Font Friday: Tesla

I mentioned a little while ago, in my last edition of Font Friday, that I really like clean lines. I'm attracted to sans serif fonts, much more often than serif fonts. (Serifs are the little tails on letters--sans serif fonts do not have these. All fonts on my website are sans serif.) But what I really love, as a design enthusiast and font lover, is a font that can stand on its own. Once you have one of these fonts, it can be a logo on its own, without much additional design. 

This font, Tesla, from Lexi Griffiths on Behance, is one of those fonts. Inspired by circuits and electricity, this font would be perfect for the logo of a grunge band or a really cool underground coffee shop. Then again, most cool fonts could work for some kind of coffee shop. 

All images from Lexi Griffiths on Behance. Visit her portfolio to download the font.

Free Font: Anders by Tom Anders Watkins

I'm seriously digging this font. The lines, the clean, minimalist feel, the just-bold-enough uniqueness. This would make a killer header font for a rad fashion blogger or a tech website. 

Isn't it just awesome? And as always, best of all, it's totally free. All images are courtesy of Tom Anders Watkins on Behance. Download the font.

(Also, happy August!)

DIY Design: Make a Font From Your Own Handwriting

(photo)

Over the last few weeks, I've been adding my own hand-lettering to my blog, just here and there. Personally, I think it adds a fun, personal touch! But what if you don't want to (or don't have time to) hand-letter every graphic you need for your blog? Fake it!

A few days ago, I downloaded the InstaFontMaker app for my Android tablet (which is free in the Google Play store!), just to noodle around with it. It turns out, it's ridiculously easy to make a font out of your own handwriting! Just take your phone or tablet, open the app and write every letter as it prompts you. Then, you can email it to your computer where you can open and install it like any other font file! 

Just a few tips: I found it was easiest to use on my tablet as opposed to a phone. It gave me more space for my wrist and it was easier to get a big view of each letter. I also used a stylus (just a plain old $12 Targus from Target/Walmart) and I found it made a huge difference in neatening up each letter. 

Just for fun, you can download my handwriting font, which I've titled Swirl. Have fun! If you make your own, I'd love to see it!

10 Resources for Free Fonts

Fonts make me so happy. Honestly, finding a good quality font just makes my heart wiggle with joy. And getting fonts for free is even better! I'm a super stingy person sometimes, I'll admit, and I hate paying for things if I don't have to. So I rarely buy any fonts (with the exception of anything Emily Lime. Homegirl's got it going on.). 

So I decided to do y'all a huge, magnificent favor (you're welcome) and share my secrets for finding the best, high-quality free fonts. 

#1: DaFont.

Okay, not a secret. And I'll admit, there are a lot of really crappy fonts that you won't ever EVER need, unless you're having a Western themed quincenera in Las Vegas. But Dafont still is probably the largest site for exclusively free fonts that I know of and the category options on top make it (sort of) easy to sort through. They also have a really great collection of dingbats, which are fun to practice your PS clipping masks on. My favorites: Alpaca (sans serif), Geo Sans Light (my 2nd fave sans serif in the world), Trees TFB (a dingbat font of, you guessed it, trees).

#2: Behance.

Behance is largely paid design, but has a decent collection of free font families or a free weight or two to try out a font. These fonts are generally clean but unique so they'd make a great header. As a matter of fact, the main font in my header is from Behance. Isn't it fun? My faves: Simplifica (tall sans serif), Odin Rounded, and just for fun, Infinity Space Icons.

#3: Dribbble.

Again, largely paid, but a simple google search offers a list of fonts tagged as free. Lots of talented designers develop fonts here and then offer a couple weights for free. My favorites: Uni Sans, Anke Sans and Composition.

#4: FontSquirrel.

