20 fonts every graphic designer should own

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Renowned Italian designer Massimo Vignelli, creator of the classic American Airlines logo, once said that designers use far too many typefaces. But with so many great free fonts around, it's no surprise that creatives' collections are ever-growing.

Vignelli's all-purpose toolkit features household names like Garamond, Bodoni, Helvetica, Univers, Futura, Caslon and Baskerville – between them spanning three centuries of type design history. And few designers would disagree that all of the above are timeless, albeit well-worn classics.

But sometimes something a little different is required of a display face, to give it that extra punch. Sometimes the ubiquitous serifs of Times New Roman just don't quite cut it. Whatever your needs, the following list of top fonts that often get overlooked should really come in handy.

We've split our list into display fonts, serif fonts, sans serif fonts and slab serif fonts to help you find the font you need. We'll start with display fonts...

• 50 best free fonts for designers

Display fonts

01. F37 Bella

Bella is a classical Didot-inspired beauty

Based on letterforms of American typographers John Pistilli and Herb Lubalin, and Swiss typographer Jan Tschichold, F37 Bella is an award-winning display font by Rick Banks. Designed in the classical French Didot style but with a contemporary geometrical twist, Bella contains alternatives and covers an extensive range of Latin-based languages, including Western and Eastern European.

02. Eames Stencil

If you're looking for a great stencil font, look no further than Eames Stencil

When you're looking for a great stencil font that's beautifully designed and not in the least bit cheap-looking or gimmicky, this House Industries favourite should be your first port of call. This top font is part of the broader Eames family, developed in homage to the late great Charles and Ray Eames. The curves in the stencil font were inspired by the curvature of bent plywood.

03. Otto

Otto is Non-Format's first commercially available font

Otto is a stunning font from talented design duo Non-Format. Featuring a combination of delicate lines with flashes of block colour, it's a unique display font with two personalities that works well in large formats.

04. Poster Bodoni

This Bodoni display version from the 1920s is something extra special

Okay, so Vignelli already ticked Bodoni off the list – and a beautifully classy Didone-style serif it is too, thanks to the craft skills of Giambattista Bodoni in the late 18th century. But this display version from the 1920s is something extra special for setting large, high-impact type where the extreme contrast between the stem thickness really comes into its own. A top font that's perfect for setting large, high-impact type where the extreme contrast between the stem thickness really comes into its own.

05. Cumulus & Foam

This surreal display font combines simple, ultra-thin lines with bulbous, cloud-like forms

Designed by Stefan Kjartansson for YouWorkForThem, this utterly unique, quite surreal display font combines simple, ultra-thin lines with bulbous, cloud-like forms to give Cumulus & Foam its tagline, "the most beautifully grotesque font of our time." Although Kjartansson proudly asserts that it doesn't work as a typeface, this top font's "ugly beauty" and "disciplined chaos" can certainly add character to a project.

Next page: serif fonts

06. Linotype Didot

Didot is great for adding a classic, timeless elegance to your work

This Bodoni alternative was also developed in the late 18th century, and the mutual influence between the two contemporaries is apparent. Both share characteristic sharp, seductive serifs and harsh angles. But with more space allowed for its counterweight, Didot feels like a slimmer version of Bodoni. This top serif font is great for adding a classic, timeless elegance to your work.

07. Mrs Eaves

You may recognise Mrs Eaves from its use in the WordPress logotype

While its unconventional name may raise a few eyebrows, Emigre's versatile serif, designed by Zuzana Licko in 1996, is a subtle modern interpretation of the work of legendary 18th century type pioneer John Baskerville, and named after Sarah Eaves, the housekeeper who would become his wife. You may recognise it from its use in the WordPress logotype.

08. Bembo

Bembo was reborn under the Monotype label in 1929

A 20th century revival of an old-style serif originally cut by Francesco Griffo in the late 15th century, Bembo was reborn under the Monotype label in 1929. Widely considered a great typeface for setting book copy, this top font is generally best used to express traditional, formal beauty, and is particularly notable for its stylish italic ampersand.

09. Modern No 20

Modern No 20 is perfect for adding class to your designs

Designed by Stephenson Blake, this modern serif is excellent typographical shorthand for quality and refinement. Designed by Edward Benguiat for Bitstream, it's perfect for adding class to titles the world over. There's no better testimonial than the fact that it's been employed for world-renowned design agency Pentagram's logotype.

