Find the Perfect Lettering Style for Your Sketchbook Page

Hand lettering can add so much to a sketchbook page…

 

It can personalize your sketches and make them more interesting, meaningful, and graphically pleasing.

You can change the mood of a page from serious to playful with just a few strokes of the pen.

You probably use your natural printing or handwriting for the majority of your sketchbook journaling, but sometimes it’s worth it to take a few extra minutes and come up with something more stylish or special. A decorative hand-lettered title can even end up being the star of a page!

Here’s an easy way to find the perfect lettering style for any sketchbook page.

1. Go to a free online font website. Two of my favorites are dafont.com and fontspace.com. You’ll see a home page that looks something like this…

2. Choose a theme like “Fancy” or “Script”, then click on a category. “Decorative” and “Calligraphy” are two of my favorites.

 

3. Look for the “Preview” box in the middle of the page. Type your title or text in the box where it says “Type your text here”.

4. In the “Fonts” box, change the number of fonts you want to preview from 20 to 50 or 100, if desired.

5. Click “Submit”. You will now see how your text looks in all of the fonts in that category. (Note that you’ll have to click on multiple pages to see additional lettering options after the initial 20, 50 or 100.)

 

6. Click on different categories at the top of the page to see even more options. The website will continue to preview fonts using your chosen text.

7. Choose the font that suits the style and feel of your sketch. Copy your chosen lettering style by hand or download the font to your computer.

Here’s how I download fonts onto my Windows computer:

1. Click “Download” (to the right of the font style) to download the font into your “Downloads” folder.

2. Find the zip file in the “Downloads” folder.

3. Double-click the zip file. It opens and shows a file with the font’s name.

4. Double-click on the font file to open it.

5. Click “Install”. The font automatically installs onto your hard drive.

The font is now available to use in various applications like Microsoft Word, Publisher, etc.

Now that you know how to find the perfect lettering style for your sketchbook page, would you like to know how to transfer that lettering to the page without tearing your hair out or damaging your page? Read my post entitled 3 Easy Ways to Transfer Lettering to a Sketchbook Page.

16 Comments

  • Such an awesome tip!! Thank you so much!! I'm on the edge of my seat for your next post about tranfering lettering!!!

    Reply
    • Glad you like it, Wendi. I think you'll like the next post even better!

      Reply
  • Merci Leslie
    Je connaissais Dafont. Je l'utilise parfois, mais je ne sais pas l'utiliser pour la mise en page. Mille mercis pour nous montrer. C'est superbe .

    Reply
  • I have always admired the way you used fantastic fonts on your sketchbook pages… thanks so much for the reference!

    Reply
    • My secret's out! Now you know where I get all my great ideas.

      Reply
    • There are abbreviated instructions for downloading to Apple computers at the top of the home page at dafont.com.

      Reply
    • Under Mac OS X 10.3 or above (including the FontBook)
      When it downloads in your browser, double-click the font file > "Install font" button at the bottom of the preview. It will automatically go to your font folder.

      Reply
  • Thanks so much! I just downloaded the Watermelon Script following your directions, and it worked! Thank you!

    Reply
  • I learned about this resource during one of your workshops, but somehow I missed the Preview feature! This reminder came at just the right time, as I’ve been struggling to come up with a lettering style for a specific word. My search has just become fun again. I also appreciate the tips in your next post for transferring lettering to a journal page. Thanks!

    Reply
  • I thought I was so smart cause I found that dafont too. What I do however, is I capture the font right off the screen. I mean you don't have to download all those fonts unless you really want to. Instead type in what you want and screen capture it on your computer screen. Drag it onto a document and size it as you want. Then print it off and follow your instructions for transferring it to the sketchbook.

    Reply

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I’m Leslie. A painter, teacher, and lover of all things creative. A sketchbook artist who captures everyday life on the pages of my illustrated journals. I love sharing, connecting, and encouraging people to find their creative voice through sketchbook journaling. Read more about me, my art, and my life HERE.

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