Fonts, typefaces, characters, glyphs – there's a lot to learn when it comes to typography! To get you started, here are some of the top font & typography tutorials for beginners...
ByHelen Alexander|Updated May 17, 2022
Typography can add personality to any creative project. Whether it’s a personal website, a professional presentation, or marketing material for a brand, learning how to make your message stand out from the screen (or the page) is essential.
Good design is all in the details, and finding a font that fits can take your project to the next level. By understanding the basic elements of typography, you’ll be able to confidently combine typefaces for maximum effect, avoid making common mistakes and even craft your very own custom font.
What Font and Typography Trends are Popular in 2022?
With so much online and offline content competing for an audience, it’s never been more important for typography to turn heads. This year’s font trends are dominated by handwritten, calligraphy styles – which is all part of a push to embrace an authentic aesthetic. In addition, the trend for no-frills fonts has served up a dose of retro nostalgia. And as people spend more and more time on mobile, rounded sans serifs are proving to be a welcoming and UX-friendly choice compared with serif styles.
Why Use Font and Typography Tutorials?
When it comes to hand lettering – or any other typography or font trend, for that matter – Tuts+ is here to offer a helping hand. Head to our free online learning hub to find a range of tutorials and tools you need. To get you started, here are the top font and typography tutorials to give beginners a boost.
10+ Top Typography and Font Tutorials for Beginners
If working with typography has got you asking, what the font? Tap into all the latest typography trends, tips and tricks with the help these handy tutorials. Covering everything from understanding the basics to making a font, you’ll soon be a whizz with your words.
Intro to Basic Typography
1. The Ultimate Guide to Basic Typography
Fonts, typefaces, characters, glyphs – don’t let these words overwhelm you. This Ultimate Guide to Basic Typography outlines some of the essential terms you need to know, while introducing useful signs and symbols as well as important design concepts like legibility and leading.
2. Typography: Anatomy of a Letter
From ascender to x-height, this Typography: Anatomy of a Letter tutorial will help you get to grips with a range of technical terms used to refer to different parts of a letter. As a result, you’ll gain a better understanding of how to space and size your written content.
3. The Different Types of Fonts: When to Use Each Font Type
In this tutorial, you’ll learn about font collections and categorizations along with a side helping of history – from classic serif fonts used in early printing presses to the Neo-Grotesque typefaces of the late 1900s. You’ll soon be able to confidently pick something perfect for your next design project. And if you want to add an action-packed element, take a look at our kinetic typography round-up, which highlights the very best fast font templates.
4. A to Z of Typography
Serving up a design-lover’s dictionary, this A to Z of Typography tutorial covers essential typography terms. Some you will have heard of, some might be new – but every explanation will strengthen your understanding of the fundamentals of using fonts.
How to Make a Font
5. How to Create Your Own Font
Want to know how to make a font? This graphic design tutorial provides the tips and tricks you need to start drawing and designing your own letters. Once you’ve mastered the alphabet, it’s time to try out numbers and symbols – or even a second complementary or contrasting font in order to create a dynamic font duo.
6. The Basics of Drawing Type
If you want to give your work a truly personal touch, this typography drawing tutorial explains how to optimize your handwriting, scan your artwork and convert your letters into a font you can use in your digital designs.
Calligraphy and Cursive
7. Mastering Calligraphy: How to Write in Cursive Script
Add an elegant element to your design by embracing cursive script writing. From practicing basic strokes to joining letters, you’ll soon be writing without hardly ever having to lift your pen off the paper. This curly, swirly masterclass also features a whole host of calligraphy fonts for your digital projects that are available via Envato Elements.
8. Arabic Calligraphy for Beginners
Arabian-style scripts are one of the trending fonts we identified for this year, so check out this eye-catching collection of Arabic calligraphy learning guides that have been designed especially for beginners. From classic to contemporary and abstract to ornate, it’s an inspiring introduction to the artform.
9. Creative Arabic Calligraphy: Square Kufic
The simple structure of Square Kufic – it’s actually a precursor to pixel art – makes it a great place to start if you’re interested in Arabic calligraphy. Use this font tutorial to adapt the Latin alphabet and to introduce repeating and rotating patterns to your work.
Hand Lettering
10. Hand Lettering: Letterforms at Their Core
Time for some analog adventures with this beginner’s lesson on lettering, which includes basic concepts, how to set up a hand lettering practice sheet and the fundamentals of Roman and Greek letterforms.
11. Mastering Script Lettering
Not only does this comprehensive script lettering guide share resources that you can print off and practice with, it’s also divided into chapters covering everything you need to know about formal and informal script lettering techniques.
What are you waiting for? Start your typography journey today with an Envato Elements subscription, which gives you unlimited access to our fonts, graphic templates, add-ons, and more. Or, brush up on what fonts are trending this year in our Font Trends for 2022.
