My Top 5 Favorite Hand Lettered Calligraphy Fonts (+ Font Pairings)
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Back by popular demand is another installment of my favorite font’s posts, thanks to the always amazing, Design Cuts*. This week we are talking all about hand lettered calligraphy fonts. Modern calligraphy, or hand lettering, is super trendy these days and therefore is a skill I wish I had.
Related Posts –>> The Top Ten Best Brush Script Fonts and How to Use Them
Then there are the designers that can turn their hand lettering into a FONT who blow my mind. Thank god for them though, because no matter how hard I practice, my hand lettering skills are still that of a 3rd grader.
Okay so maybe I haven’t spent much time practicing, but it’s on my list of skills to learn and hobbies to master. (Currently, my hobbies include binge watching Netflix so I’m on a real roll there).
Calligraphy fonts are great for fun, feminine brands, or even classic and sophisticated brands.
Related Post –>> How to Design a Feminine Brand (+ Resources to Help You Do So!)
Calligraphy is also HUGE for weddings and other events right now. So if you’re designing invitations or putting together a party theme, this list is a great way to get you started!
If you’re a regular reader around here, you know how much I love DesignCuts (… it’s a lot). In fact, I love them so much that I’ve downloaded each of these fonts from their marketplace and use them (as well as many other fonts and design resources) all. the. time.
Why is DesignCuts* my go-to? Everything is super affordable – like typically under $20 affordable. PLUS, if you buy multiple products at a time, you can save up to 50% off your entire order! Not to mention, every purchase includes an extended license, which means you can use them for commercial projects.
Pretty much it’s a steal so you should buy ALL THE THINGS like I do – starting with my favorite hand lettered calligraphy fonts below!
Isabella* Calligraphy Font
Isabella is a super straightforward, basic, and BEAUTIFUL hand lettered calligraphy font. The loops and swoops that you can choose to include at the beginning and end of each word or letter give it a fun, feminine vibe, while still feeling classic because of the even letter heights and line spacing. Isabella* is also easily legible which makes it great for a feminine logo design.
This font also comes with multiple weights (or thickness of the letters), which makes it super versatile too. Check out* the different variations for yourself!
Pairing: Bodoni XT Modern Calligraphy Font
Bodoni XT is a great serif font that mimics the dramatic thick and thin lines that are consistent with those of calligraphy fonts. It’s taller and skinnier too, making it more modern in look and feel, just as Isabella is a modern calligraphy font.
Adelicia Script* Hand Lettering Font
Adelicia Script is more of a classic calligraphy font. Because of both the slant of the letters and the steep hills and valleys of the letter shapes, this font is perfect for a luxurious or high-end brand, as well as a more elegant wedding or event.
There are also multiple versions of this font which gives you the flexibility of changing slant of the letters, as well as how uniform you want the letters to be. Its such a fun font to play around with. If you want your brand or event to feel classic and luxurious, you can (and should) download Adelicia Script fonts here!*
Pairing: Merriweather
Merriweather is a simple, serif font (fonts with the little feet at the ends of the lines). Serif fonts are typically more classic by nature, and this font is no exception. Combining a classic serif font with Adelicia will make this pairing feel fancy and elegant. Plus, Merriweather's lines aren’t too thick or thin which means it doesn’t distract from the complexity of Adelicia Script.
Allegretto* Playful Calligraphy Font
Allegretto is a much more playful typeface that moves away from the classic feel of the first two fonts and instead has a whole personality of its own. This font* gives you tons of options for extra swirls, loops, and frills on the ends of letters, so you have the option of making each word be either more subdued or over the top and fun. If your brand is feminine and fun, this is a great font for you to use.
Pairing: Raleway
Because Allegretto has gone away from the classic vibe of the first two fonts, it's font pairing should do the same. Raleway is a great, simple, modern typeface that looks good with most fonts honestly – and Allegretto is no exception!
Amberlight*
Amberlight might be my favorite of these hand lettered calligraphy fonts. All of the swoops and loops of this font make it feel super fun and light hearted – I sorta feel like the letters are dancing and that kinda makes me want to dance right along with them 😉. This font is still super feminine while still being really exciting, which is perfect for any brand looking to attract fun, outgoing women of all ages. I use this font all the time and you probably should too – so download it here*!
Paring: Montserrat
Like Allegretto, Amberlight is best paired with a simple sans serif font. I recommend something like Montserrat, which can hold its own against such an attention grabbing font, while still being a simple and clean font to balance it out.
Amelia Script*
Amelia Script is a more subdued, fun and feminine script font. The letterforms are more rounded which pulls it away from the classic vibe, whereas the loops and swashes that are interwoven in the letterforms add a lot of excitement to the text. This is another great font for the fun, feminine brands that don’t take themselves too seriously but still want to look chic and put together.
Did I mention there are two textures to this font*? One with clean and fine lines and the other written with a brush-like texture. Hollaaa!
Pairing: Theano Didot
Paring Amelia Script font with Theano Didot will give your brand a little more chic, put together feel. The classic feel from Theano Didot mixed with the fun and playfulness of Amelia Script makes for the perfect balance!
