Words, Words, Words! Face it, words are IN. I love words! Using alphabets of all kinds are a hot trend. I love to use metal letters, tiles, stickers, pre-made vellum wording, and ANY kind of lettering on my pages. Everywhere I go, I notice lettering styles and fonts. Am I sick? Obsessed? No, I just love words!
If you love the trendy new look of varied lettering on your pages, you know it can get spendy! All those stencil and stamp lettering sets add up. But never fear, you can have brilliant wording options for pennies. You don’t have to spend a fortune on all those other lettering options! Adding titles, names, journaling, poetry, wording, and messages on your pages with the new stamped and stenciled style is at your fingertips. No need to spend fortunes on multiple rubber stamp sets. No need to invest in a dozen sets of stencils to get that distressed or shabby chic look for your accents and titles.
Use your computer and FREE fonts found online to create the same look. The secret to using fonts like these is knowing where to find the fonts and how to print them out directly onto your cardstock so they look stamped and stenciled. We will review below where to find various font that give different ABC stencil looks and some that look like distressed stamp alphabets. Some fonts are sold in software packages and are good bargains too if you consider long term cost per page.
As for printing, I print my lettering onto my cardstock directly but I do not use black ink settings. I generally use grey scale lettering. You can either do this by printing the document in black and white or grey scale mode or by setting the color of your ink to mid grey settings. Using grey scale printouts let the color of the cardstock show through and looks a lot like stamping with Versamark ink. Here are some examples.
Quote: What Bliss it is to Be Alive. Follow your Happiness (Wordsworth)
In this layout I used several fonts on the pages to give a modern feel to the wording. Varying your fonts is one of the best ways to add extra punch to your journaling with little effort and no extra charge!
Page Wording and Font Used:
Bliss Raven font
http://www.fonttrader.com/fonts/RavenWhat: Stencil font
http://desktoppub.about.com/library/fonts/dd/uc_stencilexport.htmit is to be: CB Wednesday
http://www.printmeprim.com/store/piclink.asp?pageID=FontSamplesAlive: Chalkdust
http://www.fontfinder.ws/10544/Chalk-Dust.htmlFollow your: CB Wednesday
http://www.printmeprim.com/store/piclink.asp?pageID=FontSamplesHappiness: Rub This
http://www.1001fonts.com/font_details.html?font_id=1931
On this layout I used computer fonts that look like block stencils and funky stamped lettering. Treat your computer printed lettering as if it were a store bought item and layer it! Give your fonts a handmade look--cut out block fonts and place them on pop dots for added layers. I did this with the SCHOOL wording. The little 2004 blocks on the title are also cut out and attached back down with brads.
Page Wording and Font Used:
Back to: First Grader
http://www.momscorner4kids.com/fonts/firstgrader.htmSCHOOL: Tinsnips
http://desktoppub.about.com/library/fonts/dd/uc_tinsnips.htm2004: 2PeasGift
http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/freefonts.aspfirst day of class 2PeasGoofball
http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/freefonts.asplooking good: 2PeasGoofball
http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/freefonts.aspabc123 : Tinsnips
http://desktoppub.about.com/library/fonts/dd/uc_tinsnips.htmclasses printed photo mat background paper: 2PeasGoofball
http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/freefonts.asp
Just to give you an idea of the wide selection of fonts that are out on the internet I created the ROB page above. The fonts are available in ttf format and most can be downloaded free or at low fee from the following sites. Many of them are also available on the MAC format too. Play around with the fonts you download. Print them in various sizes and various levels of grey scale ink. It was a lot of fun to create this layout for my daughter. The different typefaces lent it a lot of style and a youthful, urban contemporary feel.
