The running joke amongst the designer community is clients asking for Comic Sans in their work. Cringes and bleeding eyes aside, we kind of get why people lean towards it – it’s a bit different from the usual, stiff system-safe fonts like Arial and Tahoma. Some even go as far as to say it’s got a “human touch” due to its handwritten aesthetic. Now we’re not for discrimination, but this kind of human you do not want to be.
Here are a handful of alternatives if you’re looking for that amiable vibe in your layouts (note: these are display-font ideas (for headings) mainly. For body-copy fonts and long paragraphs of text, check out this blog post instead):
1// Aqum
If you’re looking for an all-caps typeface that’s got its edges sanded off.
2// Holiday
For that “scribbled with a marker” look.
3// Greyfox
The dry-brush look for that 90s grunge.
4// Malin Kundang
If the Simpsons’ font and Malin had a baby.
5// Fofer
If you want something scripty but playful.
PS: Remember to check out the Terms Of Use on any font you download and install. Most are free for personal use – however, if you’re using it for your business, there’s typically a small fee for commercial use. Support creatives – we got bills to pay too 🙂
