Type for the people, by the people!

There was a time when major type foundaries owned and designed most of the formal typefaces we saw in most media. These foundaries employed typographers to create typeface families and they sold them to companies and agencies to use for design and marketing projects.

That all began to change in the late 1900s with the invention and mass adaptation of the personal computer. And we should be thankful that things did change. In the 1980s, Apple computer and Microsoft included free typefaces (some that they designed themselves) along with their computers and operating systems. They thought, wisely, that their new inventions should have typefaces to go with them in order to make them more appealing to consumers.

Free typefaces from big companies for the people

Recently, larger, well-known companies have jumped on the free type bandwagon and released professionally-designed typefaces for use by anyone, for any purpose, for free.

Here are two examples of wonderful humanist san-serif typefaces released for free.

The internet changes type forever

The invention of the internet further democratized the type industry by allowing regular people, aspiring typographers, and type hobbyists to design unique typefaces and share them with the world. You no longer need a degree in typography or any special skills to create and distribute your own typefaces. I should note that a bit of studying on the subject matter will make you a better typographer.

These are a few of the many websites that offer free fonts for download. Some have a helpful social component, like FontSquirrel’s HOT list, that allows you to see what the world is downloading and what is most popular.

Be careful, most websites offer free fonts that are only licensed for personal or at-home use. Think family websites, that annual Christmas card dad likes to design, a Fido’s missing poster, or a garage sale sign. Font Squirrel claims that all their fonts are free to use for commercial and personal use. I read the Read-Me files included with most fonts just to be sure.

Headline vs. Book Fonts (Website Fonts)

Like anything in life, most of the time you get what you pay for. Some free typefaces are better than others. Some are only for display and headlines, while others feature a full family of weights and styles.

Font Classifications on free Font Websites

Most free font websites classify their font offerings using categories their customers are requesting. Here’s Font Squirrel’s classification chart: