Are you looking for the best fonts for Cricut writing? Do you want to create stunning cards, labels, invitations, and more with your Cricut?
Get a list of the best writing fonts for your Cricut cutting machine to make beautiful crafts your friends and loved ones will cherish. You will also learn what makes a great writing font and where to get them.
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- Best Fonts for Cricut Writing
- Popular Writing Fonts from Third-Party Vendors
- What is a Writing Font?
- What is a Single-Line Font?
- What are Premium Fonts?
- What are Free Fonts?
- What Can I Make with Single-Line Fonts?
- What Do Writing Fonts Look Like?
- What Makes a Great Writing Font?
- What are the Font File Types?
- What are the Different Categories of Fonts?
- What is Kerning?
- Where Can I Find the Best Writing Fonts?
- Where Can I Find the Best Free Writing Fonts?
- How Can I Test a New Font Before Using It?
- How Do I Install a Font?
- How Do I Keep Track of All My Fonts?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
Best Fonts for Cricut Writing
The best fonts for Cricut writing are single-line, aesthetically beautiful, and still readable. Generally speaking, handwriting fonts can take three forms: print manuscript, precursive, and cursive.
Cricut has some great fonts that you can use in Cricut Design Space. You can use most of Cricut’s fonts with a Cricut Access subscription. You can also purchase them individually. Cricut’s Angel Policy covers the licensing for these fonts with a few exceptions.
If you’re unsure whether you need or want Cricut Access, you can get a free trial as a first-time user. Learn everything about Cricut Access in my post, Cricut Access Subscription: Do You Need It?
Popular Script (Cursive) Writing Fonts from Cricut
Popular Print Writing Fonts from Cricut
Popular Writing Fonts from Third-Party Vendors
These popular single-line writing fonts are available at Creative Fabrica, Creative Market, and FontBundles. They work great for writing, foiling, engraving, and “Print Then Cut” Cricut projects.
Popular Cursive Fonts for Writing
Popular Print Manuscript Fonts for Writing
Now, let’s go in-depth about the different types of fonts and how you can use them.
What is a Writing Font?
Writing fonts are single-line fonts created with a single line or stroke. The letters, numbers, and symbols don’t have an outline, and these fonts don’t have a width specification. Sometimes, they are called sketch fonts, skinny fonts, engraving fonts, journaling fonts, stick fonts, and more.
Writing fonts are thin fonts that look like the handwriting of someone with perfect penmanship. However, some are designed to look imperfect.
In Cricut, they are handwritten fonts that have a single layer.
What is a Single-Line Font?
As mentioned before, single-line fonts use a single line or stroke to form the letters, numbers, and symbols that make up the font. They are referred to in many ways, like “sketch fonts” and “skinny fonts.”
Single-line fonts are perfect for Cricut writing, foiling, and “Print Then Cut” projects, like greeting cards, stickers, and wedding invitations. They also work well with Cricut and laser cutters for engraving.
What are Premium Fonts?
“Premium Fonts” is a general term usually applied to fonts you pay to use individually, in a bundle, or as part of a subscription. Many online font vendors sell fonts individually, in bundles, and via subscriptions. Some vendors include Creative Fabrica, Fontbundles, Adobe, Silhouette, and Cricut.
What are Free Fonts?
Free fonts are fonts you can use without paying for a usage license. They are available from many of these same vendors that sell fonts and typically come with a personal use license.
What Can I Make with Single-Line Fonts?
Single-line writing fonts are great for making the following:
- Greeting cards
- Wedding Invitations
- Foil crafts
- Engraving crafts
- Print-Then-Cut crafts
What Do Writing Fonts Look Like?
Fonts can be tricky. Most good writing fonts don’t cut well, and many good cutting fonts don’t draw well.
On the left are examples of sans-serif, serif, and display fonts that are good for cutting. The examples on the right are what the same fonts look like when used for writing instead of cutting.
You can change the settings of a font from cutting to drawing in the Operations drop-down in the toolbar in Cricut Design Space.
The examples on the right show what the same font looks like when set to the “Draw” operations in Cricut Design Space. The font changes from a filled font on the left to the outlined font on the right. Cricut will draw bubble letters when this font is used for drawing.
The last font example on the right is a writing font. It consists of a single stroke, or line, and will be drawn exactly as it looks.
Example of a Good Cutting Font
This font is an example of a good cutting font. Even when the “Pen” operation and the “Writing” style are selected, it has more than one path and has width. The end result will be “bubble letters”. The interior of the characters will not be filled in.
There are some crafts where bubble letters work. However, many times, our project needs a good drawing font with a single path, like greeting cards or labels.
Example of a Good Writing Font
This is an example of a good writing font. Cricut will draw letters in this font style with a single path, and it will look like handwriting.
Example of a Good Cutting and Writing Font
Some fonts are designed for both cutting and writing and have two or more font styles to choose from in Cricut Design Space.
