We’ve searched through the font families that debuted on Fontspring in 2021 and we’ve chosen 50 of our favorites. Eight of those families really grabbed the attention of the entire Fontspring team, and are listed here as “Top-Tier Typefaces”.
A TOP-TIER TYPEFACE OF 2021
Bakemono mixes mechanical typewriter technology with inspiration from eastern brush calligraphy. Its name is borrowed from Japanese shape-shifting yokai, and it aptly describes the metamorphic and versatile nature of its proportional, monospace and intermediate subfamilies.
A TOP-TIER TYPEFACE OF 2021
Change is beautiful for body copy, but what really sets it apart from the other great serifs released this year is the unparalleled language support. Plus it has all the ligatures, glyphs, and diacritics to set historical texts as well.
A TOP-TIER TYPEFACE OF 2021
Each of the four members of the Discórdia family has its own unique contrast. The Regular weight has broad-nib contrast, Italic is monolinear, Bold has horizontal contrast, and Bold Italic is a bit twisted.
A TOP-TIER TYPEFACE OF 2021
Thanks to its stunning features and high x-height, Maine creates an incredibly handsome and super legible body text.
A TOP-TIER TYPEFACE OF 2021
Rebrand is all about geometry, but takes a fun and friendly approach instead of being restricted to cold mathematics. Rebrand Display is fluid and dynamic, while Rebrand Text plays a bit more by the rules.
A TOP-TIER TYPEFACE OF 2021
Sienna is the perfect serif family to cozy up to. Its warm, welcoming demeanor is a delight to read in paragraphs, logos, and headlines.
A TOP-TIER TYPEFACE OF 2021
With classic swashes, stylish ligatures and a complementary sans, this elegant little family will go a long way.
A TOP-TIER TYPEFACE OF 2021
It’s so easy to love Wonder. This wholesome serif family hits all the right notes . . . Swashy but not retro, soft but sturdy, organic but not rough.
exljbris Font Foundry | January 2021
Lettersoup | October 2021
Yellow Design Studio | February 2021
Art Grootfontein does not sacrifice quality for quirkiness (or vice versa). Sure, Bangel is a class clown, but it also happens to be smart and attractive to boot!
Australian Type Foundry | May 2021
FontPeople | February 2021
Martin Majoor | June 2021
Calvino offers both high legibility and high contrast. Its regular style is an elegant choice for long paragraphs, and the Grande sub-family is beautifully outspoken.
Hoftype | October 2021
Paulo Goode | November 2021
Type Forward | March 2021
This harmonious handcrafted collection includes a rugged serif, slab, script, and dingbat weights that will leave a stamp of quality on any brand.
Nicky Laatz | August 2021
Fenotype | November 2021
Swell Type | August 2021
The Legit superfamily implements a handy uniwidth system: All styles are 100% compatible in width and remain swappable without altering the layout.
Typetanic Fonts | September 2021
Fenotype | September 2021
Latinotype | May 2021
The Mestiza family is a sharp display serif with striking curves and a gorgeous modern feel that stands out in headlines and branding. Likewise, Mestiza Sans is a fantastic complementary family that deserves a place here as well.
Nasir Udin | September 2021
Connary Fagen Type Design | October 2021
Sudtipos | August 2021
Nambya is sharp, lively, and clever. Its unexpected angles and alternate ligatures are ideal for logos, headlines, and bold packaging.
Mostardesign | March 2021
LetterPalette | January 2021
Eller Type | October 2021
The Palo Slab superfamily will make a memorable first impression in any of its 108 styles. For outstanding branding, look no further!
The Paper Town | December 2021
Canada Type | April 2021
Connary Fagen Type Design | July 2021
PGF Strange lurks out of the shadows and into the spotlight. This gorgeous retro family offers a wide range of versatility. Stack the layers up to create detailed lettering and 3D effects, or strip it down for a smoother reading experience. The possibilities are endless!
Plau | March 2021
Nomad Fonts | September 2021
TipoType | August 2021
Searching for the perfect reverse high-contrast western slab with stackable geometric layers? Meet Steam - the most beautifully niche typeface you’ve ever seen. You didn’t know you needed it in your life until just now.
Adam Ladd | September 2021
Ndiscover | June 2021
Fenotype | July 2021
The name says it all! This funky yet charming display font is pure eye candy and we love it.
Untype | June 2021
JTD | March 2021
Sudtipos | April 2021
For our fifth annual Best Fonts list, we had a tough time narrowing it down to only 50 typefaces that were worthy of recognition (Our foundries kept us on our toes)! We saw a slew of stunning serifs and sans families, but wanted this list to include a wide variety.
We hope this inspires foundries to keep creating unique and useful typefaces in all sorts of styles. To each of our Fontspring foundries: We see you, and we celebrate you!
We’ve also chosen eight “Top-Tier Typefaces” that seemed to catch the most eyes among our team: Bakemono (Zetafonts), Change Serif (MACHALSKI), Discórdia (Naipe), Maine (Fenotype), Rebrand (Latinotype), Sienna (Paulo Goode), Skate (DearType), and Wonder (Fenotype).
It’s worth noting that Fenotype has a whopping five families in this list, with two of them in the Top-Tier! Meanwhile, Sudtipos has three font families listed here, and Connary Fagen, Latinotype, Paulo Goode, Spacetype, and Zetafonts each have two families on the list. Congratulations and well done!
