The Best Types of Fonts for Silhouette and Cricut

All-in-one cutting and writing tools like the Silhouette Cameo and the Cricut Explore Air can open brand new worlds of opportunities for DIY crafting enthusiasts. One of the best benefits of using either of these tools is the ability to use fonts of your own choosing to create projects in a range of styles.

However, it's important to understand that when it comes to Cricut and Silhouette machines, not all fonts are created equal.

Because both the Silhouette Cameo and the Cricut Explore Air were created primarily as cutting tools, they do have some limitations when it comes to fonts that work well for both cutting and writing.

The following will help you understand the styles of fonts that perform best for different uses so that you'll be able to select the perfect, fonts for all of your Cricut and Silhouette projects.

For Statement-making Cut-outs: Bold Fonts

Whether you need letters for a scrapbook layout or to put on a banner as event decorations, bold fonts are your best bet for cutting out individual letters.

Though simple, this style can make for a very dramatic project, especially as the focus of more complicated designs. Some examples of statement-making fonts include Josh Ownby's Fresh Squeezed and Corgi Astronaut's serif font Longway.

Bold doesn't have to be boring, either: Khurasan's Thory and Font Bundles' Wonderkids are perfect fonts for cutting that have a unique sense of style.

For Artistic Cut-outs: Bubble Letters

Another approach to using different fonts with the cutting function of your Silhouette and Cricut uses bubble-style and bold script fonts. These types of fonts can be pushed together in your design software, so that each letter cuts the next -- then an entire word can be cut out in one piece.

This eliminates some of the cutting issues that some fonts present, as the technique creates a simpler cut for your machine. A few creative fonts for this cutting project style include Subqi Std's Loguetown, Seemly Fonts' Quenby and Lunalexx's Birthday Cake.

For the Hand-drawn Look: Line Fonts

Drawing with your Cameo or Explore Air also poses some challenges, as the sketching tools are designed to draw individual lines rather than completely fill spaces.

For your machine's drawing capabilities, this means that line fonts are the perfect choice for making your finished designs look exactly like you intend.

These line-style typefaces range greatly, allowing you to create the look and feel that you need, though most have a hand-drawn feel. Some examples of line fonts perfect for Silhouette and Cricut projects are Font Bundles' Skyscraper, Etewut's Hellyeah and June Morning by Webvilla.

For Unique Treatments: Textured Fonts

A second style of font that will work well with the sketching or drawing features of your machine are textured fonts. These unique fonts generally have an outline of the letter, which is filled in with lines to create a pattern inside.

Perfect for sketching with your Cameo or Explore Air, these textured fonts come in many different styles and allow you to create a very original look for your machine-drawn projects.

A few of these fonts to consider for your next project: Arzstudio's Kubika and Eva Barabasne Olasz's Zen3 and Moare.

These are just a few examples of the types of fonts that can be the perfect choice for different kinds of projects.

Launching from the above suggestions, there's almost no end to the typographic designs you can create with your Silhouette Cameo or Cricut Explore Air.