During my blog-building days, I loved searching and picking out fonts to use for my websites.
I’m no typography expert for sure, but as an end-user I’ve come to appreciate good-quality fonts paid and free. I opened myself to learning typogography basics, such as font styles, pixels vs cm, line and paragraph spacing, and font pairings. Everything from downloading fonts to installation came down to hands-on trial and error.
Most, if not all fonts are created/sold by professional designers around the world. How awesome would it be to use fonts made by Filipino designers? Imagine what personal blogs, e-commerce websites, and corporate sites the likes of Globe Telecom and Jollibee would look like if they used quality fonts made by our very own typography experts?
Wanting to see what’s out there, I searched for quality fonts Filipino designers have made for personal and commercial use. Behance turns out to be a great source as it features plenty of Philippine-made fonts and typography inspiration. I’ve narrowed this list down and picked seven fonts for this first installment of Fonts by Filipino Designers.
#1: Quezon Typeface by Kimchi Lee
Kimchi Lee’s Quezon Typeface is a classy humanist font face named after Manuel L. Quezon and inspired by our ancient script, the Baybayin. I personally would use Quezon for corporate publications, events, and other projects where elegance and professionalism are upheld.
The font is pay-what-you-want where you can download it for free or purchase a copy at any price you think is fair to the creator. All proceeds will be donated to educational charities.
Price: Free/Pay What You Want | Download
#2: Bayani Baybayin Font by Lloyd Zapanta
The baybayin has grown in popularity due to modern styles that emerged to bring our ancient script back in the limelight. Lloyd Zapanta’s Bayani Baybayin font + his existing works clearly show his love for country, and I’m proud that there is such a font that inspires us to investigate our literary history further.
This font is free to download and use for personal work, but you’ll need to search for info on how to write Baybayin properly.
Price: Free | Download (requires a social media share)
#3: Tale by Renz Abong
Tale is a free sans-serif display font by Rodriguez-based designer Renz Abong. It brings to mind a brand like UNIQLO in that it feels neutral yet purposeful. I think it’s a great font to represent fashion brands, non-profits, and technology. You can take a look at Abong’s other typography projects to get a glimpse of his style.
Price: Free | Download (requires a social media share)
#4: Jeboy Typeface by Aaron Amar
Walt Disney and a cold bottle of pineapple juice come to mind when I first saw Aaron Amar’s Jeboy Typeface. It’s fun and casual that it fits hand in glove with parties and summer-themed projects.
The font is free, but you’ll need to purchase a commercial license for the complete package. This includes numerics, symbols, and special characters. It’s super affordable and a fun way to support a fellow artist.
Price: Free/Buy License
#5: ELIXIA™ by Kimmy Lee
I don’t always use display fonts that lean toward specific niches, but I was drawn to Elixia even with its unconventional, futuristic style. It sits well with projects involving technology, gaming, and science fiction. Designer Kimmy Lee provides an in-depth description of the project:
ELIXIA™ is a slightly condensed typeface inspired by the hexagonal grid system. It has a strong vertical emphasis, with a solid, geometric feel. Its clean ruler-straight lines, restrained forms, unique shape and proportions give the face a dynamic, industrial futuristic aura, yet, in a complete paradox in itself, also lends an archaic and mystical feel — a quirky mix of medieval and modern.
This premium typeface is single-weight and includes 200 characters/glyphs. According to Lee, it’s best used as a decorative display font.
Price: $10 | Buy License
#6: Fox & Cat Typeface by Jo Aguilar
Fox & Cat reminds me of Josefin Sans, a font I enjoy using when making social media or blog graphics. It’s made by Quezon City-based designer Jo Aguilar, but is currently still in its beta version since it was published three years ago.
Luckily the file is still accessible and free to download. It works well as a clean and minimalist sans display font.
Price: Free | Download
#7: Neue Hans Kendrick by Alfredo Marco Pradil
Based in Dubai and running Hansen Design Co., typeface designer Alfred Marco Pradil produces some of the best fonts I’ve seen so far. In fact, his works are at par with typeface designers from other countries.
I’m head-over-heels in love with Neue Hans Kendrick, a sans typeface inspired by renowned fonts like Avenir and Futura. If you purchase a license, you get all nine weights + 500 glyphs and alternates. You can also download the free regular weight to try it out.
Neue Hans Kendrick is a simple, geometric and versatile typeface with inspirations from Futura and Avenir. This typeface family is a reworked and redrawn Hans Kendrick.
Browsing through his website, you’ll find other typefaces to appreciate and purchase. Cerebri Sans, Hans Kendrick, and HK Venetian (serif) are beautiful and high-quality typefaces you can download and purchase for your digital and publishing projects.
Price: Free/Buy License
Support our very own designers
I’ve always envisioned a Philippine society where its people supported its own artists and designers. This roundup proves that there are plenty out there to appreciate and celebrate. You can show your support for Filipino designers by purchasing and using their fonts for your personal and corporate projects.
Finally, I’d like to expand this into a series where I’d be able to feature type designers from other regions (Visayas and Mindanao). If you are a designer or know a designer who I should feature next, leave their names and websites in the comments. ✌️
Resources:
- A database of Filipino fonts
- The Ultimate Guide to Font Pairing by Canva
- Typewolf: typography inspiration for the modern web
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