When creating a site, you need to have all the right tools in place to make an effective impact. This includes a slew of modern fonts!
However, your theme might not have the selection of HTML fonts you need to choose from. Or, you might not be happy with the ones that have been selected for you.
Because of these factors, being able to install some custom fonts is essential. We’ll be discussing a variety of font options here today. But first, let’s get the technical stuff out of the way.
What Really Makes a Font Modern?
Modern fonts aren’t new at all. The style was originally developed in the 18th century. Despite that, their designs remain relevant in the modern world. In fact, you see them quite literally everywhere.
So, what do modern fonts look like?
Modern fonts are sharp, sleek, bold, professional, and stylish. They are also often sans serif (but not always) and sometimes fit into the cursive fonts category. Their design is immediately distinctive and they are often used in headers and logos. They can be distinctly corporate but not aggressive. Rather, they’re bold and demand attention.
Here’s an example of a portfolio site using a modern font.
Notice how condensed and narrow it is?
These are generalities, of course. Modern typography has evolved and you can often find more stylistic examples as well. But hopefully, this gives you a general idea of what a modern font is (and why you might want to use one).
How to Upload Downloaded Fonts to WordPress
Custom fonts downloaded from the web need a little extra work to get them running since you can’t just import them like you could for an online service like Google Fonts. Instead, you’ll need to either manually upload your fonts or use a plugin to do the job.
But before you do any uploading, you need to first ensure your fonts are web-ready. What do we mean by that? Well, not all fonts are web-safe or compatible with all web browsers straight out of the box.
But this isn’t a huge hassle. Just use the free Webfont Generator tool to transform any custom font you’ve found online into a format that’s readable and usable by all web browsers.
Completing this step will go a long way toward speed optimizing your fonts as well. However, that’s not all there is to it. You should also follow a few tips to ensure your custom fonts aren’t eating up resources or slowing down your site’s load time unnecessarily:
- Check performance. Using GTmetrix, Monitor the number of HTTP requests. If there’s a lot, it could mean your site is using way more fonts that you even realized. I’m talking about fonts automatically installed alongside plugins and themes here (not the ones you’ve added manually).
- Check your analytics. Here, you can see which font container formats are accessed the most on your site. The most common choices are EOT, TTF, WOFF, and WOFF2. When considering which ones to support, this can help you determine which ones to prioritize.
- Make sure fonts cache locally. It’s not like you’re updating fonts every other day. That means fonts can be cached in frequent visitor’s browsers safely. This will limit the number of HTTP requests over time.
Uploading fonts manually requires a bit of technical skill but it’s not out of reach for most website owners.
- Download your chosen custom modern font (lots of examples below).
- Save a backup of your website (including all content and the database) and/or use a child theme for the following changes.
- Upload the font files in a .zip to the folder wp-content/themes/your-theme-name/fonts. If there’s no “fonts” folder, go ahead and make one then upload your .zip font file there. Use any FTP client of your choice to accomplish this.
- In the WordPress dashboard, navigate to Appearance > Theme Editor and access the style.css file. You’ll need to add a custom code snippet to this file. Add the appropriate font family and URL to the code snippet then click Update File.
@font-face {
font-family: YOUR FONT NAME;
src: url(http://sitename.com/wp-content/themes/themename/fonts/font-name.ttf);
font-weight: normal;
}The above code adds the font to your site. Next, you need to tell WordPress where the font should be used. For that, open style.css again and use this code snippet:
.SITE ELEMENT {
font-family: "FONT NAME", Helvetica, sans-serif;
}In this code snippet, you need to identify which aspect of your site you want the font to apply to and specify the font name before updating the file.
Conversely, if you want to skip all this manual uploading stuff, you can use a plugin to add fonts to WordPress. A solid option includes Use Any Font. As its name suggests, you can use it to upload any custom font to your site and assign it to CSS elements.
56 of the Most Modern Fonts to Use
Now that you know how to optimize and upload custom fonts, we can now offer up a healthy list of modern fonts and options to choose from.
