Let’s talk about typewriter fonts. In Google Docs, you can choose from a bunch of styles. So what’s the best typewriter font? I’ve listed my favorite 16 styles below. To make the list, the typewriter font needs to be free, have a retro style, and work with the Google Docs editor. Below, I’ll show you what each looks like and where to download them. Ready to see each typewriter font?
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What Are Typewriter Fonts?
Typewriter fonts are typefaces designed to resemble the text produced by traditional typewriters. They’re commonly used when by designers seeking to portray nostalgia in logos, posters, fliers, and slides. You can recognize a typewriter font from its distinct features. These include:
- Monospaced characters: Each character of a Google typewriter font has the same width.
- Uneven strokes: Characters may vary in thickness. Some may even have decorative ending strokes.
You can use typewriter fonts on Google Docs to create typewritten-like documents. They’re versatile and well-suited for scripts, news reports, scrapbooks, and journals.
The Best Typewriter Font Overall
If you want to give your documents a vintage look, consider exploring Google’s typewriter fonts. Note that these are similar to the best newspaper fonts. I’m including screenshots for each, so you can quickly evaluate which works best for your project. I like Syne Mono the best overall. Here’s the full list of the best typewriter fonts for Google Docs, Google Sheets, and elsewhere:
1. Courier Prime
First on our list is Courier Prime, the American typewriter font on Google Docs. It offers better readability compared to the classic Courier font because of its thicker strokes, wider letterforms, and taller height. Thus, it’s a good font for screenplay documents and academic papers where clarity is crucial.
2. Special Elite
Special Elite is the second-best typewriter font after Courier Prime. Also known as the “old typewriter font,” Special Elite draws inspiration from classic fonts like Remington Noiseless and Smith Corona. It’s a great choice if you’re aiming to create vintage-themed documents, such as invitations and flyers, thanks to its inked-up texture and old-school aesthetics.
3. Source Code Pro
Source Code Pro answers the demands of coders and programmers for monospaced letterforms. This font enhances the cleanliness and legibility of user interfaces and coding languages. Additionally, Source Code Pro performs exceptionally well even in documents with small font sizes.
4. IBM Plex Sans
IBM Plex Sans is one of the typefaces offered within the IBM Plex family, which includes Condensed, Mono, Sans, and Serif variants. With its fixed width, IBM Plex Sans ensures good readability, making it suitable for various printed or digital materials, such as flyers and certificates.
5. Montserrat
Montserrat is another notable typewriter-inspired font available in three variations. This font transports you to the early 20th century and offers a contemporary vibe in both uppercase and lowercase text. It also produces professional-looking documents because of its thin or thick strokes.
6. Cutive Mono
Cutive Mono is reminiscent of the classic typewriter styles of IBM’s Executive and Smith-Premier fonts. It conveys a vintage aesthetic that matches a variety of documents. It’s particularly well-suited for headers and titles and maintains good clarity even when using smaller font sizes.
7. Roboto Mono
Roboto Mono is a notable addition to the Roboto family. It shares the monospace characteristics typical of typewriter fonts, but it also distinguishes itself with sharper periods and commas. This refinement makes these punctuation marks stand out more prominently.
8. Roboto Slab
Unlike Roboto Mono, Roboto Slab has wide curves and geometric shapes. It evokes a professional and sophisticated look due to its thick strokes. This feature contributes to its overall visual impact, making it well-suited for both display and body text on printed materials.
9. Cormorant Garamond
If you need a typewriter font that offers excellent readability for body text, check out Cormorant Garamond. This font is derived from the Garamond typeface but features more balanced letterforms. Its well-designed curves also give it clarity, even when using smaller sizes. Cormorant Garamond is particularly suitable for book typography and editorial designs.
10. Oranienbaum
Regarded as an adaptable font, Oranienbaum is a huge upgrade from the Antiqua typeface. It features subtle serifs and contrasting geometry, making it a top choice for both headers and body text.
11. Space Grotesk
Tracing its roots to Space Mono, Space Grotesk gives a contemporary touch to your projects. It features a clean design characterized by a consistent stroke width and proportional visual texture. It also has wide letter spacing to improve its readability.
12. VT323
Inspired by old video screen displays, VT323 is a perfect font choice for retro-themed designs. It has a fixed width, thick strokes, and an intentionally uneven appearance.