Fonts Used:
Chalkdust
http://www.fontfinder.ws/10544/Chalk-Dust.htmlBernard MT
http://www.fonts.com/findfonts/detail.asp?pid=205466CK Scratchy Box
http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com/shop/fonts.ihtmlLinenstroke
http://www.pca.ne.jp/fff/newfont/search.cgi?start=120&group=New-LHorseshoes and Lemonade
http://www.pca.ne.jp/fff/newfont/search.cgi?start=210&group=New-HDirtyBakersDozen
http://simplythebest.net/fonts/fonts/dirtybakersdozen.htmlCKTemplate
http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com/shop/fonts.ihtmlLegend
Windows fontTinsnips
http://desktoppub.about.com/library/fonts/dd/uc_tinsnips.htmYearbookSOLID
http://www.fonts.com/findfonts/detail.asp?pid=205148Star Academy
http://www.acidfonts.com/pfonts10.htmCK Wanted
http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com/shop/fonts.ihtmlTemplate
Windows fontTypo Negative
http://www.acidfonts.com/tfonts11.htmStencil
http://desktoppub.about.com/library/fonts/dd/uc_stencilexport.htmCK Urban
http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com/shop/fonts.ihtmlTrendy University
http://www.fontalicious.com/super/trendy.htmlRaven
http://www.fonttrader.com/fonts/RavenUPC UPC barcode font (not a stencil but I added it just for fun!)
http://downloads-zdnet.com.com/Free-TrueType-Barcode-39-Font/3000-2190-10222953.html*artwork, see credits below
Other favorite fonts:
product font
And
malermeister
http://www.phantompower.de/fonts/4990810 font
http://www.dafont.com/en/search.php?nq=1&q=4990810&Submit=+Go+HeroinSheik
http://www.fontfoundry.com/fpages/showfont.phtml?H0224yeoStamp
http://www.grsites.com/modperl/fontview.cgi?dir=num&fn=4YEOSTAMProblem Secretary
http://oldtype.8m.com/font3.htmfree fonts
http://www.cropperscottage.com/cottage_font_basket.htmOther links:
various stencil fonts
http://hans.presto.tripod.com/fonts/stencil2.html
http://simplythebest.net/fonts/stencil_fonts_2.html
DOWNLOADING AND INSTALLING A FONT
- Click on the download for the font you want. (In Windows, you may need to right-click on the link, and select "Save Target As..." [Internet Explorer] or "Save Link As..." [Netscape Navigator] in order for your browser to give you the opportunity to save the file to your hard drive.)
- Save it to the folder of your choice on your computer.
- Click on "Start" > "Settings" > "Control Panel".
- Double-click on "Fonts".
- Click on "File" > "Install New Fonts."
- The "Add Fonts" dialog box will open; using the "Folder" and "Drive" fields, navigate to the folder to which you downloaded the fonts.
- Select the fonts you wish to install.
- Click "OK".
Or do the following:
To download a font. Click on the link above for the font you like. You may also need a free unzipping program like Winzip trial 21 day version available here
http://www.winzip.com/downwz.htm Click yes to unzip and to install or open when prompted.
Note where the unzipped file is stored. Open that folder and double click on the ttf font file. Drag it to your fonts folder in windows or just create printable documents while the folder is open. I use any greeting card and poster making software to make my 8.5x11 printouts but you can also use Word or WordArt. Feed regular weight cardstock through your printer. It will print beautifully. If you get a paper jam, change paper type settings to ‘photo paper’ which is thicker and try the cardstock.
GO FOR IT! USE THOSE FONTS!
Once you learn to install fonts, you will love them. You can really save time and money by imitating rubber stamped and stenciled lettering on your layouts. Another wonderful aspect is that you can make as many repeats of the same word as you like on a piece of background paper and there are no mistakes! You can’t really ruin your lettering or your spacing when you use fonts. Resizing the fonts to jumbo or tiny is done instantly too. You can even change the font print color if you like!
Start with one or two fonts and see what you think. This look is in style and fun to use. Best of all it is almost free! Go for it. : )
Happy Scrapping!
Rockester
*Rob the Sexy lettering and artwork copyright 2004 by Jennifer Aho.