They call themselves the "Free Font Utopia" and I just might agree. My favorite part about Font Squirrel is that all of their (free!) fonts are also free for commercial use! This is especially helpful for all y'all designers so you don't have to worry about buying extra licensing. Plus, they have a thorough tagging system that makes it easy to find what you need. Yay! My favorites: Sophia Pro, Grand Hotel, and League Script.

#5-10: Random Places!

Individual designers' portfolios or collections often offer extra free font options. Here are a couple I like:

FontCab

Type Depot

1001 Free Fonts

Jeffrey Shreiber

Neogrey

Filiz Sahin

Where do you find free fonts?

FREE FONT FRIDAY: caviar dreams

Hello nuggets!! Happy Friday! I hope that you are like me and have the day off from your usual responsibility--days off from classes make me SO happy! I have been having the most productive morning in a long while, answering emails, doing design, lots of fun, busy things!

My family is in Michigan for the weekend and we're taking an outing apple picking later this afternoon. When I was younger and living in Minnesota, we used to go apple picking every fall and have them make our apples into cider there. So much fun! But there aren't really apple orchards in NC so we haven't done that in a long time.

But switching gears, I'd like to share with you one of my very favorite simple fonts. I love using Caviar Dreams for subtle things because it's so easily readable but still interesting, especially with the rotated 'e'. Love that!

 



 

To install:

1. Click the image to download.


2. Click show in folder, or open up whatever folder your downloads go into. Hint: it might be called downloads.


3. If zipped, right-click and click Extract, then enter.


4. When that opens, right click on the file (either TrueType or OpenType) and click install. Done!

If you like this font, please pin it! I know lots of you have design, blog or font boards and I would really appreciate the love! You can use my little buttons to the left or the hover on the image to pin it. You're the greatest :)

And in case a free font isn't exciting enough for you, I get to talk about one of my FAVORITE bloggers of allll time--Amber of And Yes to Joy! Isn't that the cutest blog name? Not to mention, she has a super cute design--she did it herself!



 

Isn't it gorgeous? Amber is so talented. She shares ahhdorable freebies + printables (like this one!) which I just love. One of my favorite things about Amber is how positive and inspiring she is. Personally, I like to be sarcastic and I kind of sort of really like to complain when life hits me the wrong way. Amber takes a super happy spin on everything from learning to love your blog to learning to have joy to simple things like the seasons of the year!

Check out this lovely lady all over the internet: facebook // twitter // bloglovin' // instagram.

I promise--you'll love her!

 

FREE FONT FRIDAY: olivier

Hi friends.

Happy Friday! I hope you all have had productive and happy weeks and that you're ready for your two days of rest! My week was cahh-razy getting all my makeup work done before my trip next week but I did it! Go me.

I've also been doing lots of design lately, which just makes me so super happy! Most recently, I did a full redo for Poverty Luxe this past week--a design featuring mustard yellows and charcoal greys with cute scallop details. It's simple but I'm loving how it turned out!

On that note, if you're looking for design, I may be your girl! The next FIVE people who order the Tango blog redesign (includes a custom header, social media buttons, an ad button, size of your choosing, a signature/follow bar + a welcome blurb!) can get it for $25. And yes, they're usually $50. Go crazy folks. (Use code fiveonfriday.)

In the process of my design, I've become acquainted with close to a hundred different fonts that I use. The nice things is that the right font can convey a whole different feeling than another one might. And lots of fonts are completely free! So every two or three weeks, I'll be sharing with you some of my favorite free fonts!

And of course, I had to sneak in a little Marie Curie in there. Y'all know I love her. You go Marie.

To install:

1. Click the image to download.


2. Click show in folder, or open up whatever folder your downloads go into. Hint: it might be called downloads.


3. If zipped, right-click and click Extract, then enter.


4. When that opens, right click on the file (either TrueType or OpenType) and click install. Done!

That's all there is too it! I hope you all enjoy this font and make oodles of noodles of pretty things!

As always, if you liked this, please pin it! That would make me one happy girl.

What fonts do you love? What pretty things do you make with fonts?