The Best Fonts for T-shirts

A new decade is upon us and that means taking our t-shirt designs up a notch in honor of the (new) roaring 20s. In order to do that, you’ll need some killer fonts, so Custom Ink’s design experts have rounded up the best fonts for t-shirts for 2020. Whether you’re looking for a trendy handwritten font or the clean lines of something modern, we have plenty of styles to accompany your t-shirt design. Take a look at our list to find your favorites–we’ve broken it down by top styles and shared our favorite fonts for each font category.

Brush

Brush fonts have been growing in popularity and for good reason. They’re a great mix of elegance with modern flair. Drop Dead Gorgeous is a slightly slanted all caps brush font. Despite its feminine name, this font works great for all occasions and will have your group or event looking amazing and fresh! Our runner ups are Canvas Script, which offers a classic brush script look, and Sofa Sans, which has clean lines and a combination of thick and thin strokes.

Handwritten

You’re probably familiar with handwritten fonts. Besides being super popular on t-shirts, they’re everywhere from greeting cards to wedding signs. Amatic is a simple but effective hand-drawn font that gives lots of character to both key messaging or as supporting text for your group or event. Honorable mentions include Handelson Four, which feels like the handwriting you wish you had as a kid but even better, and Liniga Serif, which is sophisticated but still playful.

Retro

Retro fonts take us back in the best way. Recoleta combines a variety of 1970s typefaces into a unique retro font with modern flavor. The bold weight and trendy style makes it perfect for t-shirts and allows your event/headline to stand out in a crowd. We’re also fans of Grumpy, which feels like a font you’d see in an old-timey newspaper, and Amiga, which gives us all the old school video game vibes.

Script

We love how many script fonts there are these days. They add an artsy dimension to any design whether you pair them or use them solo. Described by its font foundry as “not fat, just big-boned,” Salty is a fun & bubbly script font with bold & clear letterforms. Script fonts inherently have a ton of character, and this font certainly doesn’t disappoint in that department! We can’t forget Aromatica, with its retro-like script style, and Scrapbooker, which has elegance but is still easy to read.

Youthful

Youthful fonts just bring a smile to your face! Nickname has an authentic & handmade feel, perfect for youth groups, schools, the arts, and more. If you want your group or event to give off a fun or youthful feel, Nickname is the perfect font choice! We also have to mention Ribeye Marrow (what a cool name) because it reminds us of doodling on notebooks as a kid. There’s also Patrick Hand, which brings to mind the classic Comic Sans but has a straight, clean look.

Standard

Standard fonts are, well, standard, but don’t knock a classic. Bree is a beautiful serif font that looks professional without taking itself too seriously. This font is perfect for adding messaging to a beautiful logo or piece of artwork without stealing the spotlight. Runner ups are Chalet Comprime Hong Kong, which is a perfect simple yet bold font, and Roboto Bold, which would make a name or phrase in your design stand out with its easy to read clean lines.

Gothic

Gothic fonts aren’t going anywhere in the next decade. Bedford is the perfect classic gothic font, in the style known as Blackletter. This font will instantly transform the look and feel of your design, with or without accompanying artwork. We’re also fans of Farquharson’s squared but unique look and Pirata One’s calligraphy vibes.

Collegiate

Just like vintage college tees, collegiate fonts will never go out of style. College B is the perfect collegiate or sporty font for your team or organization. The consistent line weight will stand out great on your product and help lead your group to victory! United Ext Black is perfect if you want something a little meatier, and Collegiate Normal takes it up a notch with its chic outline.

Decorative

Decorative fonts always leave us excited for more. Frontage Condensed 3D is the perfect shadowbox font due to its line weight and forgiving negative space. The condensed characters allow you to easily fit all your text on your product. If you’re looking for a font with a lot of character and great printability, this font has your back. Feeling a little emo? Take a look at New Rocker. Or if you want something light and airy, Baro Line is for you.

