Like every designer, I'm always stashing links and font bookmarks away for a rainy day. Here's a solid round-up of free fonts that are all variable width. Yep, that means you can go with anything from extra thin to black and everything in between, with just one font. Also, every font on this page is either open source and free for commercial use or free for personal use with a commercial license available. Let's jump in...
Fraunces
First up, we have Fraunces. An old style display typeface that can serves as Cooper Black alternative or Souvenir alternative. Let's celebrates this under-appreciated genre and put this typeface to good use.
- License: Open Source
- by Undercase
- Github download page
Monument Extended
I haven't figured out what I am going to use this font for yet, but I know it is going to be something something cool. This could be used as a suitable Trae Gothic Extended alternative, which I have found plenty of used for in the past. Monument Extended has some nice old-school 70's modern qualities to it.- License: Free for personal use. Commercial license available.
- by Mat Desjardins of Pangram Pangram
- Download page
Inter
Whelp, clearly I'm into this typeface since it is the typeface used for this website. Inter was crafted and designed specifically for computer screens and features a moderately insane 2,500 glyphs.- License: Open source
- by Rasmus Andersson
- Google Fonts Download page
Crimson Pro
Sometimes you just need a solid serif typeface. Contemporary and yet classic. Crimson pro is a solid Garamond alternative with an editorial feel and perfect for long texts.- License: Open source
- by Jacques Le Bailly
- Google Fonts download page
IBM Plex Sans
This is a neutral, yet friendly Grotesque style typeface. Sure, its the new corporate typeface for IBM, but its also open source. The family includes a Sans, Sans Condensed, Mono, and Serif and has excellent legibility in print, web and mobile interfaces. The serif version is a nice Bodoni alternative too. Yes, we love it so much we use IBM Plex sans all over this website.- License: Open source
- by IBM Brand & Experience
- Google Fonts download page
Manrope
I dig this clean font. Digits in Manrope font are perfect for interface design and numeric data, such as phone numbers, card numbers, infographics, etc. This typeface could be passed of as a Helvetica alternative to the untrained eye.- License: Open source
- by Mikhail Sharanda
- Download page
Neue World
Neue World is inspired by vintage display types and features all the widths required to accommodate pretty much any format. Go with a thinner weights for a sense of elegance or a heavier weight to create a bold statement.- License: Free for personal use. Commercial license available.
- by Mat Desjardins of Pangram Pangram
- Download page
Barlow
Barlow is a slightly rounded, low-contrast, grotesk font family. The typeface draws inspiration from California public, sharing qualities with the state's car plates, highway signs, busses, and trains. I’m drawn more to the condensed widths of Barlow which I find to be the most attractive variations.- License: Open source
- by Jeremy Tribby
- Download page
Graduate
Graduate is a top-notch take on the classic collegiate block style popular across America’s college campuses. Most will likely opt for the heavier weights for varsity sports style design needs, but I’m more fond of the lighter weights, personally.- License: Open source
- by Eduardo Tunni
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Github Download page
Blinker
Blinker is a sans serif typeface with a squircle as its foundational shape. Yes, that’s a real word, which dictionary.com defines as “a shape that is somewhat circular but also squarish; a square with rounded corners”. Its most appropriate application would likely be medium to large text, rather than a long copy.- License: Open source
- by JÜrgen Huber of Supertype
- Github Download page