Hand lettering and typography are both popular creative mediums for graphic designers. As trends emerge and evolve over time, it’s important to stay up-to-date on the latest styles and techniques. Here are some of the top hand lettering and typography design trends I’m keeping my eye on this year.
Vintage and Retro Styles
Vintage typography and hand lettering styles continue to be a mainstay in the design world. These classic looks evoke nostalgia and create a timeless aesthetic. Some specific vintage-inspired trends I’m noticing include:
- Art deco – Bold geometric sans serif fonts and metallic colors reminiscent of 1920s and 30s design
- Mid-century modern – Clean lines and retro color palettes popular in the 1950s and 60s
- Letterpress – Mimicking the look of old-fashioned pressed block letters
- Cursive scripts – Flowing, elegant cursive letterforms
Vintage styles have widespread appeal and their longevity proves these looks aren’t going away anytime soon. Incorporating vintage elements into modern designs creates a nice balance of old and new.
Creative Display Type
Display fonts that make a bold stylistic statement are an easy way to add visual intrigue to designs. Some current trends in display typography include:
- Handwritten script fonts – Casual and carefree scripts that look drawn by hand
- Artistic brush scripts – Loopy, painterly fonts mimicking brush pen lettering
- Geometric sans serifs – Bold, angular letters inspired by geometric shapes
- Colorful fonts – Vibrant, eye-catching typography with bright hues
These display fonts pair nicely with more neutral body copy faces. Used thoughtfully, they attract attention and bring energy to designs.
Nature and Botanical Themes
Natural themes like plants, flowers, landscapes, and animals are inspiring today’s lettering artists and designers. Some botanical and nature-inspired trends I’m seeing include:
- Leafy borders – Frames created with delicate leaves and branches
- Floral motifs – Letters and designs accented with flowers and vines
- Landscape vignettes – Scenic sketches paired with typography
- Butterflies and insects – Delicate wings and antennae incorporated into letters
As concerns over the environment continue to grow, I think nature-inspired design will keep flourishing. The organic shapes and colors make for an earthy, welcoming style.
Modern Calligraphy
While vintage calligraphy and script fonts are still popular, I’m also noticing more clean, minimal modern calligraphy styles emerging. These differ from traditional calligraphy with thinner strokes, simpler designs, and contemporary color palettes. Specific techniques of modern calligraphy include:
- Fine liner writing – Thin, delicate lettering using fine-tipped pens
- Brush pen writing – A streamlined take on brush lettering
- Monoline writing – Single-weight letters without thick and thin strokes
- Geometric and dot lettering – Letters formed with dots, lines, circles, and triangles
This pared back approach to calligraphy allows the letterforms themselves to shine. The style works well for logos, branding, and any designs where simplicity and legibility are key.
Handmade Fonts
Handmade fonts that retain natural imperfections and irregularities are becoming more common. Designers are creating fonts based on their own hand lettering, rather than perfecting letters on a computer. Trends in handmade fonts include:
- Variable width and spacing – Inconsistent letter widths and spacing between letters
- Rough edges – Subtle irregular texture that looks drawn by hand
- Ink smudges – Splotches and spots that look like splatters from a pen
- Overlapping strokes – Letters feel layered rather than crisp and digital
These small imperfections add organic texture and warmth. Handmade fonts are approachable, casual, and full of personality.
As designers, paying attention to emerging trends helps inspire us to push our work in new creative directions. At the same time, the most effective designs use trendy styles thoughtfully combined with timeless principles of solid typography. As I try out new hand lettering and typography trends this year, I’ll aim to strike this balance in my work.
