On Type / Cool Fonts
Cool Fonts: 14 Unique Fonts for Logos and Headlines
A cool font is one with a detail most fonts don’t have: a letter shape you don’t expect, strokes that are thick where they are usually thin, cuts, notches or ligatures. In a logo or a headline, that detail is what sets it apart from other brands.
The 14 fonts below each have one. All of them come in nine weights from Thin to Black with a variable font, so the same family also works for subheads and text.
What Makes a Font Look Cool
- Unusual letter shapes. A flat cut where you expect a point, a wave inside a round letter, a crossbar that is thinner than the stems.
- Alternate letters. Stylistic sets let you swap in a different a, g or M, so your logo doesn’t look like every other one set in the same font.
- Ligatures. Two letters joined into one shape, like ST or LL, make a word look custom.
- Contrast in an unexpected place. Reverse contrast, ink traps and thin connecting lines all change where the weight sits in a letter.
14 Cool Fonts
Pout, a reverse-contrast sans
In most fonts the vertical strokes are thicker than the horizontal ones. Pout flips that: the horizontal strokes are the thick ones, and the shapes are round. It has many alternate letters. For beauty brands, restaurants and logos.
Test Pout →Rail, a sans with thin connecting lines
A thin line connects the stems of Rail’s letters, so the crossbars are much lighter than the stems. The frame is a geometric sans. For logos about joining or connecting things, like transport, bridges or teams.
Test Rail →Slye, a sliced sans
Slye’s letters look as if they were cut into slices. In the light weights the cuts are small; in the bold weights they look like a glitch on a screen. For tech, music and gaming titles.
Test Slye →Kayon, a geometric sans with ink traps
Kayon has long, square ink traps: notches where the stems meet, which were first used to keep small print sharp. Here they are large enough to see in a headline. For tech, gaming and architecture brands.
Test Kayon →Ark Sans, a sans with cut diagonals
The A, K, R, V and W meet at flat cuts instead of points, and the t and f bend at right angles. The o is round and the x-height is tall, so it also works for text. For architecture, tech and studio branding.
Test Ark Sans →Vole, a geometric sans with a wave inside
Vole is made from circles and straight lines, with rounded counters that have a small wave inside. The wave is visible in headlines and hardly noticeable in small text. For logos, posters and packaging.
Test Vole →Swav, a wide, wavy sans
Swav is wide and built from wavy lines. Many alternate letters connect to the next one, so a whole word can be drawn as one line. For logos with a retro, Y2K or space look.
Test Swav →Rati, a high-contrast sans
Rati is a sans with strong contrast between thick and thin strokes, sharp terminals and some rounded details. The light weights look elegant, the bold weights strong. For logos and titles in fashion and creative brands.
Test Rati →Bool, a playful geometric sans
Some of Bool’s counters are off center, the crossbars get lighter in the bold weights, and some letter tips are pointed. Four stylistic sets have alternates for A, B, E, M, N, S and more. For tech, restaurants and kids brands.
Test Bool →Nano, a slab serif with a monospaced look
Nano mixes a sans with partial slab serifs, and its letters look like they share one width, like a typewriter. Many alternate letters. For science and tech brands, and for beauty brands that want a technical detail.
Test Nano →Miox, a wobbly bubble font
Miox is a chunky bubble font with a wobbly, handwritten line. The light weights look inky, the heavy weights look like the 70s. Many alternate letters. For bakeries, retro packaging, beauty and music.
Test Miox →Ques, a wide serif-style font
Ques has no real serifs: its stems flare out at the ends, which looks like a serif drawn with a calligraphy pen. It is wide, with several stylistic sets and an italic. For beauty, fashion and elegant branding.
Test Ques →Mirya, a soft condensed serif with ligatures
Mirya is our newest font. Capital ligatures like CA, LL and LO join two letters into one shape, and the ball terminals and partly rounded stems make it soft. For retro labels, cafés and beauty brands.
Test Mirya →Aezra, a narrow serif with long terminals
Aezra is condensed and sharp. Its long, tapering terminals and thin serifs almost touch the next letter, and ligatures like ST and RA join pairs of capitals. For book covers, film titles and dark campaigns.
Test Aezra →Cool Fonts vs. Contemporary Fonts
A contemporary font looks like it was made recently, not like a revival of an older style. Clean geometric shapes, a tall x-height and one or two technical details are typical. In this list, Ark Sans, Kayon, Vole and Rati are the most contemporary. Pout, Miox, Swav and Mirya lean retro, even though all of them are new designs.
How to Use a Cool Font
- Use it for the logo or the headline. The detail that makes a font cool is easiest to see at large sizes.
- Pick one. Two fonts with strong details in one layout are hard to read together. Pair a cool font with a plain sans or serif.
- Try the alternates. Swapping one or two letters in a logo is the simplest way to make it your own.
For more, see the cool fonts, unique fonts and contemporary fonts collections, and our posts on fun fonts, funky fonts and trendy fonts.