10. Rooney

Rooney typeface has a friendly feel, without ever being too cheap and cheerful

One of a growing number of modern fonts earmarked as particularly effective for use on screen – particularly for apps and websites – Jan Fromm's Rooney typeface has a friendly feel, without ever being too cheap and cheerful. The subtle rounded serifs and terminals of this top font add personality and impact when used large, as well as having a softening effect when set in smaller sizes. It's available in six weights.

Next page: Sans serif fonts

• The greatest free web fonts

11. Gotham

Gotham is a no-nonsense sans-serif

Tobias Frere-Jones' assertive, geometric sans-serif was inspired by New York's architectural signage of the mid-20th century. Initially commissioned by GQ magazine, Gotham has been used everywhere from Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign to the One World Trade Centre, and is available in four widths.

12. AG Book Rounded

This sans serif has a considerably soft, informal feel

Although based on the root typeface Akzidenz-Grotesk – the late 19th century precursor to Helvetica, and indeed all modern sans serif fonts – this rounded version from Berthold has a considerably softer, more informal feel, generous spacing and large x-height, all of which combine to make it well suited to easy reading in children's books and advertising.

13. Franklin Gothic

Franklin Gothic boasts a broad range of weights to suit print, web and other purposes

Originally designed in 1903, redrawn in 1980 and finally updated in 1991, Franklin Gothic (or Grotesque in the US) can boast a broad range of weights to suit print, web and other purposes. Although it fell out of favour for a brief period in the 1930s after the introduction of European faces such as Futura, Franklin soon regained and maintained its popularity in the US, and is today a shoo-in for our list of top fonts.

14. Wagner Grotesk

Wagner is particularly well-suited to screen use

Canada Type's original intention with this extensive redesign of Edel Gothic/ Grotesque was to update, enhance and adapt the early 20th century typeface for use on digital platforms. Accordingly, Wagner Grotesk is particularly well-suited to screen use, although its impact and legibility ensure it works hard on posters and in headlines, too.

15. Source Sans Pro

Adobe’s Source Sans Pro is one of the design community’s most popular free fonts

Released in 2012, Source Sans Pro was the first open source type family for Adobe, and has proved wildly popular. It was envisioned as a classic grotesque typeface with a simple, unassuming design. It was designed by Paul D. Hunt,  who continues to work as a type designer at Adobe, and is available for free.

Next page: slab serif fonts

16. Kondolar

This top font works hard as a legible text face

Unexpected flourishes on certain characters give Cadson Demak's appealing slab serif font something of a dual personality. This top font works hard as a legible text face, but used large enough, the sweeping descenders on the 'K', 'Q' and 'R' provide just the level of detail it needs to feel special enough to carry a headline.

17. Black Slabbath

If you use Black Sabbath, use it big!

Besides Cumulus & Foam, this is Stefan Kjartansson's other major claim to fame – the headline-stealing, self-proclaimed "heaviest typeface in the world", with slivers of white space in between ultra-chunky geometric letterforms. Suffice to say, this one doesn't function at any size below monster – but then if you use it, you'll want it to roar.

18. Enclave

Enclave boasts thick, chunky slab serifs

Designed by Terminal Design's James Montalbano with the goal of being unique but still highly legible, Enclave boasts thick, chunky slab serifs that are nonetheless softened and subtly rounded to take some of the harsh edge off, and warmth, and stop it looking too much like a typewriter font. It's another top font that works equally well large or as a text face.

19. Sentinel

Sentinel was seen in President Obama's 2012 campaign messaging

Based on Clarendon – one of the first and arguably most defining examples of a slab serif typeface, released in 1845 – Hoefler & Frere-Jones' "slab serif that works" overcomes many of the shortcomings of a traditional slab font by integrating a broad range of weights, and carefully-designed italics, to ensure true versatility without compromising on style. This top font was seen in President Obama's 2012 campaign messaging.

20. Rockwell

Rockwell demonstrates what strong, thick, edgy serif fonts can do

One of the best-known examples of the slab serif genre, Rockwell demonstrates what strong, thick, edgy serifs, bold shapes and opposing curves can do to add clout and impact to a typeface. This top font is effective in capitals for a statement headline piece, but also features beautiful lower case forms for more versatile uses.

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