16 Script Fonts For Elegant Designs
Script fonts are elegant and formal. To use them effectively, however, you must match them with equally elegant photos or images. So, whether you are looking for free fonts for a wedding invitation or for any formal occasion, these scripts fonts are the right tone for your designs. Personally, I like to use script fonts for my personal stationery and scrapbooks. Typefaces with fine lines and lots of swirls and flourishes have a feminine feel to them.
However, for serious occasions like when you are designing a formal wedding invitation, choosing a script font is a bit more complicated. You don’t just pick a typeface that looks nice. Several factors must be considered when deciding on a font. According to lovetoknow.com, there are three major factors that you should consider in looking for the best font for a wedding event:
1. Character Set: If the font will be used for multiple purposes, a full character set including upper and lower cases, numbers, and punctuation is essential. Special characters may also be desirable depending on the wedding invitation wording.
2. Readability: An ornate script font may be beautiful and romantic, but it may be too difficult to read unless it is very large. Choose a font that is suitably formal but still legible at a practical size for the wedding invitations and other stationery.
3. Style: Script fonts are the most popular for weddings because they are stylish and elegant, but they are not the only option. A casual font is suitable for a second wedding or less formal event, and themed fonts can be used as well. An old English ornate font, for example, is perfect to use for a Renaissance wedding ceremony, while a gothic font may be best for a Halloween wedding.
So here are the best Script fonts that you can download for free or as shareware (Please check the individual Terms of use).
SCRIPT FONTS 01 – SCRIPTINA
Less formal yet fun! The script fonts curl together to create a tight but classic appearance. You may use this font for names and accents for wedding invitations or for logos or short words and phrases. This font is also best paired with a serif fonts to make important information such as dates more legible and easy to read. The numerals, especially the number 1 and 7 are very hard to tell apart in this typeface. Also, the loops and descenders require extra line spacing to be readable. (Available in PC/MAC versions).
SCRIPT FONTS 02 - ENGLISH
This script font is more subdued compared to many script or handwritten typefaces. The letters are a little more stylized compared to the more organic-appearing typefaces that many fonts use. English is the best choice if you prefer crisper and cleaner script fonts. (Available for both MAC and PC users)
SCRIPT FONTS 03 - CHAMPIGNON
This script font has slender letter forms similar to those older style of script fonts. This font’s classic style can give a wedding invitation a stately air. Champignon also comes with a secondary font that allows users to embellish letters of your choice with swashes. (Available for both MAC and PC users)
SCRIPT FONTS 04 - FREEBOOTER SCRIPT
It’s a fancy script font that is still quite readable despite of its exaggerated swooshes and swirls. Remember to use alternate characters to add variety and enhance readability of this typeface.
SCRIPT FONTS 05 - COMMSCRIPT
This script fonts mimic cursive handwriting but is more formal and stylized. The letters also tend to connect between letters. The classic look of this beautiful script makes it a good choice for wedding and other formal invitation. (True Type Font for PC).
SCRIPT FONTS 06 - EXMOUTH
This lovely formal script font was distributed by Prima for free to introduce users to its commercial CD collection of fonts.(True Type Fong for PC)
SCRIPT FONTS 07 - BROCK SCRIPT
This script font makes use of numerous curves and swirls but only on the capital letters. The idea to tone down the swirls on the lower case letters, makes this typeface easy to read. This script font is especially ideal for creating invitations and other wedding documents because there is no need to switch to a plainer font for addresses, dates and other critical information.
SCRIPT FONTS 08 - EDWARDIAN SCRIPT
Described by its author Edward Benguiat as emotional, lyrical, even passionate calligraphic typeface, Edwardian script has a look of a true handwriting. Its appearance was influenced by the look of writing with a steel pointed pen, an instrument which can be pushed as well as pulled, and which produces stroke contrast when pressure upon it is varied.
SCRIPT FONTS 09 – SHELLEY SCRIPT
The Shelley Script font was designed by Matthew Carter to be used as a new script face for the photo typesetting machines. The basic idea was to create one script font that would offer different elegant letter scforms.
SCRIPT FONTS 10 - KUNSTLER SCRIPT
This script font has a flowing and artistic, yet scholarly look, making it one of the favorites for formal invitations or announcements. You may also use this script font to add a personal touch to some types of work other than invitations. An advantage of this typeface is that there is also a bold and black version, something that is rare in copperplate fonts.
Other runner up fonts:
SCRIPT FONTS 11 – ADINE KIMBERG
SCRIPT FONTS 12 - VIVALDI
SCRIPT FONTS 13 - VLADMIR Script
SCRIPT FONTS 14 - HANCOCK
SCRIPT FONTS 15 - OHIO SCRIPT
FREE SCRIPT FONT – MARRIAGE SCRIPT
I appreciate the effort and time taken to compile this post, but none of the fonts you’ve selected really resonated with me.
I’ve always had a hard time finding a script font that I actually like though.
nice article, This is a post to check and return to, bookmarked. Added a subscription to your feed.
@Philip Downer –
Try Bickham Script Pro it has excellent alternative characters
@Michael Hrvatin -
Thanks. I’ll check that out.
hi, i’m trying to look for PF Champion script font, anyone have it, i really need it for my wedding invitation. thanks
Scriptina can be made to look really nice with some work in Photoshop, basically feathering the edges to make it look softer.
Not a big fan of any of the other fonts on here though to be honest.
Does anyone know if there are alternate names for Markham and Florham fonts used by Encore
Markham is Bickham with Swash capitals and alternate “g, p, and y”
Florham is Bickham with alternate letters. If you go to http://www.adobe.com/type/browser/landing/bickham.html you can see some of the alternate letters
Hi
I’m trying to download script font 7 onwards, but keep getting an error message. Do you know why?
Also, from font 1-6, I can’t find any terms of use relating to commercial use. Do you know where I can find these terms?