For example, this font is great for cutting when set to “Basic Cut” and “Regular” under the operation type and font style.
This font is also great for bubble letter drawing when set to the “Draw” operation with the “Regular” font style selected.
This is also a good single-line writing font when set to the “Draw” operation with the “Writing” font style selected.
Now that we’ve talked about font operations and styles in Cricut Design Space let’s get a little more technical.
What Makes a Great Writing Font?
The best fonts for Cricut writing depend upon what you are creating. Like before, some fonts are great for writing, some for cutting, and some do both well. The best font will also be a matter of personal preference.
Let’s look at what characteristics make a good writing font. Once you can categorize those, it’s a matter of personal preference and style.
Great Writing Font Characteristics
What are the Font File Types?
You will come across three font file types when using font files: TTF, OTF, and WOFF. There are more, but these files make up most of what you’ll see when crafting.
TTF is an acronym that stands for TrueType font. It is a type of font file that Microsoft and Apple jointly created in the 1980s. TrueType fonts are compatible with both Windows and Mac computers. The TTF font file contains the screen and printer information in a single file.
OTF, which stands for OpenType Font, is a type of font file that includes display and printer font information in a single file. Microsoft and Apple jointly created this font file type to extend functionality. OTF files can store glyphs, ligatures, small caps, and alternate characters in a single font file, whereas they would need to be separate TTF files.
WOFF stands for Web Open Font Format, another type of font file explicitly used for web pages. These files are compressed and contain additional XML metadata to improve loading speed and web page performance.
Learn more about OTF and TTF fonts on Corel’s website.
What are the Different Categories of Fonts?
The world of fonts is complex and confusing. There is a ton of information on typeface categories, font families, font styles or characteristics, and more. In this post, we are only concerned with handwriting fonts great for Cricut projects. So, we’ll stick with the basics.
A typeface is a group of fonts, also known as a font family. There are three primary typefaces: serif, sans-serif, and script.
A font family includes different characteristics called styles. Styles describe a font’s size, weight, orientation, and width.
An example of a font family is Times. The Times font family includes Times Roman, Times Italic, and Times Bold. These are individual but related fonts. A font family can contain dozens of fonts, like Helvetica.
An individual font can contain letters, numbers, symbols, and special characters.
Serif Typeface
Serif fonts have little extensions on the ends of letters and characters. Serif font examples are Times New Roman, Garamond, and Baskerville.
Sans-Serif Typeface
Sans-serif fonts do not have the extended ticks on the end of letters and characters. These fonts are clean and simple. Some sans-serif font examples are Open Sans, Helvetica, Roboto, and Lato.
Script Typeface
Script fonts include cursive, print, and precursive writing styles and can be casual or formal. Some examples are Segoe Script, Great Vibes, Dancing Script, and Alex Brush.
Other Typefaces
Display fonts are big, thick, and bold and grab your attention. Many are decorative and are used for headings and titles. Some examples are Abril Fatface, Alfa Slab One, Playfair Display, and Bebas Neue.
Slab Serif fonts are big, blocky, and bold. The characters also have serifs. Some examples are Roboto Slab, Arvo, Josefin Slab, and Rokkitt.
There are more typefaces, but these are some of the main ones. If you’re interested in learning more, Creative Bloq has a good resource post called 20 Great Free Resources for Learning Typography.
What is Kerning?
Kerning is adjusting the space between characters and lines in a font to be visually pleasing and readable. It can also create a vibe, like fancy, bold, or playful, depending on how you space the letters.
In Cricut Design Space, you can modify the letter spacing and the line spacing using the “Letter Space” and “Line Space” features in the top toolbar.
You can also search for kerned fonts in the font filter in Cricut Design Space. These fonts will have adjustments in the letter and line spacing to make them more readable and visually pleasing.
In an upcoming post, I will teach how to work with text in Cricut Design Space, which will cover kerning. Cricut also has a knowledge base article that covers these features.
We’ve covered some fairly technical information. Let’s talk about where to get the best fonts for Cricut writing.
Where Can I Find the Best Writing Fonts?
Finding a few font vendors you trust is essential. They must be clear about personal, commercial, and print-on-demand licensing for their assets. Some of the best vendors have pages dedicated to this information, so there is no ambiguity, and you understand how you can use their fonts and designs.
The vendors that I recommend below are ones that I trust. You can access their fonts, SVG files, and other images through individual or bundle purchases or a subscription.
Seven Trustworthy Font Vendors
- Creative Fabrica
- Font Bundles
- Design Bundles
- Adobe Fonts
- Creative Market
- My Fonts
- Cricut Access Fonts
Where Can I Find the Best Free Writing Fonts?
Likewise, take care when choosing a vendor for free fonts. You want a trustworthy establishment that clearly states its personal, commercial, and print-on-demand licensing.
Most free fonts come with a limited-use license–typically for personal use. Some vendors have all-inclusive licensing for free fonts, though. If the online store doesn’t feel or look legitimate, and the store isn’t forthcoming with information, look elsewhere.