Stencil

Did you love the precision of using stencils as a kid? Then these fonts are for you. Housebroken by House Industries is a clean, san-serif stencil font with great printability. Use this font for a genuine stenciled look on your apparel! Our runner ups offer a similar look but Reject is perfect if you want a little more grunge and United Stencil is for those who want a more dense look.

Modern

Modern fonts really pop off of a t-shirt. Neutra Titling is a bold font with clean lines, perfect for highlighting your group or event. This font pairs will with other fonts in its family, which can also be found in the Custom Ink Design Lab. Other favorites are Fredoka and Vodka Sans, which have similar playful rounded edges and kind of just feel like hugs in font form.

Futuristic Sci-Fi

We might only be heading into 2020, but Spaceport 3009 will instantly transport you to outer space! This font adds a ton of character to your design that will have you and your group looking out of this world! We’re also really into Audiowide with its techy look, and Iceland with its unique notched letters.

Eroded

Eroded fonts add a real depth to you design, since their texture feels like art and not just a font alone. One of our most popular fonts, Veneer Eroded, has a vintage feel while remaining bold and legible. Don’t want that worn-out look? Check out the solid version as well! Eveleth is also a great option with its clean, square letters, and Soiled is a fun option if you want some emotion in your lettering.

Western

Howdy, cowboy! We’re so happy that Western fonts have stood the test of time because they’re just so fun. Distillery Strong has a ton of character that reminds us of both Old Westerns and Tattoo Parlors. Both masculine and feminine, this font is great for many different occasions and events! We can’t not mention Sancreek and the way it looks clean but artistic at the same time, and Rosewood Fill with its clean white space and serif details.

Wide

Sometimes you just wanna take up a lot of space, and we’ve got fonts for that! Buffalo by House Industries is a unique font with a ton of western flair. With its bold character and fat serifs, your message can’t be missed! Other options are Bungee, which has a modern flair but still looks classic, and Coop Black, which has fun angles and would be perfect for your a kid-friendly design.

Narrow

Narrow fonts always look so chic and add a sense of style to tees. Chalet Comprime Cologne is a favorite of ours due to its clean simplicity. This font is great for any event, and its narrow characters make it easy for you to include all of your necessary messaging. D’Amico Gothic Cond. Thin is another font to consider–we love how ultra thin the strokes are for a modern look. And we can’t forget Phenix American, with its satisfying rounded edges and clean height.

DID YOU KNOW? You can search for any of these fonts right in Custom Ink’s Design Lab! Simply add your text, select “Font,” and type in the name of the font you’re looking for!

Can’t get enough fonts? Be sure to check out the full list of our favorite fonts for t-shirts:

48 Best Fonts for T-shirts

1. Drop Dead Gorgeous
2. Amatic
3. Recoleta
4. Salty
5. Nickname
6. Bree
7. Bedford
8. College B
9. Frontage Cond. 3D
10. Housebroken 2
11. Neutra Titling
12. Spaceport 3009
13. Veneer
14. Distillery Strong
15. Buffalo
16. Chalet Comprime Cologne
17. Canvas Script
18. Sofa Sans
19. Handelson Four
20. Liniga Serif
21. Grumpy
22. Amiga
23. Aromatica
24. Scrapbooker
25. Ribeye Marrow
26. Patrick Hand
27. Chalet Comprime Hong Kong
28. Roboto Bold
29. Farquharson
30. Pirata One
31. United Ext Black
32. Collegiate Normal
33. New Rocker
34. Baro Line
35. Reject
36. United Stencil
37. Fredoka
38. Vodka Sans
39. Audiowide
40. Iceland
41. Eveleth
42. Soiled
43. Sancreek
44. Rosewood Fill
45. Bungee
46. Coop Black
47. D’Amico Gothic Cond. Thin
48. Phenix American

What’s your favorite font from the list? Got any big plans to use them on a t-shirt for 2020? Tell us about it in the comments below!