤ Karmaform (free)
Bello
Bello is a brush typeface for headline point sizes – it’s big & beautiful. Bello has lots of ligatures and start and ending swashes.
➤ Bello (60$)
Bready
Bready is a slick, thick brush stroke-styled font that’s over the top, yet completely legible. It can’t help but overshadow most designs with its retro attitude.
➤ Bready (free)
Tomate
Tomate started in 2006 as a brush lettering exercise for a poster and was later used for the ReType identity. In 2008 its author decided to turn it into a super fat typeface suitable for packaging and mass consumption products.
➤ Tomate ($45+)
Lobster (free)
While too rigid to be truly voluptuous, Lobster is a slightly overused and quite impressive script display typeface. Try it somewhere atypical and you may be surprised.
➤ Lobster (free)
Freehand 521
Freehand 521, which was strangely uploaded by two different “foundries,” is a very fluid face with a medium weight and a consistant, almost predictable style.
➤ Freehand 521 ($25-40)
Creampuff
This typeface showcases smooth ligatures (love the “ar”), and is about what you’d expect from a free font named “Creampuff.”
➤ Creampuff (free)
Studio Lettering
House Industries is my favorite type foundry in existence. The work that the team over there produces consistently blows my mind and is well worth the price.
Studio Lettering revives the spirit of a bygone trade by gracefully combining classic techniques with 21st-century technology.
➤ Studio Lettering ($160)
These typefaces only show off one style of display type, and are best suited for special occasions. In other words, not every project can…ahem…handle this much personality. But if you do need something fiery and full of flavor, now you know where to look!
Check out our full Design and Dev channel for more inspiration! Also, you can exclusively view typography articles here.
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