With the end of the year fast approaching, it’s time for some fresh font trends. Next year looks set to be an eclectic and eccentric melting pot of type trends, with kinetic typography, distorted fonts, and Alpine display styles being just a few of the diverse and exciting font categories set to make their mark across graphic design, branding, and web design. 

We analyse trend data to bring you the fonts designers are searching for now and the emerging type styles that are set to be big in the near future. Read on to discover what fonts are trending right now and stay ahead of the curve with our font trends forecast for 2021. 

Find a huge range of on-trend fonts for both web and print projects on Envato Elements.

Font Trends 2020: What Fonts Are Trending Right Now?

Flat design has been the overarching trend across websites and apps for nearly a decade, but as more sites are now able to feature 3D styling features like gradients and shadows, we’ve seen a move towards typography that reflects this shift. 

Animated type, color fonts, and bold, maximalist typography have proved to be popular font styles in 2020, and the more-is-more font trend looks set to continue into next year as web design becomes increasingly sophisticated and a wider range of web fonts become available.

Alongside these loud type trends, a quieter counterpart provides relief for designers looking for a subtler typographic style. Calm, elegant serifs are widely popular across fashion and lifestyle branding, while chunky calligraphic scripts bring warmth and earthiness to packaging and logo design. 

The biggest font trends of this year and moving into next year fall into one of these two camps, making this a polarised but liberating time to be working with type. 

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Font Trends 2021: Looking Ahead to Next Year’s Trending Type Styles

Looking forward to the new year, 2021 is set to be an equally diverse year for font trends, with individualism and quirk prioritised over conformity. Kinetic (moving) type and distorted fonts are two exciting emerging trends that are set to make a regular appearance across sites and apps next year. 

There will, however, always be a need for fonts that feel democratic and accessible. For web designers, maximising the accessibility of sites and apps is becoming increasingly vital, and for that purpose, fonts still need to retain a high level of legibility. Bold, retro serifs and Alpine fonts balance character and readability, giving designs a rustic, vintage feel in the process. 

Trending fonts for 2021 include a mix of cutting-edge and traditional styles, from 3D type to delicate serifs. There’s plenty of choice for designers looking to get creative and experimental with typography, for both print and online. We predict the biggest font trends for next year will be: 

• Distorted fonts
• Retro serifs
• Elegant, timeless serifs 
• Alpine display fonts
• Characterful humanist sans serifs
• Kinetic type
• Minimal, chunky scripts
• Retro-futurist fonts

Reflecting the eclectic and individualist spirit of design right now, expect to see examples from each of these font groups across print, branding, packaging, and web design in the year ahead. 

Read on to discover these font trends in detail, and pick up tips for using them in your designs. 

Font Trend 1: Distorted Fonts

Stretched, twisted, contorted, or squashed—one of the quirkiest emerging font trends is distorted type. Whether featuring the occasional ‘disruptive’ letterform or distorted almost beyond readability, this trend is inspired by early digital art, created alongside the rise of Punk and New Wave music in the early 1980s.

The perfect fit for independent or alternative brands, distorted fonts are ideal for logos and packaging to give designs a cryptic, uber-cool style. 

You can distort individual characters of fonts using vector software like Adobe Illustrator or pick up a ready-made distorted font from our selection below to bring a little chaos to your work.

1. Jagatraya 

2. Plastic Sans

3. BW Stretch

Font Trend 2: Retro Serifs

The last couple of years have seen a resurgence in retro fonts, particularly typefaces influenced by 1970s styles used across TV titling and poster design. In 2020, we saw the retro type trend translate into mainstream branding, with the style proving popular with Instagram-influenced wellness and beauty brands such as Goop and Glossier. 

Next year, we’ll continue to see a restrained retro influence coming through in type, with bold, retro serifs with curvy contours and minimalistic styling continuing to bring warmth and New Age brand appeal to logos and packaging. 

1. Fogie

2. Kafina

3. Rottely

Font Trend 3: Elegant, Timeless Serifs

As chic and elegantly discreet as a little black dress, timeless serif fonts are the antidote to some of the brasher font styles trending right now.  