1. Intro
Intro is a standard-looking modern font that offers bold lines and presentation that could easily be used for headers or titles. This font family includes 72 fonts with 8 different weights from thin to thick, giving you tons of flexibility.
2. Komoda
Another choice is Komoda. This font is condensed and super interesting to look at. It’s all caps and sans serif with a blocky look where the midline of each letter is raised high. And its ligatures make a statement. A perfect choice for logos here.
3. Stoked
Stoked is another all caps selection that offers a unique look for headers and logos. It’s interesting while remaining legible. Its defining feature is the inclusion of double lines on each letter, as well as line breaks that give it a sort of stenciled look.
4. Classy Marisa
There’s also Classy Marisa. This modern font is elegant and flowy, offering a thinner and more dainty font option for your logos and headers. It has really interesting ligatures, alternative glyphs, and ornaments as well that add further character to whatever text you want to share.
5. Canter
Canter is another great choice. This one is a sans serif font that features all caps and has condensed spacing. It comes in six different weights as well, including a 3D option and one with a prominent drop shadow.
6. Lucky
Lucky is another modern font worth considering. It’s another sans serif selection that could work well as a logo or header. It has a distinctly editorial quality as well that could easily be applied to magazines and online publications.
7. Zafir
Zafir offers another modern font choice well worth considering. It’s super minimal in the presentation. Zafir is another all-caps option. It’s a serif font with curved lines and an overall interesting look that could work well for logos and titles.
8. Coves
Or you could use Coves. It comes with two weights, light and bold, and offers an elegant and streamlined font option for your latest projects. Use it for standard text and for titles and headers, too. It’s truly multipurpose.
9. Azonix
Azonix provides another modern font selection, this time with a futuristic bent. It’s a sans serif typeface that emphasizes a geometric look. It’s all caps and easily looks like it could be used in the opening credit sequence of a sci-fi film.
10. Arkhip
Arkhip is another free font selection that maintains a modern design while recalling back to bygone eras. It uses elements of Russian typography to create something modern and truly new.
11. Prime
There’s another font to consider called Prime. It’s a modern sans serif font that features bold lines and has an overall futuristic look. It has geometric corners and looks perfect for futuristic or technology themed websites.
12. Glober
Glober is another modern font you should take a look at. This font family includes 18 weights with an even split of 9 uprights and 9 italics. It’s a san serif font that’s easy to read and easy to apply to a number of different situations, including titles as well as body text.
13. MADE Gentle
MADE Gentle is another modern typeface worthy of consideration. It’s considered a soft serif and was inspired by the Cooper Black font. This one is a bold but rounded retro font that looks reminiscent of old book covers and signage from the 1970s.
14. Nordic
Nordic is both modern and classic offers two typefaces and three weights to choose from. The design was inspired by Norwegian runes and would be perfect for use in titles, headings, and logos.
15. Maddac
The Maddac font offers a stylish option for your website. It’s bold, blocky, and sans serif. It’s modern in design and unique in execution. Each letter has a slight angle or slant to one aspect of its design, offering a bit of style to the equation.
16. Croc
Isn’t Croc such a cool font? It’s a bold serif typeface with an iconic style that’s nostalgic while still remaining fresh.
17. Aqua
Aqua is another font you should take a look at. This one has an art nouveau quality to it that makes it appear timeless. It’s bold yet simple and features embellishments and ligatures that make it stand out from other similar fonts.
18. Manifesto
Make a bold statement with Manifesto. This font was inspired by the Italian rationalist movement and has a decidedly editorial quality to it. Use it for headings, logos, and titles. Use it for print and online designs. It’s truly versatile in that way.
19. Orkney
Orkney is a lovely professional-looking font. The typeface is geometric in design and can be used for a wide variety of purposes. Use it for titles or logos. Use it for standard text. Use it in print or in digital media. The sky’s the limit here.
20. Elppa
Elppa has a futuristic look that’s captivating and multifaceted. The typeface is quite minimal while also capturing a space-age sort of feel. Use it for print and web designs. It would work for logos and titles, probably not body text, but definitely useful for graphics and such.
