Free font downloads are useful for designers and non-designers alike. Simple to install and use, they offer an easy way to add variety and make a website visually pop. Whether creating a special heading or selecting a slightly off-beat font for your text, switching up your typeface can add aesthetic interest and can make your site worth noticing. There are many ways to incorporate new fonts into your text, such as using changes in font to separate sections to make your title stand out, to emphasize quotes or to highlight company facts.

Whether you’re looking for fonts to create an online magazine or want to evoke a playful feel, choices are plentiful and you should have no problem finding the right font to match your needs. The ten fonts listed below provide a selection of interesting options that will capture your visitors’ attention, but not overwhelm the page. They’re a great starting point for designers looking to add a fresh and distinctive look to their website.

1. Kontrapunkt

What a typewriter’s font might look like in the contemporary world. Still a compressed, relatively short typeface, the letters are no longer clunky, but thin and light, with attenuated connections between lines. Can be used to create a forward-thinking business website or for an artistic endeavor.

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2. Covington

Covington recalls conventional magazine typeface. Not too heavy, not to light, neither clunky nor precious, it’s a nice middle ground. With letters that show gradations between thinner lines and wider ones, its other distinctive feature is the branching out small horizontal bar that serves as base and top. Good if you want to make a website that mirrors an editorial aesthetic.

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3. NeoRetro Draw

Fonts that mimic handwriting or children’s drawing can often appear messy and prove difficult to read, especially when set against a distracting web page background. NeoRetroDraw, however, is an exception. Three dimensional block letters are clearly legible, yet retain that home-made feel.

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4. Eight One

A nice mixture of fun and a straightforward, clear aesthetic, Eight One features extremely rounded letters. The bulbous quality of the typeface is counteracted by the slimness of the lines and the ample spacing between letters. It’s slightly retro chic style might pair well with a digital portfolio.

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5. Quicksand Dash

Here’s another font that’s creative but in the same time remain clear and easy to read. Quicksand Dash mimics stitches, with little dashes comprising the letters. A rounded font, with plenty of space between letters, the clarity of the font’s shape helps to make this typeface fun, yet effective, so that it could even work for a business, not just a personal website.

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6. Grandesign

This simple, neutral font can be used for a wide variety of purposes when you make a website. Grandesign looks like an elegant upgrade of a default typeface, with a truly subtle, yet rich mixture of curve and angle, thinness and thickness, and matched with small, unobtrusive flourishes. It is visually interesting.

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7. Urban Sketch

An artistic option. One that is less frilly, more urban. This lightly scribbled-in font looks like the result of coloring in stencils. Equally useable for educational, contemporary art, architectural, or street and pop culture websites. Use sparingly and forgo large chunks of text in favor of logos or tags for an art portfolio.

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8. Bobel

The balloon-like letters of the Bobel typeface can swing two ways. In the first sense, they can appear childlike, fun, and simple. In the second, they present themselves as contemporary and tuned into pop culture. This font jumps off the page, so it can be great for lighthearted sites that are image-heavy and text-light. Select a bubbly color or keep it chicly neutral against your web page.

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9. Auctoritas

The name itself is the Latin origin of the word "authority". Created by graphic designer and typographer Doug Sheets in 2010, Auctoritas was intended to look commanding and authoritative, and gives an extra sense of weight to the words it is used for. Auctoritas is fresh, crisp and clear, which makes it a great selection for body copy. If you’re looking for a sleek and classy way to make your text appear more powerful, Auctoritas is a stunning choice.

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10. Androgyne

Here’s a playful twist of a comic-style font. Perfect for adding a splash of personality to an event invitation, artist portfolio or a website targeted at a young audience. Androgyne is warm and inviting, with a distinctly playful feel. Created by Dimitri Castrique and also known as Androgyne, this font is as versatile as its name implies.

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