While website designs might call for fonts that can grab and hold attention, print designs such as books and magazines will always have a need for something a little easier on the eye. Inspired by the simple, vintage-influenced serifs favored by publishers like Kinfolk and Phaidon, these timeless serifs are a hallmark of intellectualism and literary seriousness, but also translate to commercial branding and advertising aimed at similar audiences. 

Influenced by 1920s and 1930s newspaper type styles, the serifs that look the most beautiful have a slightly organic, humanist feel with irregular ligatures and a low x-height.

1. Qanaya

2. Wensley

3. Adenium 

Font Trend 4: Alpine Display Fonts

Woodcut-style and letterpress-inspired fonts have long been the go-to type style for designers looking to bring a vintage feel to logos and packaging. In 2020, it feels like we’ve reached letterpress saturation, with seemingly any font overlaid with a noisy texture to earn a ‘vintage’ descriptor.

Next year, we’ll see a move towards vintage-inspired fonts that feel more authentic and faithful to a particular period, making the new wave of vintage type more distinct and unique, tying in with the general move towards individualism across font trends. 

Influenced by the quirky type styles favored by indie director Wes Anderson, fonts that have a rugged, Alpine style and 1930s influences are set to be popular for branding, particularly across the independent sector, food and beverage, and lifestyle. Whether severe and stripped-back like Bahn or soft and Didone like Athena, there’s an Alpine style to suit every mood and project.

1. Bahn

2. Athena

3. Argon

4. Stampbor

Font Trend 5: Kinetic Type

Kinetic, or moving, typography might be one of the latest font trends, but it has historic roots. Kinetic type was most memorably used by graphic designer Saul Bass, whose title sequences for Hitchcock-directed movies Vertigo and North by Northwest stylishly brought type to life for 1960s cinema-goers.   

Today, designers are rediscovering the power of kinetic type to minimise the bounce rate on websites and video content. Animated type holds attention for longer, and is a helpful tool for creating a compelling narrative for brands and products. 

You can create your own kinetic typography using standard fonts dropped into a video template for Adobe After Effects or Final Cut Pro. Look for font styles that remain legible and clear when animated, such as slab serifs or chunky sans display fonts. Discover a range of easy-to-use video templates for titles and type here.

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Font Trend 6: Characterful Humanist Sans Serifs

Strictly geometric, Swiss-style sans serifs will never go out of fashion, but next year we’ll see designers demanding a little more warmth and character from their sans serif type. 

Whether it’s a little kick to a ligature or an offset bowl, subtle humanising features give these characterful sans serifs more openness and quirk, making them a good fit for social media images and websites that want to put forward a friendly yet professional face to remote customers. They are also exceptionally readable, making for accessible web and app designs.

Look for typefaces that balance neutral styling with subtle humanist elements to add character. Rounded sans serifs like Ripple and Grand Halva are elegant and contemporary alternatives to serifs, while the clean, minimal style of RNS Sanz makes it a 2021 update for fans of Swiss type styles.

1. Visby CF

2. Stickler

3. Ripple

4. Grand Halva

5. RNS Sanz

Font Trend 7: Minimal, Chunky Scripts

For warmth and friendliness, nothing beats a hand-lettered font. Still the hallmark of brands that want to appear cooler and more casual than their contemporaries, script fonts also look great set in bold colorways and laid over the top of photography in social media images and poster designs.

For 2021, the chunkier the script the better. Bold and minimal scripts have replaced the delicate, romantic styles made popular on wedding stationery. Still an equally stylish fit for events nonetheless, these chunky scripts also have more versatility for a wide range of projects, from logo design to magazine editorials. 

Try chunky brush-lettering fonts Sinisuka or Beautiful Vibes on packaging, logos, or websites to give a friendly, vintage feel. Naive styles like Patrick or Palace YH are perfect for children’s branding or pet businesses.

1. Sinisuka

2. Beautiful Vibes

3. Blackwing

4. Patrick

5. King Amsterdam

6. Palace YH

7. Triester SVG

Font Trend 8: Retro-Futurist Fonts

A growing font trend this year, retro-futurist fonts combine futuristic elements with vintage-inspired styling. Keep the movie titles for Blade Runner and Drive in mind—these fonts have a cinematic feel that translates well to headlines, posters, and logos. 

