Do you know what I love about fonts? They all have their own personalities--and they're not afraid to show them. Some are simple, clean, and no nonsense. Others are complicated, messy, and falling apart. There's a font for every occasion and every emotion--you just have to find it. And that's the fun part! Here are a few tips to make choosing fonts simpler and faster.

Tip #1: Choose one hero and one sidekick.
Some fonts (the heroes) have a special talent for stealing the spotlight. They're good at drawing attention and making a big splash. Others (the sidekicks) are more subtle, doing the work without making a scene (most serif and sans-serif fonts fall into this category). Hero fonts don't like to share the spotlight, but they do play nice with sidekick fonts. When you're choosing fonts for layouts, it's best to call on hero fonts in special circumstances--for example, when you want to draw attention to a specific word or phrase in a tile or journaling. Use sidekick fonts for large blocks of text or in conjunction with a hero font.

For this layout, I used two fonts that came preinstalled on my computer. The bulk of the text is in Gill Sans Light, a great sidekick font. Since the theme of this page isn't obvious from the photos, I decided to use Brush Script MT to spotlight the word "ChapStick." I wanted the font to look a bit like the official ChapStick font, and this was as close as I could get without investing a ridiculous amount of time in the search (sometimes pretty close is good enough). By using my hero font for just one word, I ensured that it would receive the most attention, making my page topic more obvious.



Tip #2: Match your hero font to your page's mood or theme.
Just because a font is cool or clever doesn't mean it's right for a layout. As you're choosing your font (or fonts), think about what message you're trying to convey. Is your subject feminine or masculine? Peaceful or chaotic? Joyful or melancholy? What story are you trying to tell? When you look at a font, does it inspire the right emotion? Does it clarify or confuse your theme? Look for fonts that will help you tell your story.

There are thousands of free fonts online. Just type "free fonts" into your web browser, and you'll have your pick of dozens of great resources. But keep in mind, not all free fonts are created equally. Some may be incomplete, including only upper- or lowercase letters. Some may require special spacing adjustments to look right. Some may look great at large font sizes but terrible at small font sizes. Be sure you preview and test fonts (when possible) before downloading, and please use virus-detection software to protect your computer. 

Personally, I like fonts from dafont.com. I've found dozens of useful fonts on this website. Here's a little list of some of my favorites:



Tip #3: Search and download efficiently.
Most free font websites group fonts by styles or themes. Use these categories to speed up your search. Or, if you're looking for something specific, like a movie-inspired font, try typing a keyword into the search field. These tricks will make your hunt a lot simpler. If you stumble upon fonts you like--even if they aren't right for the current project--consider downloading them anyway. You'll build your font library and save yourself search time in the future. 

Most importantly, have fun! The best font is the one that inspires you!