SVG fonts are the latest development in the font world, and they are totally awesome. No joke.
They are colorful and fun, easy to use, and provide a wide array of options that just don’t come with normal fonts.
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What are SVG Fonts?
It is basically a font that is made of individual SVGs.
Now, we’ll quickly differentiate here between color fonts and SVG fonts. They are often referred to interchangeably, however some color fonts do not come in SVG format. So, color fonts are the broader term, and SVG fonts are a specific subset of that.
They are perfectly scalable, meaning they won’t pixelate if you make the font huge. This is assuming your font comes in vector form versus bitmap (like regular fonts). For an in depth look at bitmap vs vector, head on over to Lifewire.com.
One of the cool things about SVG fonts is that they are capable of transparency. It’s not just flat black and white fonts anymore! The first video below will demonstrate this cool property.
Another neat tidbit is that many of these fonts come pre-colored! How neat is that? The come in all kinds of cool shades and color schemes!
The color information is embedded right into the font info itself, so no need to change anything to give your text an awesome effect (unless you want to, which we’ll get to later,)
Can I use SVG Fonts anywhere?
No, not all platforms support the use of SVG fonts.
Of course, programs like Inkscape, Cricut, and Silhouette will be able to use this type of font very well, because they are designed with SVG files in mind.
As far as other editing software, the options are limited so far.
YouWorkForThem.com claims that “The OpenType-SVG font format requires Adobe Photoshop CC 2017, Adobe Illustrator CC 2018, and Procreate 4.3 or newer versions to function as it should. “
The makers of Fontself.com have created this nifty little chart, that might be a touch outdated, but you can check out the latest version here to see if it has updated.
How to use SVG Fonts
First comes installation. These fonts install just like any other font.
For Windows, first download the font. Then unzip. Then drop into the Fonts folder in your Computer Settings.
After installation, using your font in Photoshop is just like typing with any other font. the trick comes with coloring your font and adding in special effects.
Lets look at some great video tutorials!
This first video goes over installing your font, and how to use layer masks to change the color of SVG fonts.
This next video skips over the installation pretty quickly and gives a great little tutorial about how to change the colors of SVG fonts. He does it using an add on that he created, and it is available here.
I highly recommend getting this add on! If you plan on using SVG fonts with any kind of regularity, then this plugin will save you tons of time and drudgery with all that layer mask stuff.
Just have a look and see how easy it is!
Apparently, Opulent is a really popular font!
This next video is awesome for crafters who want to use a cutting tool, like Cricut or Silhouette.
Want to learn how to use SVG fonts in Cricut and Silhouette? This next video is for you.
It will take you through the whole process of using an SVG font, starting with buying a font from Etsy, downloading it, installing it, all the way to using it in Cricut and Silhouette.
Are you excited yet?
I know I am!
I know that right now my first thought for using this style of font is branding. Customize the colors for your incredibly unique font, and use it over and over for your business!
Got a huge event coming up, like a wedding or a conference? Use it all over your stationery!
There are so many uses for such a unique font, and I know you can come up with so many more awesome ideas than I can.
Here are all my SVG Font posts!
I’ll try my best to keep this list updated for you. As it stands, here are a few great lists of SVG fonts! There are more sitting on my back burner right now, and I’ll get them up soon!
Now get typing!
I was right, wasn’t I?
These fonts are awesome!
I hope this post was useful to you, so please let me know what else I can do to help you on your fonting journey. Comment below!
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