Far from being a novelty, fonts that have a subtle dose of retro-futurism, like ultra-minimal Walter, look the most contemporary and suit cool branding aimed at younger audiences. Team them with metallic or tech-inspired color palettes to bring out their futuristic personality. 

1. Helios

2. Walter

3. Equinox

Conclusion: The Biggest Font Trends for 2021

With web design becoming increasingly sophisticated and more fonts being made available as web fonts, we’re starting to see a general move towards eclecticism across digital type, with individualism and quirk taking center-stage. 

While print has traditionally been more experimental in typography, print designers will also benefit from the new wave of cool and kooky fonts in 2021. 

While the font trend forecast seems a little polarised, with kinetic type and distorted fonts at one end of the spectrum and ultra-legible, clean sans serifs at the other, a leaning towards creativity and experimentation in font choice is set to be the major dominant feature of type next year. 

The message? Be bold, be individual, and have fun with type. There’s a font trend to suit every creative project and whim. 

Find even more on-trend fonts for web design and print projects on Envato Elements.

Looking for more font inspiration? Discover our selections of the best font styles on the internet, as well as typography tips to help you make your type designs better than ever:

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Branding your contracting business in 2021 is key for success. Whether you’re a general contractor, mechanic, electrician, or specialize in something else, building great marketing is essential. You’re looking for the best general contractor logos for your business.

When you use Placeit, you can generate winning general contractor logo ideas and bring them to fruition in a few simple clicks. You’ll instantly stand out in your crowded market space. And you’ll have more time to build and grow your contracting business! Envato Elements is another great source for contractor logo templates.

Create a Custom Contractor Logo Design

As a contractor, you may be wondering how to build the perfect custom logo design for your business.

The best way is to design a logo that grabs attention fast. You’ve got to be creative and design something memorable enough for people to recollect you when they need your services. There are a few things to keep in mind to help you succeed:

• Be memorable. Potential customers might see you in advertisements or notice your work truck driving by. Unless they happen to be in the market for a contractor, mechanic, or electrician right now, chances are most people will simply file the info away. So stand out and be remembered.
• Be strong. Bold, bright colors and strong fonts help you convey strength and success. They’re also more noticeable, and easier to read from a distance.
• Be clear. An essential part of logo design is making your service absolutely clear. That starts with bringing your offerings to the forefront.
• Match names and branding. Choose icons and symbols that align with your own business. Generic logos don’t stand out; customized ones do. 

If this sounds like a lot, don’t worry. Placeit makes contractor logo design a breeze. With Placeit, you can build incredible custom logos right inside your web browser. 

Then you can download them for use anywhere. You don’t need access to complicated editing software, and design experience isn’t necessary.

25 Best Contractor, Mechanic, & Electrician Logo Designs for 2021

Contractors, mechanics, electricians and more all have one common need: a great logo that promotes their business. Here are 25 of my favorite starting points on Placeit, to create those logos in less time than ever.

1. Home Remodeling Logo Maker

We start our list of general contractor logos with this modern option. It has a contemporary font that offers a touch of class. The graphic suits the industry, but you can change it to fit your brand’s personality.

2. Logo Maker for Home Repair Contractors

Try out this logo option if you’re a home repair contractor. Freshen up your brand with the bold font and scaled-back icon featured here. Feel free to edit the layout, colors, and text of this logo template.

3. Colorful Logo Maker for a Painting Services Company

Bright and fun with clear messaging, this is the perfect logo to show customers interested in painting services. The minimal icon of a paintbrush can have its color changed if pink isn’t for you, and so can the font!

4. Carpenter Logo Maker With Minimalistic Icon

Carpentry is an underrated skill, and so is choosing the right logo for your business. If you’re a woodworker, keep it simple with this minimal logo template. Add your company name and brand colors in just a few clicks. 

5. Logo Generator for Home Remodeling Companies

The cute little house icon featured in this logo completes the stylish aesthetic. With classy lettering and a soft brown background, this logo will make clients trust you with their home restyling. 

6. Logo Creator for Home Renovators

Whatever your specialty is, this remodeling logo will help you brand your business in style. With easy-to-use color changers and bold fonts, you can easily tailor the logo to fit just right. Don’t forget to try out different layout options to change up the look and feel even more.

