We’re a little over halfway through 2017, and some crazy stuff has gone down. We’ve got independent companies trying to travel to space, the political world is crazier than a bag of cats (no matter what side of the fence you’re on), and I got a new dog. So yeah, it’s pretty nuts nowadays. Oh, and fonts. They’re out of control. Seriously though, the font world has seen a lot of trends, but recently some biggies have come up that need mention. Some of them have been trending for a while now and have yet to hit their peak, while others are right on the cusp of being amazing. You want to be right there in that cusp too, right? I know I do. So let’s dive in.
Color Fonts
I kinda feel like a broken record on this one, because it seems like I write about this a lot. But here’s the thing: color fonts are a big deal. Try to deny it all you want, but the fact remains that the introduction of color fonts has changed up the game for the font world, and if you’re not on this train, you’d better get on quick, because it’s leaving the station and you don’t want to be left behind with the only thing left to give you comfort being your hobo bindle and the sad trombone music that follows you everywhere you walk.
Variable Fonts
Look, there’s a lot to digest with variable fonts, so let me start with the basics. First, if you want in-depth reading on the subject, go here. You’ll get some fascinating stuff that involves computer science, a whole lot of scientific terms, and the occasional appearance by an ocelot. I made up one of those three things. It’s your turn to guess which one. Here’s the skinny: variable fonts are ones that allow you to adjust both the width and the weight of any font within a two-dimensional space. Think of Futura. Right now if you want that classic you have to buy all the various weights and all that, from Futura Bold to Futura Book and all the other jazz. Variable fonts change that. You get one font: Futura. Then you can adjust the weight and width via sliders so the end result is exactly to your liking. What’s that mean? Oh so much, reader. Take an ebook, for example. What if you could adjust the weight of the text on the page, without adjusting the width? The entire page would layout the exact same way, but it would become more legible for some, while those of us who want thinner letters still have that option. And imagine how awesome that all would be with responsive design. This is revolutionary stuff here, and it’s hard to understate its importance. This is going to change your world, and it just might happen this year.
Hand drawn Fonts
There are at least a bazillion fonts out there that anybody in the world can purchase and/or steal for various amounts of money, but there’s one thing that always will be unique: your handwriting. Me, I don’t do script, I do everything in blocky letters because I’m a child that hated cursive. But my wife has beautiful flowery handwriting that can also transition into something that fits at home perfectly on an architectural plan. And as lame as mine is and cool as hers is, they’re all different than whatever you fine readers are doing with yours. And they all can be fonts.
Hand drawn fonts used to be a parlor trick, but now they’re functional things thanks to Fontself Maker and similar apps. Now anybody can make their own handwriting into a font, and some of the examples are gosh darned amazing.
Watercolor Fonts
Two things stand out for me. First, the hand-drawn nature of the designs. Some could fall into my previous 2017 standout category, but others veer more towards a brush stroke effect. And why not? They are made to look like watercolors, and therefore, a brush makes sense. So there’s that whole aspect of things.
Fluid Typography
Again, my technical know-how is limited to knowledge of Chevy trucks and the ability to put together a complex LEGO set, so a lot of these terms go over my head. But fluid typography is a pretty cool thing, and it’s changing up the game. In fact, let me have this guy explain it to you. Yeah, he lost me at “Hi, everyone,” but you probably got more of that than I did. The basics though are that, thanks to the magic of CSS, you can now set the font on a webpage to match the viewing device that it’s on. Is that amazing? Yes, absolutely. And it means that responsive websites have just one more advantage over the competition.
What’s left?
Good question, H2 title. There’s still four-plus months left, and in that time I’m sure things are going to change for the better. How? Well, I’m no psychic, so I can’t relay that information to you quite yet. But what I can say is that I can’t wait to see what happens next.
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Hi! My name is Kevin Whipps, and I'm a writer and editor based in Phoenix, Arizona. When I'm not working taking pictures of old cars and trucks, I'm either writing articles for Creative Market or hawking stickers at Whipps Sticker Co.
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