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Showerthought: I always avoided messy fonts, but now they're my favorite
For years, I stuck with clean, simple typefaces in all my projects. I thought messy or handwritten fonts looked unprofessional and hard to read. Then, I landed a gig designing for a indie band's merch. Their vibe was raw and DIY, so I tried a scrappy font from a free site. It totally transformed the design, giving it personality that matched the music. I started looking at concert posters and zines for inspiration, and saw how imperfect type can tell a story. Now I'm all in on using textured, uneven fonts for certain clients. Where do you guys find cool, grungy typefaces that don't look cheap? I need more ideas for my next project.
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gracem327mo ago
Had a client who freaked out over a distressed font I used for their bakery logo. They wanted something clean and modern, but I thought the rough edges matched their artisanal bread. We argued so much I almost walked away from the job. Then a local paper did a feature on them and called the logo "charmingly imperfect." Suddenly they loved it and took all the credit. Makes you question who really knows what works in design, huh? Sometimes the best choice feels wrong until it's out in the world.
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nelson.linda7mo ago
Ever think about the ethics behind those free grungy font sites? A lot of them just rip off indie type designers' work. I got burned once using a "free" font that turned out to be a stolen copy, the actual designer messaged me. It was awkward. Now I follow specific artists on Gumroad or Creative Market, pay a few bucks for their font packs. You get unique stuff and support the people making it.
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