7. Home Design and Remodel Logo Template

Focused on home improvers of all kinds, this versatile logo is perfect for contractors anywhere who want to promote their business. It’s one of the best logos for construction contractors thanks to its bright and beautiful graphics. It leaves plenty of room for a catchy slogan as well.

8. Logo Generator for a Handyman

Contractor specialties span a wide range. But this template captures all of these and more. If you’re in need of an HVAC logo, electrical contractor logo, or anything similar, it’s hard to beat this stylish template. Creative flexibility lives in the vast array of specialty icons.

9. Restoration Services Logo Creator

Restorations involve cleanup, hard work, and rebirth. Similarly, you can bring new life to your contractor logo with this straightforward template. Featuring geometric icons and funky, modern fonts, it’s a winning way to market your restoration contracting business. Be sure to explore the different backgrounds or add your own for the ultimate customization.

10. Contractor Logo Maker with Tool Icons

Wrenches, brushes, and hammers—they’re tools of your trade. And thanks to this gritty contractor logo, they can be part of your marketing as well. Equally at home on a billboard or the side of your toolbox, this logo is meant to capture customer attention and build profitable relationships.

11. Handyman Services Logo Generator

This flexible design is a top option among logos for construction contractors. It’s driven by custom icons that allow you to capture the essence of your service offerings. Whether you need an HVAC logo, a mechanic logo, or something totally new, you can build it in seconds right here.

12. Home Renovators Logo Template

Home renovation is challenging work, but building your marketing shouldn’t be. By using this general contractor logo, you can instantly gain a competitive advantage through style alone. Packed with an array of icons and a full set of custom fonts, this logo is sure to get your business that key second look.

13. Home Repair Logo Maker

Structures of all kinds dominate the iconography of this roofing company logo. It’s a winning way to portray your roofing business through understated style and bold colors. And you’ve got total control over the colors as well, to make yourself stand out anywhere.

14. Logo Maker for House Renovation Experts

A modern vibe dominates this contractor logo design. It’s simple enough for easy use, but versatile enough to comfortably fit any business. It works best with bright colors, so if you’re looking to stand out in a crowd, there’s no better place to start.

15. Construction Company Logo Maker with Hard Hat Icon

Are you looking for logos for construction contractors? Hard hats are a universal symbol of work, construction, and growth. What better way to symbolize your expanding contracting business? Tap into this timeless style with fun, engaging hard hat graphics that capture the spirit of construction.

16. Logo Maker for Home Restoration Services

Painter and mechanical contractor logos should be both meaningful and memorable. You need potential customers to remember your name and number months down the road. Start off with this minimalist, focused logo template that features plenty of room for all your details.

17. Colorful Roof Graphics Logo Maker for Home Remodel

Just like the work you perform, roofing company logos should be of the highest quality. These colorful graphics make the design side easy, bringing the focus directly to the rooftop. Striking fonts give way to spacious subtitles, perfect for sharing your slogan or contact information.

18. Logo Maker for Home Makeovers

Equally equipped to meet the needs of roofers, painters, and mechanics alike, this logo template is the perfect complement to your marketing strategy. With colorful backgrounds, the focus truly turns to logo and font contrasts. You can dress those up even more with metallic backgrounds that bring the content to life.

19. Logo Template for a Handyman

Just like any other business, contracting has shifted into the modern age. Capture ultra-modern branding with this flashy general contractor logo template. You’ll find a full package of abstract tool icons and refined, polished new fonts.

20. Handyman Logotype Maker

For a flexible, general contractor logo design, don’t pass up this amazing option. Whether you’re a large company or a sole proprietorship, the easy branding options here will fit your needs in a flash. They’re detailed enough to feature in professional marketing campaigns, but they’d be right at home on the side of your work vehicle too.

21. Logo Maker for a Handyman

These dynamic, unforgettable graphics are impossible to ignore. The dark background and bright fonts are a contrast sure to get anyone’s attention. It’s up to you to introduce your own branding with the variety of placeholders. Then let this contractor logo idea do the work.  

