Newspapers have been around… well, since forever. We all have that memory of big piles of newspapers being distributed daily to newsstands across the country. But did you know that it wasn’t until the 1860s that reading newspapers became a ritual of the masses?
It had to do a lot with the Industrial Revolution and with the rotary press being used at a larger scale.
However, when it comes to news design, not much has changed over the years. We’re talking here mostly about print newspapers. Editorial design for newspapers has always been about beautifully designed layouts and incredible use of typography. Big, bold fonts used as logos, big headlines, and black and white images. Sounds very familiar, right?
The first popular newspaper that comes to mind when we think about legendary use of fonts is The New York Times. Originally published in 1851, even today, NYTimes is probably one of the most popular newspapers in the world. And who doesn’t recognize this famous nameplate?
Probably one of the most recognizable newspaper logos in the world of news publishing.
Want to know a little piece of history about the famous newspaper font and its iconic logo?
Long before Gutenberg even invented the printing press, the Gothic or blackletter style, on which the logo is based on, is a style that was very popular in the 12th century, mainly used for European languages. We might say, this type of Gothic font is one that inspires trust, looks majestic and classical at the same time.
The New York Times newspaper font didn’t encounter major changes throughout the years. Except for losing the “daily” from its title, the NYT Magazine’s logo pretty much remained the same. The latest version was redrawn in 1967 by the designer Edward Benguiat, working with Louis Silverstein.
Legend says that when this version of the logo was unveiled, 1000 people reportedly canceled their subscriptions as a protest. Why? You’d say it wasn’t that big of a change. A simple revision to the classic logo made readers feel insecure. The New York Times dropped the period after the name.
Proof that when it comes to newspaper design and font usage, you must be very careful with your choice. Sometimes a font can become a brand’s most influential differentiator. It might impact your reputation more than you think.
Does it seem that all newspapers use pretty much the same fonts? Or, were you ever curious about what kind of font pairing to use on your next editorial project? Well, lucky for you, here at Flipsnack, we know a thing or two about newspapers or magazines. Print or digital, editorial design is one of the most important subjects we talk about throughout our blog.
This is why we put together a list of newspaper templates and fonts that you can easily use for your next editorial project. All free.
If this font gives you vintage vibes, then you’re right. Designers of Abril Fatface were heavily inspired by the French and English ads of the 19th Century. Clean bold curves with thin serifs give it a vintage classic, yet cool design. Perfect for a vintage newspaper.
Good news about this font is that you can get it for free here. And it supports over 50 languages.
Best paired with: Brandon Grotesque, Sanchez.
Similar fonts: Ambroise.
A great newspaper font, due to its letters’ thick and thin strokes, Rozha One is the perfect choice for large headlines. Can be successfully used for poster-sized publications. Here, Rozha One is used as a headline for a school newspaper template. But in a way, it’s the perfect font choice for a school publication, due to its playful curves.
Best paired with: Josefin Sans, Roboto, Oswald
Similar fonts: Bree Serif
Our designers here at Flipsnack find Fjalla One as the perfect newspaper font for a business or economic related publication. A condensed grotesque sans-serif typeface that is both modern but classical, at the same time. You can almost picture this newspaper font for a publication like Japan Biz. It sort of has this Japanese vibe to it, don’t you think?
Best paired with: Josefin Sans (bold), Lato, Amasis
Similar fonts: Oswald.
Such a versatile font, Josefin Sans can be just the perfect font choice for many types of publications, and it’s exactly why we included it in our list of newspaper fonts. With a Scandinavian, geometric feel to it, Josefin Sans is perfect as a school newspaper title font or even as the title for a tech magazine. You see, this type of font is put in the spotlight when used for headlines. So, make sure to use it wisely.
Best paired with: Cardo, Abril Fatface, Playfair
Similar fonts: Brandon Grotesque
Feeling nostalgic about the feel and smell of old, vintage newspapers? Then look no more, Fredericka The Great is a great choice when it comes to old newspaper design. Looking much like a hand-drawn font, Fredericka the Great gives some sort of old, English vibe. Whether you’re a history buff, genealogist or sports fan, you can use this font to design a newspaper about a certain period of time you are truly passionate about.
Best paired with: Open Sans Condensed, Alice
Similar fonts: Rough Draft
Playfair Display is such a versatile typeface. It can be the perfect choice for a restaurant menu font, or as the perfect headline for a school newspaper. Used in italic, it gives you a handwritten vibe.
No matter how you want to use it, the best way to accompany Playfair Display as headline is to use Georgia for body text. Match made in editorial design heaven!
Pro tip: If you want to use Playfair Display then try 88px for headers.
Best paired with: Georgia, Lato, Raleway
Similar fonts: Bodoni MT
Coustard is a display and text serif webfont perfect to use as a real estate newspaper font. Or, that’s what our designers here at Flipsnack think about this font. If you want to stick with our recommendations, simply edit this template with your own real estate listing, write some creative descriptions, publish aaaaand you’re good to go. Real estate agent of the year!
However, if you want to use Coustard for other editorial projects, be careful. Used in bold, Coustard can get a bit dramatic giving you Wild West vibes. But perhaps that’s the look you’re going for.
Best paired with: Monseratt, Roboto,
Similar fonts: Westside
Yes, I know what you’re going to say. Lobster? Really?
You see, I know there’s been a hot debate around this font, however, like any other font, the context in which you’re using it matters the most. In this case, Lobster is perfect as a bold titling for a classical newspaper. If you’re passionate about stories, use this newspaper template to write about what truly moves you. We provide the layout, you tell the story! What a better time than today to start your own newspaper?
Best paired with: Arimo, Georgia, Roboto.
Similar fonts: Playfair Display
Here’s a video that you can check out to see even more details about what fonts you could use in the news media.
Here at Flipsnack we truly believe that everyone can become a publisher. Whether you want o start a new magazine or a new school newspaper with your colleagues, we empower everyone to live their dream. And provide the free resources for that: from newspaper font inspiration and free templates to ideas you can put into practice right away. So, start designing today and share the final result with us.
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