There are thousands of familiar fonts out there if you think about it. From beverages (everyone knows the Coca-Cola font) to rock bands (AC/DC, for instance), you can use a famous font for just about anything and people will instantly recognize where it’s from. This can be a lot of fun for geeks, especially if you have a project you want to customize, such as a blog entry about Lord of the Rings (Elvish script, anyone?) or a birthday invitation with a superhero theme. Listed below are 25 of the geekiest free fonts available for download.
Topping the list is the Star Trek font from the original series. It made the number one spot because geeks love Star Trek. It’s a scientfic fact. But before you segue into a “Kirk vs Picard” debate, rest assured that there are many other Trek fonts where this came from— including alien languages. So for those of you who are brushing up on your Klingon or Cardassian, you are in luck.
Star Wars fans are just as enthusiastic as Trekkies, so this font should interest a lot of geeks. The style is based on the classic 1977 logo from A New Hope that is still being used today on, well, everything. This is easily one of the most recognizable fonts in movie history and is recommended if you feel like traveling to a galaxy far, far away.
Yes, the most successful sci-fi franchises have the word “star” in the title. Originally a major motion picture, Stargate then became Stargate SG-1, the longest running sci-fi series of all time. We’re not sure what the technical term is for the circle above the “A”, but it is a cool font, nonetheless.
This is a no-frills typewriter font that geeks everywhere should recognize. Each episode of the X-Files used this font for the credits, as well as the Law & Order-esque subtitles that accompanied major scene changes.
Harry Potter has become a multimedia phenomenon, making creator J.K. Rowling the richest woman in England. Due to popular demand, this font was created to mimic the same used for both the books and the films. Fashioned to look whimsical, the “P” appears like a lightning bolt, similar to the scar on Harry Potter’s forehead.
Like Stargate SG-1, Buffy the Vampire Slayer was a wildly popular series based on a mediocre film. This font, the same used for the show’s opening title and official merchandise, looks like dripping blood. It serves as a great multi-purpose font, as it could be used for anything Halloween or horror-related.
You can’t have a Buffy font without the Angel font. Angel, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer spin-off series, respectably held its own for five seasons. This is the stylized font used in the opening title sequence of the show. It’s not as bold as the dripping blood on the Buffy font, but fans will definitely recognize it.
For children of the 1980s, this film is still considered a favorite. In fact, its cult status has recently prompted director Richard Donner and producer Steven Spielberg to write a Broadway musical based on the movie. The Goonies’ title logo, particularly the skull above the “I”, is still recognized by people over twenty years after the film’s release.
Goth geeks will love this Crow font, based on the title logo from James O’Barr’s classic graphic novel. This is also the same font used in the Crow films, which never seem to quit returning from the dead (pun intended).
Sliders was a low-budget science fiction series that flew under the radar for five years. It must have a strong cult following, however, because this font can be found all over the Net. This design is borrowed from the show’s opening and closing credits.
Japan has made a great impact on American popular culture in recent years, thanks to a growing interest in anime and manga. However, before any of that was popular in America, we were enjoying heavy doses of Japanese monsters, or “kaiju“. This font comes from the original Godzilla (1958) film credits, making it the oldest of the geeky fonts on the list.
If you think the Ghostbusters craze is over, then you clearly haven’t been to a sci-fi convention lately. There’s usually at least one guy walking around the place in a jumpsuit, with a homemade proton pack strapped to his back. This font is proof of the Ghostbusters’ enduring popularity, although it is only really recognizable when you use the “O”.
Galaxy Quest was a hit comedy that accurately spoofed sci-fi culture, but it did so with affection and for that reason, many geeks love it. While it may not be universally familiar to people as the font from Galaxy Quest, this is an attractive and practical font to have available on your word processor.
Matt Groening’s cartoon series Futurama is a geek favorite. In fact, the canceled series will be returning to television in 2008, largely due to public demand and high ratings that the show’s reruns consistently earn. There are several variations of the Futurama font, including the alien script used on the show.
Comic book fans will immediately recognize this Fantastic Four font. No, this has nothing to do with the Jessica Alba films. This is old school, Silver Age Fantastic Four font.
This Blade Runner font is from the title credits of the 1982 film. Nominated for two Academy Awards, this is one of the most well-respected sci-fi films of all time. There is still a huge following, particularly on the Net, which explains why there is a need for the creation of this typeface.
Back to the Future was one of the greatest adventure films of the 1980s, even spawning two successful sequels. Make a “flux capacitor” reference in front of a geek and he/she will likely get it. Naturally, the fans demanded a downloadable version of this familiar, italicized font.
Jim Henson’s Dark Crystal was a groundbreaking and imaginative film that many geeks fondly remember from childhood. The font from the film is impressive, even if you don’t immediately recognize it. A variation on standard calligraphy, this one-of-a-kind typeface would be a nice touch to many creative writing projects.
Charmed was truly one of those shows that never seemed to end. Alas, it has finally been canceled, but many geeks pay tribute to the show by using this elaborate font. Fans will recognize the witchy design from the show’s opening credits. This one will also be useful for anything Halloween-related.
This is a simple, bold font that may not seem branded, but any horror geek can tell you that it just screams, “Evil Dead”. While Sam Raimi may be making millions off his Spider-Man franchise, Evil Dead was the cult classic that got him where he is today.
While there are plenty of fonts on this list to please horror and sci-fi geeks, we shouldn’t leave out the British comedy geeks. This classic design is similar to the font used in the second series of Blackadder, which is set during the Renaissance. As such, this font can be used for many projects, not just ones related to the comedy series.
Alias was a popular action series that had enough intelligence to attract more discriminating viewers. With a strong geek fanbase, Alias’ famous title font has been beautifully translated into this downloadable typeface. This design is cutting edge and would work well on a project such as a rock band’s flyer. Concerning this font, here’s a tip: typing in the upper case will produce white lettering in a black box, while the lower case will produce black lettering in a white box.
There is just no getting around it, Batman Forever was a terrible movie. However, this misguided film did produce a pretty cool font and, thanks to the power of merchandising, it is a recognizable font. This still won’t replace the two hours of your life spent watching Batman Forever, but it’s a start.
This is just about the grooviest font ever designed. While this certainly isn’t practical for the office newsletter, you should be able to use this Austin Powers-inspired font for some fun projects.
While this typeface may not be very familiar when it isn’t spelling the word “alien”, sci-fi fans should be pleased with this subtle font. It is exactly like the font used in the original Alien trilogy, making it a popular design for over 25 years.
Yay!