22. Home Remodeling Logo Maker with Roof Graphics

This all-purpose contractor logo is a good fit for anything involving the home. It’s great for mechanics, roofers, painters, HVAC installers, and more. Vibrant colors and flexible logos deliver all the customization options you’ll need, with none of the distracting complexities you don’t.

23. Logo Maker for Remodeling Company

Bold fonts and a minimal graphic make this contractor logo design a winning option for those who remodel homes. Choose from a diverse set of icons to represent your brand. Then mix and match colors and fonts, and watch your vision come to life.

24. Logo Maker for Restoration Services

Do you dig the minimal look? This restoration and remodeling company logo template stands out in its simplicity. If your brand uses… less blue, don’t worry! It’s completely customizable. Change the color, layout, icon, and more to fit the image you want.

25. Home Improvement Logo Design

We close with this minimal logo. Its design is simple yet eye-catching, and the icon stands out against the text. As with the other Placeit contractor logo templates, you can edit the graphic, text, and color background. Rearrange the layout for a look unique to your home improvement company.

5 Quick Tips for Making Great Contractor & Mechanical Logos in 2021

Now that we’ve explored 25 custom contractor logo templates, let’s learn more. It’s time to check out how easy it is to build your very own logo with Placeit.

1. Select a Winning General Contractor Logo Template

Let’s use item #7 from our collection of logos above, the Home Design and Remodel Logo Template. When we click on the link, Placeit will display a preview screen. This is also the editing suite that lives right inside of Placeit. 

These placeholders on each side enable you to customize the logo by changing colors, text, fonts, and more. A prime tip for logo design is to truly make it your own by taking advantage of every option you can.

2. Select a New Icon

Over on the right side, you can see the variety of icon options included in each Placeit template. Be sure to select an icon that aligns with your business. For example, let’s say we’re creating a logo for a painting business. This house and brush icon is a perfect fit. When you click to select it, Placeit will instantly display a preview in the center.

3. Customize the Text and Font

The next key element to building a great contractor logo is to customize the text and font. Those options are located on the left side of the screen. Start off by adding your own name and slogan. Then, be sure to select a custom font to bring your words to life. Simply click on the text drop-downs and choose from dozens of stunning fonts.

4. Choose a New Background Color

The default yellow looks great, but you might want a different background color. To change it, simply click on the Background menu on the right side of the screen. A color chooser will appear, and you can click to select a new option. 

For more customization, click More to launch a color wheel. You can even drop in a color hex code for a precise match.

5. Download and Use Everywhere

Once you’ve finished creating your custom contractor logo design, it’s time to download it and start using it. To do this, simply click Download at the top, and then select your desired resolution. In seconds, you’ll have your custom logo available as an image file. 

Use your new logo far and wide—on ads, signs, hats, shirts, mugs, and everywhere else. Remember, the more exposure your business gets, the more customers you gain.

More Great Options From Envato Elements

As you’ve seen, Placeit offers countless stunning contractor logo ideas just for you. But as you build your branding, Placeit isn’t the only place to look. You can also check out the unlimited download creative buffet, Envato Elements.

Elements is an all-you-can download service that offers logos, project templates, images, audio, fonts, and more. For a low monthly fee, anyone can unlock access to a library of content approaching a million items. It’s truly a must-have option for creatives, or anyone looking to brand their business in style.

Learn Logo Design From the Envato Tuts+ YouTube Channel

If you’ve looked into logo design, you know that it’s a deep topic. Thankfully, the Envato Tuts+ YouTube channel makes learning about logos a lot easier. You’ll find some helpful logo design video tutorials to get you more comfortable with creating.

Head over to our dedicated logo playlist on YouTube for our video guides. Here’s a free course you can watch to get started. 

Build Your Contractor Logo With Envato Elements

With Placeit and Envato Elements, you can bring your general contractor logo ideas to life in 2021. Placeit lets you do this right inside your favorite web browser. And Elements enables even more customization options, thanks to templates that work seamlessly with your preferred editing software.

Both Placeit and Elements are must-have options for designers and creatives. They truly deliver value to any situation. Let your imagination guide you on a creative journey of success. So what are you waiting for? Get started building your custom general contractor logo today!

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