13. Lekton
Lekton takes its font style from the early Olivetti typewriters in Italy. It produces uniform letterforms with a faded look, adding a touch of vintage charm. Because of this, you can use this font for poems, letters, and abstract words.
14. Kosugi Maru
To achieve a Japanese aesthetic, consider using Kosugi Maru. This font showcases rounded curves, a monospaced width, and minimalistic strokes. It’s suitable for documents that aim to evoke a warm and inviting atmosphere.
15. Fira Code
Fira Code is a noteworthy addition to the Fira Mono font family. In contrast to its sister fonts, this typewriter font was designed to have excellent readability on symbols. As a result, it greatly improves the legibility of paragraphs that contain a significant number of symbols.
16. Syne Mono
Syne Mono is a good choice if you need a fresh font idea for your creative projects on Google Docs. It features an interplay of irregular stroke weights and styles. Surprisingly, this combination provides excellent readability and visual texture. This font is particularly well-suited for designing posters, brochures, and flyers.
How to Insert Typewriter Font in Google Docs
I made a quick video that shows you exactly how to add fonts in Google Sheets. Watch it below, or check it out on YouTube. Note that this same process applies across Google, so you can use it to add typewriter fonts in Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Slides, and more.
Follow these simple steps to learn how:
- Open your Google Docs document.
- Click on the “Font” menu located in the toolbar at the top.
- Select “More Fonts” from the drop-down menu.
- In the “Fonts” window that appears, type “typewriter” in the search bar.
- Type the name of your desired typewriter font in the search bar, and a list of fonts will be displayed.
- Browse through the options and select the desired typewriter font by clicking on it.
- Once you’ve chosen the font, click the “OK” button.
- The selected typewriter font will now appear in the font drop-down menu.
- Select the text you want to format with your typewriter font or place your cursor where you want to start typing with the font.
- Click on the font drop-down menu and choose the typewriter font you selected.
- And there you have it! The text will now be displayed in the typewriter font.
For more information on adding unique fonts to your documents, visit our guide on How to Add Fonts to Google Docs.
Pros and Cons of Google Docs Typewriter Font
The biggest benefit of using typewriter fonts is their nostalgic aesthetic. They’re perfect for vintage-looking and personalized documents. They also have a unique charm, making them stand out from other fonts.
However, the drawback of using typewriter fonts is that the Google typewriter font can be difficult to read, making your text less legible. Their uneven strokes and fixed width produce poor readability, especially when used in longer pieces of text or smaller font sizes.
Therefore, while typewriter fonts can add a distinctive style to your documents, it’s crucial to find a balance between aesthetics and readability, ensuring an optimal user experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you like this guide on typewriter fonts, you’ll want to check out my guide on scary fonts. Below, I’ll answer some of the most common questions people have on these. Please let me know if I missed anything!
Which is the best typewriter font on Google Docs?
Special Elite gives your documents the authentic and aged look of old typewriters. It features irregularities and imperfections that surprisingly look good on your artistic projects. If you’re looking for the old typewriter font on Google Docs, this is the closest there is.
Which font looks most like an American typewriter font?
I like Courier Prime as the best American typewriter font style in Google Docs. It features a modern look, improved legibility, and well-spaced characters reminiscent of traditional American typewriters.
What’s the best typewriter font for Word?
The best typewriter font is Syne Mono. You can download it from Google Fonts and use it in Microsoft Word. Once you download it, you can also use it in any other program you have installed on your device. Looking for a different style? Check out my full list to find a classic typewriter font you love.
Where can I find free typewriter fonts?
Most of my favorite options come from Google Fonts. I evaluated a bunch of them above, and I presented screenshots of the best options. You can get them right here. Just click on the links to go to the font.
How do I add fonts to Google Docs?
To add fonts to Google Docs (or Google Sheets or Google Slides), just click on the font and then click “More Fonts”. There, you can add new fonts to your document. Just type in your favorite typewriter font from above, and you’ll see the option to add it. Here’s a screenshot that shows what the window looks like when you search for the Syne Mono typewriter font I mentioned above. You can do the same for calligraphy fonts or others, too!
How do I add fonts to Windows?
Once you find a font you love, just download it and install the font. Once you’ve installed it, the font will appear in your fonts folder. Then, you can access it on Windows.
Final Thoughts
Each typewriter font in Google Docs has a distinct personality. Similar styles have been around for centuries, and their charm remains timeless. If you’re looking for a typewriter font on Google Docs, my guide has all the best options to choose from. I hope this helps!
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