21. Corn
Corn is an interesting font that has rounded corners and a farm-style feel. It consists of 14 different styles that you can start using immediately for titles, headers, and logos. Some styles can even be used for body text if you wish. You could build an entire site design with this one.
22. Koliko
Or you could opt for Koliko, a seriously fun font that has instant appeal for a wide variety of purposes. It comes with three styles, each embracing a perfect marriage of form and function.
23. Quirk
Quirk is actually a quite quirky-looking font. The name for it is a good choice. It’s an all-caps font that includes fun ligatures and stackable elements.
24. Le French
Le French is a sophisticated font choice especially if you’re looking to replicate that vintage French cafe feel. An excellent choice for menus and food-related websites all around. Use it for titles, headers, logos, and body text, too.
25. Munich
Munich is a lovely sans serif font choice that would be an excellent choice for a logo or title graphic. It stands tall and imposing without being threatening.
26. Northwest
Northwest is a modern style font with a retro feel. It’s reminiscent of campaign gear logos and outdoor magazine titles. With boxy serifs and decorative elements, this font would work well for any sort of outdoor-themed content.
27. Modeka
Modeka is boxy and modern and honestly just super cool. It’s a modern choice that can be adapted for use in a variety of ways. With added angles on each letter, it offers a unique style that might just suit your next project.
28. Disclaimer
Disclaimer is a narrow and bold font choice that’s excellent for a wide variety of purposes. It’s got a super-condensed style that makes the letters stand tall and imposing. This would work great for a header or title.
29. 5th Avenue
5th Avenue is positively fancy with a classic air well suited to official logos and branding. It’s a bold font with serifs that stands out thanks to plenty of alternative letters that add style and interest.
30. Quakiez
Quakiez is another modern font choice that offers a serif option to our list. It was designed with luxury in mind yet still maintains an element of minimalism. It comes with two styles and can be used for logos, titles, headers, and more.
31. Modern Outdoor
Or you could opt for Modern Outdoor and immediately invoke camping and outdoors on sight. This font is perfect for titles, headers, and logos and would make a real impact statement on posters. It demands attention and sitting pretty in all caps further secures its outdoorsy feel.
32. Hyperbola
Hyperbola is rounded and futuristic. In fact, it looks positively spacey — in a good way. This font has rounded counters while maintaining an overall boxy shape.
33. Boxing
The Boxing font is boxy and clean, perfect for headers, titles, and logos. It’s all caps, tall, and interesting to look. Best of all, it’s extremely functional and can be repurposed in an innumerable number of ways.
34. Sonder
Sonder is another multifaceted font, truly. It comes with a slab and sans serif font option. It comes with multiple weights as well as a regular and rough style. The rough style features some gaps in the letters, creating a rustic and natural look.
35. Lombok
Lombok is a thin typeface that’s extremely elegant. It’s a sans serif option with geometric elements that make it stand out and appear quite unique. It’s an ideal choice for headers, logos, and titles.
36. Distrito
Distrito is an all-caps font that has a distinct style. Each letter is slightly slanted, offering a unique look that could translate well for use in logos and headers. It’s also an all-caps font inspired by Columbian modular design.
37. Ailerons
Ailerons looks like the font that would appear on alien signage. And it achieves this aesthetic well. It’s sans serif and all caps and makes an impact no matter where you place it, though titles and headers would be best for it.
38. Ethna
Ethna has a classic look but a modern style. It’s a sans serif font family inspired by humanist design and does a good job of combining vintage and modern design elements to create something new. This one works well in any use case.
39. Noelle
Noelle is a geometric serif font that’s poised to make a positive first impression. It’s minimalist in design and would work well for titles and headers in any industry. It has a few vintage elements but still looks fresh. Use it online or in print. Plus, it comes with a script font as a bonus.
40. Sequel
Sequel is a rounded font perfect for logos and headers. Best of all, it comes with a slew of ligatures that offer style and added interest to anything you create with them. The design here is bold but not imposing.
