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If you’re just getting started with digital journaling, you may want to explore adding a few free journaling fonts to your collection. Although your device probably came with a variety of fonts pre-installed, choosing your own fonts will give your digital journal a special kind of flair. In this post, I’ll share 15 of my favorite digital journaling fonts that you can download for free to use in your digital journal.
Of course, your own handwriting is a lovely way to personalize your journal. However, keeping your pencil from slipping around the glass can get frustrating, especially at first. You could remedy this by practicing your handwriting and lettering right on your iPad and preventing slip by using a screen protector with a paper feel. But sometimes it’s nice to have a few, fun fonts on hand to add a different kind of look to your layout. Besides, mastering a fancy calligraphy font is one thing – mastering many calligraphy fonts is something that can take a lot longer!
I’m a bit of a journaling font collector myself. Although I use my own handwriting most of the time, I love to use a variety of different fonts to give my pages some personality. Moreover, I often find myself journaling in bed or curled up on the couch, and producing consistently beautiful hand lettering on my lap is pretty much impossible. Can you relate?
15 Free Journaling Fonts
Once you start collecting fonts, you may feel like downloading every one under the sun! But just a few tips before you get started.
Download from only reputable sites
Firstly, please make sure you’re sourcing your fonts from well traveled, reputable, reviewed sites. Fonts are bits of software that you install on your device. They can carry viruses like malware, adware, and spyware in addition to the font file itself. This post contains a list of red flags to look for when you begin downloading fonts: Bullet Journal Fonts: 20 Fun Fonts for Your Digital Bujo!
Follow the Terms of Use
Secondly, make sure that you read and follow the terms of use associated with each font you download. If you download fonts simply for personal use with no intent to distribute your templates (either giving them away or free), you will have a much larger selection of free fonts to choose from. However, if you plan on either selling or sharing the journaling pages you make with your fonts, be sure to read the TOU carefully. These will give you instructions about how you can use the fonts, how many times you can sell or share a product, if you can use them in printable or digital files, etc.
15 Beautiful Journaling Fonts
Finally, let’s get down to it. Below are twenty gorgeous fonts for your digital journals. Each graphic includes the name and a sample including uppercase, lowercase, and mixed lettering. Under the image you’ll find a short description with details about where to download the font with a link. If you’d like to use one of the fonts included in this list, please visit the website, read the terms of use, and download according to the website’s instructions.
Disclaimer: All fonts included in this list are free for commercial use as of today 2/9/21. However, from time to time artists or publishers decide to remove fonts, change pricing, or update their terms of use. If you find that the font you like is no longer available, I’d encourage you to search the site for additional fonts by the same artist or design company. Frequently, similar fonts are available.
Gorgeous Script Fonts for Journaling
Hey Butterfly by NJ Studio is a beautiful, easily readable script available from Font Bundles.
Great Vibes is a lovely script that I have used often! It is by TypeSETit and available to download through Font Space.
Pearlye is a playful, bouncy script by PutraCetol Studio, available on Font Bundles.
Steady is a fun calligraphy typeface with large capitals and a signature feel available from Font Bundles.
Scriptina Pro is a fancy, flourished script by CheapProFonts and available to download on Font Space.
Nostalgia is a gorgeous, modern calligraphy typeface from the Font Bundles Store.
Rossana is a whimsical handwriting font by Stefano Campagnoli and available from Fontesk.
Yesstea is a fresh, modern calligraphy font by Yesstea Font available from Creative Fabrica.
Beautiful Printed Fonts for Journaling
Shevana is a sophisticated, hand drawn, printed font by Nico muslib and available for download on Font Space.
Just for fun is a clean, handwritten font by merrijart and available for download on Font Space.
Dragonfly Soup is a quirky, hand written font by Amber Nest Design and available on Font Bundles.
Chalk Serif is a fun serif typeface that will make your journal headings stand out. This font is by Alexey Gorka and available from Fontesk.
Candy Lane is a playful hand drawn font from LuxMauve and available on Font Bundles.
Just Mandrawn is a bold, bubble font by Cove 703 with a fun texture that is great for headings in your journal and available for download from Font Space.
Ciscopic is a pretty modern handmade font with thick and thin lines that are sometimes hard to achieve when writing on a tablet, available from font bundles.
Installing Journaling Fonts in 8 Steps
I am using iFont for this demo. This is a great app if you want to install a few journaling fonts for free. The below guide uses the free version, which shows a few inobtrusive ads and requires you to install 1 font at a time. If you’d like to install a larger number of new fonts, I recommend the $1.99 upgrade.
*Note: During this process you will see multiple warnings about installing your new journaling fonts. Font files can carry viruses, adware, and malware. I would highly recommend always using reputable websites to download your fonts. Find more information about vetting sites along with 20 fun fonts for your digital bullet journal here.
1. Open iFont.
2. Inside the app, choose the journaling font you’d like to install and tap INSTALL.
3. Tap Allow to allow the iFont to allow installation.
4. Next, you’ll receive a notification that the profile has been downloaded. Tap Close.
5. Close the iFont app and navigate to your Settings. Here, you’ll see a notification on top of the left pane labeled Profile Downloaded. Tap to open.
6. Next, you will get a popup to install the profile. Tap Install.
7. Enter your passcode when prompted.
8. You may receive 2 warnings at this point. Tap Install twice.
That’s it! Go ahead and open up your app and play around with your new font!
Check out the easy-to-use journaling templates in our shop. Each is designed for open-and-go journaling in GoodNotes or the PDF annotation app of your choice.
