We all know that the pen is mightier than the sword

But when it comes to text in digital format, some fonts are better than others. We spend so much time looking at screens, reading everything from social posts to articles on how to (literally anything) and we sometimes fail to see what is right in front of our eyes. Fonts. Thousands of fonts. Fonts come in all shapes – serif, sans serif, slab, cursive, ornamental, etc., but the SVG font stands out as one of the most progressive and unique types of fonts among them all. 

So what is the difference between a regular font and an SVG font? An SVG font is a newer font technology with some unique features. SVG stands for Scalable Vector Graphics, thus the SVG glyph format can feature multiple colors, gradients or patterns that are actually embedded into the characters. This allows for more creative versatility while still functioning similarly to regular OpenType fonts.

Benefits of SVG fonts

Traditional fonts are made of vector graphics in black only. This is ideal for regular serif or sans-serif characters as they are made to be solidly filled with hard outlines. Handmade type, such as some script fonts, lose the definition of the original hand-drawn lettering. SVG fonts however contain full-color graphics and layers of transparency, allowing the characters to go beyond a basic shape. SVG fonts are perfect for brush-inspired fonts because they are capable of the watercolor effects and paintbrush techniques. Also known as Color Fonts, SVG fonts carry embedded color and additional detail that standard fonts do not.

When it comes to web design, not all fonts are supported on all the different browsers. This can make it difficult for web designers to create the same visual experience on the web. According to The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), SVG is the new standard, as it offers reliable deliverability of fonts. SVG fonts also offer built-in semantics, such as <title> and <desc> making them accessible to screen readers and text browsers, allowing for more accessibility to design.

How do you use them?

Creatively, you can use SVG fonts however you like. They install the exact same way as traditional fonts on all platforms and are supported by the latest versions of Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and InDesign. OpenType-SVG fonts are supported by later versions of macOS and Windows. 

Font example downloads

Multicolore Pro
https://www.fontspace.com/multicolore-pro-font-f49758

Gloverly Regular
https://www.fontspace.com/gloverley-font-f47137

Use Your Imagination
https://www.fontspace.com/use-your-imagination-font-f43274