If you’re one of those people who spends 30 minutes finding the perfect font for a flyer, you’ll love these tools! Changing the font in a document or online resource can change the personality, and it’s easy to find free fonts to download and use.
DaFont
Free Font Site with Interactive Preview Feature
DaFont is an oldie but a very goodie. This simple site gives you access to thousands of free fonts that you can use right away.
Finding a Font
The key to finding your perfect font on Dafont is to put sample text into the custom preview box and then search by theme (cartoon, curly, calligraphy, handwritten). Most are free for personal use, and many are just plain free.
Dafont Preview Pane
- The fonts are broken down into themes. Choose any theme, and you’ll get a preview box.
- Type in your sample text into the Preview field and click submit. You can now see a preview of all fonts with your text.
- When you expand more options to the right of the Submit button, you can eliminate the fonts that are free only for personal use only. You should also always read the “Read Me” file in the font download folder to see what rights a font designer gives you.
- Click the download button and save the font zip ZIP file to your computer. When you double click on a font, your computer should guide you through the installation process.
Three Things to Know About Dafont
- Dafont is a massive database of free and bargain fonts that you can download onto your computer and use in documents and graphics.
- Dafont helps you visualize your creative ideas with custom previews and themes. You can also download graphic fonts that substitute little pictures (dingbats and wingdings and webdings, oh my!).
- Most of the fonts are free for personal use, but you’ll have to use filters to find ones you can use commercially. Read the fine print on fonts you use for work –— the guidelines for use vary greatly.
Also Check Out…
Font Squirrel
Free Fonts for Commercial Use
fontsquirrel.com
Font Squirrel is another great resource, though it doesn’t provide a preview of your text. The cool thing about the resources on this site is that they’re all free for commercial use, so you won’t have the letdown of finding the perfect font and then having to give it up because it’s only for personal use.
Google Web Fonts
Font Sets for Online Use
google.com/fonts
If you’re looking to add a little snazziness to your website, you can find new fonts that will work on the web at Google Web Fonts.
Wordmark.it
Preview Site for Fonts on Your Computer
wordmark.it
Have you ever spent a half-hour in Microsoft Word scrolling through your installed fonts one by one to find the perfect look for a document? Wordmark.it is a clever web tool that lets you write a few words for a preview then loads your fonts into the site so you can see them all at once. The site makes it easy for you to choose your favorites then filter them to see your top choices together. It’s 100% free and super easy to use.
One of my favorites is http://simplythebest.net/fonts/