This font style was used in Germany, France, Italy, and other countries from the 12th century until the 18th century. Since then, Old English has made its way through various generations of typography.ĭespite the name, Old English font isn’t unique to the English language.

This bible was one of the first books distributed among common people. In the 14th century, Johannes Gutenburg (known for introducing printing to Europe with his now-famous printing press) popularized Old English when he printed his first bible. All books were handwritten, which created a need for a common font or hand-lettering style. Each with its own unique take on the classic font.ĭuring the 12th century in Europe, literacy began to increase, as more and more people were learning how to read and write. To this day, artists are still coming out with new iterations on this classic font.Ī few more popular font families are known as Fraktur, Rotunda, Textura, and Schwabacher. There have been countless adaptations of the Old English Font (or Blackletter font, or Gothic font, whatever you want to call it) among various European languages.

This calligraphic style of writing first evolved during the 12th century in Europe and different versions of it continue to be used today. Old English font is the first-ever font to be established and widely used. The History of Old English FontĪ font that goes by many, many names, Old English was the first font ever invented. Let’s start at the beginning and cover the history of Old English font. Finally, we will teach you how to use an Old English typeface in Vectornator. This article will discuss what an Old English font is, why you should use it, and some examples to inspire you. We’ve been talking a lot about lettering lately and have some pretty extensive guides on brush lettering, digital lettering, typography, and hand lettering. Lately, we’ve also been seeing a resurgence of Old English forms in advertisements, web design, and even tattoos. We’ve seen vintage logo designs, remade vintage movies, and retro '70s styles exploding on the runways. People are embracing vintage styles in their homes, clothing, and graphic designs. Everyone loves retro designs lately, and that goes for fonts too. This style couldn’t be more perfect for the current popularity of the vintage aesthetic.

And who doesn't want to make their designs look regal? This font style is reminiscent of the past and evokes an appearance of majesty and royalty. Old English font is a medieval script that goes by several names: Gothic script, Fraktur font, Barbarian script, and Blackletter font, to name a few.

Letters in old english font w