10 Horrifying Fonts That Give Graphic Designers Goosebumps!

By Aamina Suleman , Oct 18 2016
horrifying fonts

Feature Image Source: Freepik

It was an eerie night when I woke up to finish a design I was making for a client. I got off from the bed in pure darkness hoping not see the dolls in my room come alive. That night the dogs were howling, which was creepy enough for me. I kept looking back to make sure Annabelle wasn’t standing behind me, dressed in white with long hair and her bloody face.

I had to walk down the stairs across a large window with sheer curtains. I remembered watching the movie The House of Wax and feared to see the monstrous killer appear. When I got near the study, I saw a white light shining from underneath the door. I thought “I had switched everything off, then where is this light coming from?”

I reached for the knob and the door creaked open. Phew, it was only my computer. I went near it, sat down on my seat and just then the desktop screen flickered. No it wasn’t The Ring, it was something much worse. Adobe Illustrator opened by itself and there it was. At first I thought that’s just the logo I made but no. I screamed, “My logo. Help!” The font had changed to Comic Sans MS!

That was a nightmare by the way. I woke up and when I turned on my computer I saw what I call “perfection”. Everything was fine because I had alternatives for all the horrifying fonts that haunt me.

Horrifying Fonts

Horrifying Fonts Alternatives

I’m positive on one thing, all graphic designers know that some fonts are just not to be used anymore. They’re ghosts that walk the hallway of Hogwarts or perhaps even demons that try to succumb our souls to them. But you’re clever, eh? You know how to protect ourselves and our designs. You should avoid these 10 fonts at all times and use not abuse their alternatives.

Horrifying Font 1

Horrifying Font 1

If you’re doing a project for a client who’s into scary stuff then Chiller and Creepster is off limits. Instead use Bleeding Cowboys, NeoPrint M319, and Feast of Flesh BB. Halloween is near and companies want their marketing material and packaging to suit the theme. The grunge, gothic and destructed fonts will definitely rise your designs from the dead.

Horrifying Font 2

Horrifying Font 2

Have you ever made a brochure for a company that sells toys or clothes for kids? At this time you don’t need Comic Sans. That time is gone and buried. If you want the same comical look then these three font alternations will do the magic: Cartoonist Hand, Blokletters Potlood, and Comic Neue.

Horrifying Font 3

Horrifying Font 3

Curly and swirly fonts come in handy when creating invitation cards for a wedding. Unlike some who want to be unconventional, there are many couples who’ll ask you to design them a “pretty” card. Before you reach for Curlz, remember it’s bewitched. Glam up your design with KG Only Human Font, Watermelon Script, and Sevillana.

Horrifying Font 4

Horrifying Font 4

The ancient Roman look isn’t hard to get but please torture Caesar with Papyrus. There are other fonts to impress Cleopatra, such as Beata™ LP, ITC Cancione™, and Baker Signet™. These are great whenever you make a logo for let’s say a Disney ride or create mobile apps for games.

Horrifying Font 5

Horrifying Font 5

Although its Halloween time but you must control your killer self and not use blade-like fonts. You don’t want the serifs to look sharp like Vampire’s teeth – so avoid Vivaldi. Instead use Inoxida, Tangerine, and Mf Wedding Bells. Make your designs look bold, beautiful and maybe a little feminine.

Horrifying Font 6

Horrifying Font 6

If you’re a magazine designer you’ll know the importance of selecting a font for the headlines. Don’t dress a page as a zombie wife by using Impact. Instead use fonts that’re more than just fat – fonts that have a character like Langdon, Musket, and Redbud.

Horrifying Font 7

Horrifying Font 7

Helvetica became a staple for graphic designers. Are you a victim too? It’s simple and straight forward but we have to move on. If you’re a minimalism fan, there are other cool fonts like Neoteric, Mohave, and Dense. They’re modest but at least they’ve got awesome curves that’ll rock your design.

Horrifying Font 8

Horrifying Font 8

I’ve been around artists and I know that brush strokes are not like Brush Script. In reality, if you want the artistic effect in your poster design or book cover design then select a font with realistic strokes. These fonts will make your creations pop out from the rest: Sticky Things, Playlist, and Syabab Brush Script.

Horrifying Font 9

Horrifying Font 9

I’m sure if spirits wanted to make you cry, they’d use ITC Bradley Hand on the walls or mirrors. It’s an overused font that stings the eye now. Don’t use overrated fonts and scare off your clients like a scarecrow. There are countless handwriting fonts available for graphic designers. These include Berenice, Metafors, and Stay Writer.

Horrifying Font 10

Horrifying Font 10

So the Lobster font started to trend and we all did what we usually do – exploit fonts. It’s time to stop acting like a devil and be an angel. Use fonts like Thirsty Script, Jeboy, and Krinkes to add variety to your website designs.

So which font haunts you every time you design?

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A marketing design enthusiast, super passionate about the evolving scope of visual communication. With 3+ years of experience in content marketing, Aamina is driven by insights, inspirations, trends and creativity. She loves to travel, eat khowsuey, sip coffee, and watch mysteries.