127 Best FREE FONTS for Book Design
These aren’t all ideal; professional (paid) fonts are a little nicer and cleaner… but these are free. I’ve added a link to where you can download them, as well as a closeup sample. I may have changed the font size of line height; different fonts will have internal settings.
Some of these are actually too thin, unless you’re using 14pt size. If in doubt, pick one of these, they’re the best choices: Libre Baskerville, Linux Libertine, Junicode, Free Serif, Crimson.
PS) I took screenshots of a Word Doc to get these pics; but the fonts should look even better in print, and if you use InDesign or another text layout program the kerning and word spacing will be better as well.
1. Theano Didot Modern
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2. Theano Didot OldStyle 
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3. Theano Didot Regular 
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4. Cardiff
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5. Oxford
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6. DroidSerif
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7. Portland
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8. Queen’s Park
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9. LibreBaskerville
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10. Linux Libertine
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11. Open Baskerville
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12. TexGyre
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13. New Athena
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14. Junicode
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15. Free Serif
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16. Neuton
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17. Gilda Display
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18. Cardo
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19. Medio
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20. Garogier
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21. Average 
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22. Dustimo
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23. Thryomanes
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24. Bentham 
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25. Angleterre
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26. Crimson
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27. Lido
Don’t forget to watch the videos if you need help learning how to format your book for print. You can also download some of the book formatting templates.
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300+ Fool-Proof Fonts to use for your Book Cover Design
I made these for my main site, but it’s worth sharing them all here as well.
The problem with having a huge list of fonts is that, half them aren’t actually that professional looking, for book cover design. Also… not all of these ones are actually free fonts, I wasn’t careful building this list because it’s meant for book cover design.
BUT – I’ve been working on a new book cover maker so I chose a new round of the best free fonts to use, that are genre specific (best fonts for fantasy, scifi, selfhelp, memoir, nonfiction etc… more on that coming soon!
PS. I feel like I should apologize for this post: it’s become really popular, because it’s useful, but it was only meant as a suggestion for the *kinds* of appropriate fonts to use for each genre. A lot of these fonts are outdated, overused or too flashy. You’d probably do better to google “best fonts for [genre]” and choose some good ones. Fonts on CreativeMarket tend to be higher quality. Try to avoid free fonts unless you’re sure they’re for personal *and* commercial use – or sometimes you can donate to the designer.
Finally, here’s an updated version with just my favorite fantasy fonts. Of those, there are about 5 fonts I’d actually rely on, and this is true with most genres, certain fonts are go-to, until they become overused.
These fonts are a bit too showy or flashy for most books, but should help point you in the right direction.
Best Fantasy Fonts for book cover design
The above lists are a little old, here’s a newer version of some fancy, beautiful fonts for fantasy book covers. Sorry this image isn’t high quality, not sure what happened to it. Keep in mind, this is kind of too much. Most fantasy and urban fantasy covers use the same *best* fonts which are….
1. Cinzel
2. Brilon
3. Love Moon
4. Yana
But if you’re looking for something more creative, here’s a list.
Also here are some of the Free fantasy fonts I included in my online book cover maker. I’ll be adding templates there soon to help make your covers easier.
Best scifi fonts for book covers design
Here’s a list of some free scifi fonts I found. These aren’t necessarily *the best* – those tend to be paid – but I choose free fonts to put inside my online cover creator tool. I’ll be making templates over there soon, and there are a bunch of cover design tutorials to help you avoid common cover design mistakes.
Need a book cover?
If so, you should really check out DIY Book Covers to get a bunch of amazing book cover templates you can edit with Microsoft Word. There’s a free sample package to get started designing your own book cover, based on the design secrets of bestselling books.
You can also check out my main book cover design site, or my blog Creativindie.com where I help authors and artists produce and sell their best work.
The Ultimate Collection of Free Fonts for 2023
Embarking on a creative journey can be an exhilarating experience, especially when you have the perfect tools at your disposal. One such essential tool is typography. As a graphic designer, marketer, or DIY craft enthusiast, the right font can dramatically enhance your project’s aesthetics.
In this post, we’ll share our top 100 best free fonts, meticulously organized into ten categories that people most commonly search for. So, let’s dive in, shall we?
Free Serif Fonts
Serif fonts are traditional, elegant, and timeless. They’re most often used in print design and books, but can also add a touch of sophistication to digital designs.
- Playfair Display
- Bitter
- Merriweather
- Lora
- Libre Baskerville
- Crimson Text
- PT Serif
- Old Standard TT
- Arvo
- Abril Fatface
Free Sans Serif Fonts
Sans serif fonts are clean, modern, and versatile. They are excellent for both print and digital designs, especially for titles and headers.
Free Handwritten Fonts
Handwritten fonts are fun, quirky, and informal. They add a personal touch and are perfect for invitations, logos, social media graphics, and more.
Free Script Fonts
Script fonts are elegant and versatile, perfect for wedding invitations, logos, and other formal designs.
- Alex Brush
- Allura
- Lobster
- Sacramento
- Parisienne
- Tangerine
- Cookie
- Petit Formal Script
- Bad Script
- Qwigley
Free Monospace Fonts
Monospace fonts are modern, clean, and perfect for coding, tabular data, or a techy look.
- Roboto Mono
- Space Mono
- Fira Mono
- PT Mono
- Cousine
- Inconsolata
- Source Code Pro
- Anonymous Pro
- Share Tech Mono
- Nova Mono
Free Display Fonts
Display fonts are unique and full of personality. They’re great for headers, logos, and any design where you want the text to make a big impact.
Free Slab Serif Fonts
Slab serif fonts are bold and impactful. They are great for headlines, posters, and other designs where you want to make a strong statement.
Free Brush Fonts
Brush fonts are artistic and informal. They are perfect for designs where you want to evoke emotion, creativity, or a touch of chaos.
- Reenie Beanie
- Give You Glory
- Permanent Marker
- Kalam
- Nothing You Could Do
- Just Another Hand
- Shadows Into Light Two
- Coming Soon
- Crafty Girls
- Sue Ellen Francisco
Free Calligraphy Fonts
Calligraphy fonts are elegant and sophisticated, perfect for wedding invitations, logos, and other formal designs.
Free Graffiti Fonts
Graffiti fonts are edgy and cool. They can add a unique street style to posters, logos, and apparel designs.
There you have it – the ultimate list of 100 free fonts across ten popular categories! Remember, the right typography can make or break your design. So, choose wisely, and let your creativity run wild!
Bonus: Free Fonts for Commercial Use
Using fonts for commercial purposes requires special consideration, as not all free fonts are licensed for such use. Here’s a list of 10 free fonts specifically licensed for commercial use.
Remember to always check the license agreement before using any font for commercial purposes.
Whether you’re a professional designer, a small business owner, or a DIY creative enthusiast, we hope our comprehensive list of 100+ free fonts has provided you with plenty of inspiration. The world of fonts is as vast as it is beautiful, and the perfect font can transform a good design into a great one.
If you want to see how these fonts can look on actual book covers, check out this post of best fonts for book cover design. So, go forth, experiment, and create something amazing with these free fonts! And remember, creativity is the only limit.