Handwriting Fonts: Legible Print

Providence was first drawn in 1987 to set lines in a comic book series – FF Providence Sans for the dialog, and its serif companion for running narrative. In 1994 the typefaces were revisited, adding weights and a set of dingbats, and named after the designer’s home town in Rhode Island, USA.

Zemke Hand was based on the handwriting of its creator, Deborah Zemke, who also designed the symbol font ITC Situations. Cheerful and carefree, the characters have the consciously sketchy look of printed handwriting. ITC Zemke Hand will please young and very young readers and is perfect for cartoons, comics and children's books.

Roman Sehrer, a seasoned German advertising professional, has digitized his handwriting to create a family of three fonts to meet your free-feeling and laid back design needs. Sehrer recommends that you try this family out on posters, logos, and restaurant menus, where in each case it will offer a great combination and contrast to traditional sans serifs like Helveticaor like Univers.

LisaBeth Weber's eponymous typeface ITC Weber Hand is deceptively simple-looking. It's a handwriting face in a light, monolineal style with a slightly formal, almost angular appearance. Weber, who is an accomplished singer/songwriter as well as an artist and lettering artist, says she has "always had an inherent sensibility with lettering." Her favorite subject in the first grade was... Read More

Venture reflects Hermann Zapf's own handwriting; it was originally written with a Japanese felt pen. Just as with his Noris Script typeface, Hermann Zapf desired to preserve the rough outline of the handwritten forms in the final drawings. Unlike many script faces, there are no connecting strokes in Venture, making the design feel more open, and perhaps a bit more like a printing type. Venture... Read More

In 1994, John Benson designed Alexa, Caliban and Balzano, three typefaces with a similar style. Characteristic of all of them is their calligraphic touch and the likeness to handwriting. Alexa shows a hint of a broad tipped pen style and its legible figures are reserved yet lively. Alexa is best for short and midsized texts as well as headlines and gives texts a personal, classic look.