You can often find a specific font at multiple sites, so if you’re set on a particular font but the vendor is questionable, look for the same font with a reputable vendor.
Ultimately, you are responsible for ensuring you have a proper personal or commercial license for the font you use.
Five Trustworthy Free Font Vendors
How Can I Test a New Font Before Using It?
Most of us like to have a reference system for the fonts we like the most. If you love fonts and have a lot of them (like me), you may want a reference guide for your favorite fonts. Here are a few ways to print and test font files to find the perfect font for your project.
View system fonts on your computer and see what it looks like in the font window.
To get to system fonts in Windows, click on the Start Button on the taskbar. Type “fonts” in the search bar at the top of the window. Click on “Fonts” to open the system fonts.
Click into any font installed on your computer and view what the font looks like. You can print the font on your screen by selecting “print” at the top of the window.
Learn how to access fonts on Mac computers from the Apple website.
You can also use a word processing program to print a list of fonts on your system.
You can test a Cricut font directly on the Cricut Design Space Canvas by creating your sentiment with the text tool and assigning various fonts.
You can use Cricut’s “Print-Then-Cut” feature to print Cricut fonts onto copy paper with your printer or use your Cricut machine to draw the fonts on copy paper or cardstock with Cricut pens and markers.
How Do I Install a Font?
Installing fonts is not difficult. In an upcoming post, I will show you how to install and manage fonts. Until then, learn how to install fonts for Windows and Mac computers from Microsoft and Apple.
How Do I Keep Track of All My Fonts?
There are font management systems that allow you to organize and try fonts with specific sentiments, but they can be complicated and pricey. Graphics design professionals use these font management programs to organize thousands of fonts.
Creative Fabrica has an easy-to-use font management system called Fontcloud. You can read more about Fontcloud in an upcoming post.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I tell between single-line fonts and other fonts?
Cricut Design Space lets you filter the fonts for specific font styles. In the font window in Cricut Design Space, select the Filters drop-down. Select “Handwritten” to show single-line fonts.
You can also select the “Writing” filter to show fonts with a writing style. These may not be single-line fonts, but you can still use them with Cricut Pens because they have the “Writing” font style.
Can I use my own fonts on Cricut?
Yes, you can use fonts you’ve purchased or have access to from a subscription in Cricut Design Space as long as you have a proper use license. However, fonts that come with the operating system or a word-processing program may have restrictions.
Fonts you install on your computer will show in the computer’s font management tool and under “System Fonts” in Cricut Design Space.
If you’ve installed a font and can’t find it in Cricut Design Space, close and reopen the application. Cricut will read in the new font the first time you open it after installing that font.
If you still can’t find it under “System Fonts” in Cricut Design Space, check to make sure you don’t have any filters set in the font filter.
Can I sell things with Cricut Fonts?
Cricut Fonts fall under Cricut’s Angel Policy. If you have a Cricut Access subscription or paid for the Cricut font individually, the Angel Policy covers the crafts you sell that use Cricut fonts. There are always a few exceptions, so I suggest reading Cricut’s Angel Policy beforehand.
For fonts you’ve installed or are available in System Fonts, check the license you received when purchasing or accessing the font to find out if you can use the font commercially.
What is the best font for vinyl lettering?
The best fonts for vinyl lettering are blocky and have weight and width. Use simple fonts for Cricut cutting projects, especially if you are new to electronic die-cutting.
Weeding intricate fonts will take skill and practice. Some fonts that work well with vinyl are the blocky font BFC Birthday Party, Cricut Classic, Cricut Craft Room Basics, and Cricut Sans.
Does Cricut have a varsity font?
Cricut provides at least three Varsity fonts. They are “Varsity,” “Varsity Letter,” and “Varsity Letter – Narrow.”
Can Cricut fill in letters with a pen?
Little Craft Nest has a great YouTube tutorial on filling letters in using Cricut Design Space.
What is the white border around words and images that I sometimes see?
This border is called an “Offset”. You can create offsets in Cricut Design Space for text and designs in two ways: using the Offset feature and the Create Sticker feature.
Learn how to create these border offsets in Cricut Design Space by reading my post on How to Outline Images in Cricut Design Space.
Why is Cricut charging me for a free font?
You may be signed out of your Cricut account if Cricut Design Space suddenly wants to charge you for a “free” font with your Cricut Access subscription. Sign back into your Cricut account in Cricut Design Space. If you still have issues, contact the Cricut Care Team for support.
Conclusion
You can access the best Cricut fonts for writing from Cricut and other trustworthy online vendors to make greeting cards, wedding invitations, labels, and more that your family and friends will love. In upcoming posts, I will show you more about installing and managing fonts and how to work with text in Cricut Design Space.
Please leave me a comment below and tell me your favorite Cricut writing font to use or any questions you have. I love hearing from y’all! You can also get in touch with me or
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