BEST TYPE FOUNDRIES
Here is an unordered list of type foundries that are producing beautiful fonts to elevate your next project. Most of these are paid. However, some offer free downloads and test versions of their fonts.
Personal Favorites:
- Shick Toikka
Schick Toikka, established in 2010 by Florian Schick and Lauri Toikka, is an independent type foundry known for its exceptional work. With locations in Berlin and Helsinki, they are experts in creating high-quality retail fonts and custom typefaces for organizations of all sizes.
Test Fonts: No
Browser Testing: Yes
Additional Info: PDF Specimens
- Fatype
Fatype, established in 2012 by Yassin Baggar and Anton Koovit, is a dedicated venture into digital type design. They specialize in creating historically and visually significant typefaces with a focus on quality. Their services include custom typeface design, consultations, and educational workshops. Notable collaborations include Balenciaga, Lancel, Condé Nast, Google, Republic of Estonia, Kennwert, Derzeit, and MBAL Museum. The founders, are proud graduates of the TypeMedia MA program.
Test Fonts: Yes
Browser Testing: Yes
Additional Info: Student discounts
- Sharp Type
Located in New York City, Sharp Type is a digital foundry specializing in crafting custom and retail typefaces for print, digital, and environmental design projects. Since its inception in 2015, Sharp Type has consistently garnered accolades, including prestigious awards from TDC, European Design Awards, and Communication Arts. Their typefaces blend functionality and aesthetic appeal, catering to the needs of contemporary design.
Test Fonts: Yes
Browser Testing: Yes
- Swiss Type
Swiss Typefaces, founded in 2006, thrives on innovation in type design. Their fonts are celebrated for their exceptional quality in aesthetics and technology, reflecting their drive to push boundaries. Inspired by the Swiss (International) Style, they infuse this heritage with a fresh, forward-thinking approach, resonating globally. Based in tranquil Vevey, Switzerland, with a design hub in vibrant Berlin, Swiss Type blends Helvetian roots with cosmopolitan influences, reflected in their dynamic and visually striking fonts.
Test Fonts: Yes
Browser Testing: No
Additional Info: Student discounts
- Optimo
Founded in Geneva in 1998 by Gilles Gavillet, Stéphane Delgado, and David Rust, Optimo® is a renowned type foundry offering meticulously crafted premium typefaces. Born from a student project at ECAL, Optimo blends contemporary classics with innovative designs, also providing custom fonts and expanding language support.
Test Fonts: Yes
Browser Testing: Yes
- Order
Order Type Foundry merges practicality and longevity in their meticulously designed typefaces, reflecting a research-based, systematic approach rooted in brand identity specialization. Each font is crafted with intention, detail, and a focus on utility, ensuring enduring value for users and businesses alike.
Test Fonts: Yes
Browser Testing: Yes
- Mark Simons
Mark Simonson started creating as a child. Inspired by artistic uncles and an engineer father created a passion for art. Exposure to gadgets and DIY projects led to an interest in designing typefaces in his later years, blending artistic and technical skills. Now, with fonts as tools for creation, they share their unrestricted designs with the world.
Test Fonts: No
Browser Testing: Yes
- HVD
HvD Fonts, led by Hannes von Döhren, is a renowned type design studio creating top-quality typefaces like FF Mark, Pluto, and Brandon Grotesque. Established on the principle of delivering exceptional optical and technical quality, HvD Fonts has collaborated with brands such as Lufthansa, Volkswagen, and Hyundai, earning multiple design accolades.
Test Fonts: Yes
Browser Testing: Yes
- F37
37® Foundry is a distinguished type foundry, honored for crafting fonts and logotypes that elevate brand presence. Beyond mastering letterform aesthetics, they specialize in creating finely crafted type families tailored to the unique identities of our clients.
Test Fonts: Yes
Browser Testing: Yes
- Typotheque
Founded in 1999, Typotheque is a Netherlands-based type design company specializing in authentic fonts for a multitude of languages worldwide. Renowned for pushing typographic boundaries, their work has earned accolades such as the Dezeen Awards, European Design Awards, and recognition from the Type Directors Club. Typotheque made history in 2009 as the first commercial type foundry to license its entire library for web use, and their innovative designs were showcased at the prestigious Kunstmuseum Den Haag.
