Typography is an integral element of graphic design.
The typefaces and fonts used in designs convey meaning, set a mood, and help communicate ideas.
Graphic design trends are constantly evolving, and typography is no exception.
Here are some of the biggest typography trends in graphic design right now:
Hand-Drawn and Illustrated Type
Hand-drawn, brush stroke, and illustrated type provides a unique, organic, and hand-crafted feel in designs.
This style gives typography personality and individuality compared to basic system fonts.
It looks like an artist personally created each letterform with an ink brush or pencil.
Hand-drawn typography is popular for logos, posters, packaging, greeting cards, and more.
It provides visual interest and gives designs a less generic, mass-produced appearance.
For some projects, hand-drawn typography can feel more personal, artistic, and thoughtful compared to slick digital type.
Variable Fonts
Variable fonts are single font files that allow for endless variations and customization of weight, width, slant, and other attributes.
This provides enormous flexibility compared to regular fonts that only have set styles like "bold" or "italic."
With variable fonts, designers can tweak a typeface along an entire spectrum of weights and widths to find the perfect match for their project.
It also reduces the number of individual fonts needed in a project.
Variable fonts enable highly responsive and dynamic typography.
Designers can fluidly transition between styles, allowing typography to smoothly adapt and change across screen sizes.
Overall, variable fonts significantly expand the possibilities for customized typography.
Bold and Impactful Typography
Bold, thick, and heavy fonts make a statement and command attention.
All-caps, blackletter, and other high-contrast styles stand out and are hard to ignore.
This trend of bold typography works great for headlines, posters, titles, and other large typographic elements where the designer wants maximum visual impact.
Extra thick and chunky fonts have gravitas and presence, especially when used sparingly as display faces.
They convey importance and confidence thanks to their stark shapes and imposing weight.
In moderation, bold typography grabs interest and emphasizes the most critical information in a design.
Retro and Vintage Styles
Classic serif and san serif typefaces reminiscent of past design eras embody the retro and vintage typography trend.
Designers are tapping into nostalgia by using old-school fonts.
Popular retro fonts include slab serifs, art deco, wood type, and circa 1950s-1970s styles.
Vintage typography provides a familiar, nostalgic feel and a classic look.
Retro fonts work for branding, packaging, posters, and more.
They transport viewers to another period in time through their historic shapes and decorative forms.
When used thoughtfully, vintage typography adds a dash of timeless personality and charm.
The nostalgia and craft of old-fashioned fonts make them appealing options in many designs.
Handwritten and Script Fonts
Handwritten and script fonts convey personality, individuality, and character.
The style looks as if it were personally penned by hand, with the natural flow and irregularities of real handwriting.
These fonts work for invitations, greeting cards, branding, packaging, and similar projects where a personal touch is appropriate.
Handwritten typography injects human warmth and craft.
Script fonts balance well with simple sans serif fonts to prevent overly decorative combinations.
When thoughtfully used, the humanistic qualities of script typography can make designs feel more approachable, friendly, and unique.
Creative Display Typography
In display typography, the letters themselves become graphical elements and artworks.
Creative arrangements, overlap, orientations, shapes, and compositions take type beyond neatly set paragraphs.
Display typography makes a bold visual impact, often used for posters, headings, billboards, and large graphic elements.
Designers can artfully distort, warp, and manipulate letterforms for added effect.
Abstract shapes and unusual placements grab the viewer's attention.
Display typography conveys visual excitement and dynamism when used in moderation.
This trend takes typography to the realm of artistic visual communication rather than straightforward reading.
The Takeaway
Typography is always evolving in graphic design.
Paying attention to current trends can inspire designs and make projects feel fresh and contemporary.
The possibilities are endless when leveraging typography as both functional communication and impactful art form.
Graphic designers have an incredible creative toolbox in the form of ever-changing font styles, ideas, and innovations.
Typography will continue its pivotal role in graphic design as new trends arise.