41. Higher
Higher is another sophisticated font choice that offers a classic look. This all caps font is super condensed and demanding, offering immediate style to anything you use it on.
42. Nano
Nano is a non-serif font that has a futuristic look and is all lowercase, making it a unique option on this list. The letters themselves are super modern and identifiable, making this a great choice for logos and other branded materials. It’s best for short phrases, however, as longer sentences might be a tad illegible.
43. Jollin
Jollin is a modern font with curly cues on some letters and an all-around chunky look. This sans serif font comes in a regular and italic version and includes a variety of alternate letters so you can make your text look simpler or fancier depending on your mood.
44. Phenomena
Phenomena is a narrow and blocky font with rounded edges. It makes a statement and can easily be used for titles, logos, or headers. It comes with 7 different styles from thin to bold, offering plenty of standard text usage opportunities as well.
45. Calibre
Calibre is a super condensed font that can tower over your content if you let it — in a good way. It’s an all-caps option that also includes numbers, glyphs, and western characters for good measure.
46. Sundays
Sundays is a serif font that is definitely of the present era but also has a classic feel to it that’s undeniable. It’s thinner and curvier than classic similar fonts, and has a style that would fit magazine headings and titles, website logos, headers, and more.
47. Cornerstone
Cornerstone is another blocky font that offers a modular design that could work in a number of different applications from logos to headers.
48. One Day
One Day is a thin font with interesting disconnecting lines that make it unique. It’s another all uppercase font with a light and thin style. It includes numbers and glyphs and feels geometric without being too boxy.
49. Kollektif
Kollektif is a classically modern font that could be used in a wide number of ways. It’s geometric in design and comes in two weights. It’s also optimized for both print and web use.
50. Nostalgia
Then there’s Nostalgia, a modern font with enough retro appeal to make it feel as though it were created decades ago. It includes 3 fonts as well as alternative glyphs, ligatures, and flowers. It would make a great choice for logos, titles, posters, or invitations.
51. Elixia
Elixia has an ethereal look befitting of an alchemist’s lair. It’s geometric and includes extra line angles on each letter that offer a unique style.
52. Salmon
Or you could opt for Salmon. This sans serif font is bold and minimal. It’s ideal for titles, logos, and headers. It’s an all-caps design and includes a filled and outlined version that pairs well together as well.
53. Thinoo
Thinoo is another san serif font. It comes with a thin and bold style and includes all letter styles, including numbers, symbols, and punctuation. It’s professional and clean. Simple yet eye-catching. This one would work well for any type of website as well as printed materials.
54. Summer Loving
Or you could use Summer Loving, a super fun modern font that includes multiple font styles so you can create a whole design using just one font. It comes with a sans font as well as a paintbrush detail that can immediately add dimension to your projects. It includes ligatures and alternate letters as well.
55. Silverfake
Silverfake offers a widely-spaced serif font option for titles, logos, headers, and printed materials. This one would look great as a T-shirt logo, for instance.
56. Vienna
Lastly, there’s Vienna. This modern font is a serif option that has all the appeal of a classic font used on magazine covers with enough modifications to appeal to current day aesthetics. It’s minimal and includes all-caps letters, numbers, and punctuation.
Summary
There are a number of reasons why you might want to use custom fonts on your site. Whether you want to better suit your branding or make your content more readable across all browsers, uploading your own modern style fonts is worth doing.
Even so, the process might seem daunting at first. You do have to find a font, download it, put it in a .zip file, then upload it to the correct directory on your website using an FTP client. You’ll need to paste code snippets into the appropriate areas of your theme’s CSS file. You can choose to do this manually or through the use of a plugin (or you could hire a developer).
No matter how you approach this process, however, you can rest assured that the end result will be stylish and add character to your site’s overall look. Hopefully, this collection of modern fonts we’ve curated here will aid you in discovering the appropriate one for your site. Whether it’s bold or thin, rounded or harsh, embellished or plain, the font you choose will make an impact!
(Suggested reading: How to Hide the Page and Post Titles in WordPress)
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