With the right typeface, words can tell a visual story beyond their literal meaning. While it’s common for big brands to use a custom design, anyone can stand out by making a text-based business logo with the many free and low-cost fonts available today. From line weight to letter width, the flair you add to a wordmark differentiates your brand.
Do you think of fun and imagination the moment you see the custom-drawn Disney wordmark? Picture how Spencerian script captures the classic and festive spirit of Coca-Cola. What gives the Forbes wordmark its commanding, authoritative air?
Ready to make your mark in the industry? Get started on a winning design with these creative font ideas for text-based business logos.
First Things First: What Is a Font?
A font is a stylistic subset based on the treatment of a typeface. A set of letters with the same stylistic design is known as a typeface or font family. For example, you can change the size or width, create thin or bold lines, or slant the letters.
Common typeface categories
Serif
Serif typefaces have decorative structures, known as serifs, at the ends of letter strokes. Serifs give the type a more structural and formal look.
- Examples: Garamond, Palatino, Bodoni.
Slab Serifs
Slab serifs have thicker and more pronounced serifs. The blunt serifs can create a sense of visual continuity because they line up horizontally.
- Examples: Rockwell, Clarendon, Courier.
San Serifs
Sans serifs have no structural flourishes, resulting in simple, clean strokes. Many sans serifs have a minimalist look that is seen as forward-looking and contemporary.
- Examples: Arial, Helvetica, Roboto.
Scripts
Scripts are naturalistic typefaces based on the fluid lines of real handwriting. They can be as decorative as calligraphy or freestyle, much like your unique handwriting.
- Examples: Freebooter, Brush Script, Scriptina.
10 Logo Font Ideas to Distinguish Your Brand
1. Seaweed Script
Seaweed script is a great option if you love the hand-drawn trend. The slightly roughened strokes add a fun, crafty vibe to an otherwise fluid design. The handmade finish tones down the ornateness, making it perfect for craft, casual clothing, and restaurant logos.
2. Posterama
The Posterama typeface is a space-themed sans serif inspired by Art Deco and Art Nouveau. The family has 63 fonts with unique characters, such as concentric capital Os and Qs.
The type’s diverse inspiration makes it work well art and folk applications, in addition to space and tech. Many variations have a hieroglyphic feel that can make in impact in a subtle wordmark logo.
3. Comfortaa
If you enjoy the sleek simplicity of geometric typefaces, Comfortaa is a good choice. The open, ultra-round letters have a friendly, modern look that works for almost any industry. Try using all lowercase letters to keep it youthful and contemporary.
4. Emily’s Candy
Do you live to bring out the child in everyone? Emily’s Candy is a playful font with curly serifs and hearts over the lowercase Is and Js. The look is sweet, feminine, and childlike. Try it out if you primarily sell snacks or women and children’s products, such as ice cream, toys, or spa and salon services.
5. Kelly Slab
Kelly slab is a square slab serif with uniquely angled strokes. The end result is a futuristic font that combines traditional and artistic elements. The serif and geometric styles keep it attractive and readable. Yet, it’s commanding and modern enough to make a great tech or skilled trade logo.
6. Nougatine
Nougatine is an eye-catching display font with cropped letter details. The abstract shapes and clipped forms fit with today’s cropping trends in graphic design. Surprisingly, it embodies modernity while having a heritage feel. Consider using it to update a brand with a long history in the community.
7. Lobster
Lobster gets your message across when you want to merge fun and traditionalism. The freestyle script is bold and optimistic, but it also embodies heritage and family.
8. Monoton
Not for shy brands, Monoton is a bold serif display font with a multi-line design. While the letter structure is simple, the negative space creates power and motion. Consider using Monoton if your logo only has a wordmark or a minimal logomark.
9. Righteous
Righteous is another space-themed typeface with Art Deco influence. Small details like the rotated lowercase Es and rounded Ws make it beautifully alien. At the same time, its modern elegance could work for a clothing or music brand.
10. Satisfy
Satisfy is a straightforward script with a fluid, sophisticated look. You can use it across a variety of industries to signify quality, sweetness, or of course, satisfaction.
6 Real-Life Font-Based Logos from Our Customers
More Tips for Creating a Text-Based Business Logo
While readability is important, you can be more flexible and artistic with font ideas for logos. Many wordmarks use fonts at a large scale or in all caps, which can boost clarity. You can also change the proportions of a font or alter a letter or two.
Decide which styles you like and keep exploring them to find unique combinations. The most important thing is to create a visual symbol your audience can easily recognize. As long as the font closely represents your brand, feel free to be as classic or creative as you want.
Still need help choosing typography? Try our logo maker to test different fonts.