Test Fonts: No
Browser Testing: Yes
Additional Info: Student discounts
- Klim
Klim Type Foundry (Klim), established in 2005 by Kris Sowersby in Te Whanganui-a-Tara/Wellington, Aotearoa/New Zealand, is renowned for its dedication to finely crafted typefaces. These fonts are a fusion of historical insights and modern design, cater to diverse needs in both physical and digital realms. Noteworthy collaborations include The Financial Times, PayPal, and National Geographic. Awards, like the Gold Cube from ADC and Typographic Excellence from TDC.
Test Fonts: Yes
Browser Testing: Yes
- Commercial
Commercial Type, established in 2004 by Paul Barnes and Christian Schwartz, operates from New York and London. Known for the award-winning Guardian Egyptian typeface, the foundry publishes fonts by Barnes, Schwartz, their team, and collaborators. Their work on The Guardian redesign earned them the D&AD Black Pencil, with further recognition including a Design Museum nomination and a place among Wallpaper*'s "40 most influential designers under 40."
Test Fonts: Yes
Browser Testing: Yes
- Colophon
Colophon, a human-centric typography agency based in Islington, London, merges creative typographic vision with cutting-edge technical solutions. Since 2009, co-founders Anthony and Edd have aimed to enhance the typographic landscape, serving world-renowned brands such as Instagram, Google, Cadillac, and Burger King. In 2023, Colophon's 55 font families and skilled team joined Monotype to continue their legacy of impactful custom type work.
Test Fonts: Yes
Browser Testing: No
- Lineto
Lineto, born from Adobe's PostScript™ language in 1993, evolved into Switzerland's first digital foundry in 1998. Hosting renowned designers like NORM and Reala, Lineto swiftly gained acclaim. Now a hub for global talent, they craft original typefaces for diverse clients, from small studios to global brands like Spotify and Nike, always aiming for inimitable results.
Test Fonts: No
Browser Testing: No
Additional Info: Student discounts
- Just Another Foundry
Established in 2004 by Tim Ahrens and Shoko Mugikura, Just Another Foundry specializes in designing print and screen fonts. Their retail library offers diverse options, and they excel in crafting custom typefaces for clients. Tim Ahrens, known for Font Remix Tools, brings web font expertise, while Shoko Mugikura, with a background in Visual Communication Design, enhances their multi-script typography offerings.
Test Fonts: No
Browser Testing: Yes
Additional Info: PDF Specimens
- Dalton Magg
Founded over thirty years ago by Swiss typeface designer Bruno Maag, the Dalton Maag journey began with core values of collaboration, openness, and excellence. They deeply appreciate the crucial role of typefaces in communication, visual identity, and branding, inspiring our dedication to crafting beautiful, high-performing, and innovative font families for a worldwide audience.
Test Fonts: Yes
Browser Testing: Yes
Additional Info: PDF Specimens
- Okay Type
Launched in 2009, Okay Type in Logan Square, Chicago, focuses on crafting top-notch typefaces with a deliberate, meticulous approach. Jackson Showalter-Cavanaugh, a Communication Design graduate, founded the studio. His fonts, like Alright Sans (2009), Harriet (2012), and Okay (2019), earned acclaim and awards. The latest release, Euchre (2024), continues to impress. Jackson, a member of Type Directors Club and Society of Typographic Arts, occasionally lectures and leads Printer's Row tours in Chicago.
Test Fonts: Yes
Browser Testing: Yes
Additional Info: May offer student discounts if you ask.
- Type Together
Veronika Burian and José Scaglione, founders of Type Together, forged a deep friendship during their Master's studies in type design at the University of Reading, UK. Created in 2006, TypeTogether stands as an independent, global type foundry crafting text typography for digital and print editorial needs. The core team, spread across the globe, collaborates with a network of type designers and specialists for diverse projects.
Test Fonts: Yes, if you request them.
Browser Testing: No
Additional Info: Student discounts
- Process Type
Founded in 2002, the Process Type Foundry is a collaboration between type designers Nicole Dotin and founder Eric Olson. Based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, they offer original typefaces for retail and specialize in crafting custom fonts for clients of all scales.
Test Fonts: No
Browser Testing: Yes
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