The two styles of the Japanese manga fonts that I have most in common with are the sanairo typeface and the katakana typeface. I find that these are the most widely used in the world of Japanese graphic novels and comics. In fact, I would say that it is safe to say that without these two styles, we wouldn’t have the wonderful selection of Japanese manga books, manga artists, and graphic novels that exist today.
The sanairo typeface is a style that is very different from the katakana style which was developed to convey the feeling of “oriental” when used outdoors. The sanairo style is more along the lines of a script look while the katakana is more like a flowery script look. Both types of style can be found throughout most of the major manga outlets in the United States and Canada and many other countries all over the world. As you would expect, this particular style also translates well to comic books and graphic novels where people tend to favor the more cartoonish style and katakana fonts are not used at all.
When it comes to the katakana typeface, you will find this more common in magazines and trade papers. These are generally used on book covers and some type cover covers within the pages of some of the more popular manga titles. One of the advantages to this particular typeface is that the two styles can harmonize each other quite nicely creating a look that combines both Japanese and English writing styles. In my opinion, it is a very clean, organized, and professional look that really ties the entire publication together
Manga Text Fonts
1. FF Manga Steel
Dutch type designer Donald Beekman created this display FontFont in 2001.
The family has 8 weights, (including italics) and is ideally suited for logo, branding and creative industries, music and nightlife as well as poster and billboards.
FF Manga provides advanced typographical support with features such as ligatures.
It comes with proportional lining figures.
2. FF Manga Stone
FF Manga Stone was designed by Donald Beekman and published by FontFont. FF Manga Stone contains 4 styles and family package options.
3. Tsuki Typeface
Tsuki is a sans-serif font. Inspired with concept & theme from Japanese Manga and video games. You can use this font for comics, games, and many more.
4. Manga Stroke Font
Manga Stroke is a sweet and friendly display font. Its natural and cute style makes it incredibly fitting to a large pool of designs. It’s perfect for logos, stationery, branding, apparel, quotes, book covers, posters and much more!
5. Animo
Animo stands out from the crowd. Animo is surprisingly legible for its outspoken personality. Many of Animo’s small details were crafted to enhance its legibility, while preserving its personality.
Animo is suitable for both text and display use — for graphic design, corporate identity design, magazines, reports, editorials, web, advertising, signage, etc
6. Shibuya Dancefloor
It’s perfect for anime artwork, sci-fi lettering or even just making flyers for that party you’re planning down in Roppongi!
7. Robofan
Robofan is a vintage Open Type font based on the logo of reconfigurable robots (toys and characters) from the mid 1980s. The typeface was conceived when looking at the author’s own collection of Transformers, he noticed many basic drawing and spacing problems, missing characters, incorrect accent shapes and a lack of proper rhythm in the typeface used in the newest toy’s packaging, mistakes that didn’t happen in the toys back in the 80s. These mistakes were so evident that the author decided to look back at the original lettering from the 80s to capture the original spirit of the Transformers.
8. Kopik
Summer Shine is Handbrushes font that perfect for your upcoming summer design.
9. VideoTech
ideoTech is an 8 font family consisting of 4 weights open and 4 weights closed.
A heavyweight typeface that draws inspiration from loading computer games onto the Commodore 64.
10. Zaius
A bold sans serif typeface influenced by
Ed Benguiat
‘s work for the 1968 movie poster for
Planet of the Apes
11. Meoowly
Meoowly is an amazing display font. It is the perfect choice for cat related and anything project! This display font is the perfect choice for making original and outstanding designs. This font is PUA encoded which means you can access all of the cute glyphs with ease! It also features a wealth of including ligatures.
12. WILD2 Ghixm
Accidents happen. Things go where they don’t belong, get changed – remade. Something new crawls out of the murky depths. Ghixm is a retrospective of the horror comics and movie posters of the 1960s and the 1970s. It’s fluid forms harken to watery graves and tentacled unnameable horrors. These twisted shapes are reminiscent of titles that will make your skin crawl. It’s already warped and twisted, so don’t hesitate to abuse it. This face can take it and still deliver its chaotic message.
13. FTY Overkill Condensed
For logos, signs, posters, headlines, titles and display type of all kinds, when bold, black or heavy are not enough – OVERKILL™! A condensed type collection, Machined™, Hammered™ or Ironclad™ pacify all resistance.
Download FTY Overkill Condensed
14. Mr. Jenkins
Welcome Summer is a cute and sweet handwritten font with an incredibly friendly feel. This font will turn any creative idea into a true piece of art!
15. Gendouki
Gendouki is a wide, futuristic typeface with filament stencil lines inspired by spaceship access panels. Try it as an oversize, low-contrast background elements. Gendouki is also useful as fat techno drop-caps, adding movement to paragraphs.
16. SkyWing
A modern rounded typeface inspired by Japanese computer console games.
Example: Captain Tsubasa created by Yoichi Takahashi.
17. CorTen
An industrial-weight typeface inspired by graphics laser-cut from sheet metal.
18. GetaRobo
A mechanical typeface influenced by Japanese animation (Anime).
Examples Include: Getter Robo and Gatchaman aka (Battle of the Planets).
19. Kikyo
Kikyo a Bold Handwritten Font that will bring you an a “manga” impression.
20. Itoya
Itoya is a contemporary sans serif font influenced by Western and Japanese ideologies. A fusion of modern machine-like functions with a warmer, emotional and more spiritual ethic. The marriage of a western precision and eastern expression forms a sharp functional font with a modern edge ideally suited to graphic novels, fashion and product design. Details include seven carefully chosen weight with true cursive italics, over 600 characters, alternative lowercase a, e, g and y. Five variations of numerals, ligatures, manually edited kerning and Opentype features.
21. QueueBrick
QueueBrick is an 8 font family consisting of 4 weights Open & 4 weights Closed. A block-work typeface inspired by East European movie posters.
Example includes Stanley Kubricks 2001: A Space Odyssey.
22. Kaindra
Kaindra is a Theme display font that has a Japanese Ninja Looks. Kaindra is a good font to use for various graphic designs, such as poster titles, banners, advertisements, logotypes, and is good for combining various types of icons. This font is also good for packaging, crafting, children’s and adult clothing. apply this font for your various designs to make it more powerful
23. TwentyFourNinetyOne
TwentyFourNinetyOne [2491] is a reinterpretation of the alphabet of 1919 by Theo van Doesburg; the original a true rendering of the thinking of the Dutch-based art movement “de Stijl.”
Jump forward to 1980 and prop lettering used on the Buck Rogers in the 25th Century television series; a vernacular typeface that was a utilitarian mix of geometry and pixel-based forms, used to symbolize the futuristic universe of 2491. At times it would appear on spaceships, laser guns, signage at space ports or in one episode, a Spandex tapestry.
24. Nippon
Nippon is a handdrawn cartoon font with an oriental touch.
25. Aishiteru
Introducing a new beautiful calligraphy font, Black Pink Summer, the monoline version of Black Pink Signature, created for summer. Black Pink Summer is perfect for beautiful and elegant logos, upscale packaging, wedding stationery, websites, and any other projects requiring a handwritten and luxurious touch. A wide range of swashes (a-z) and alternates (A-Z) are included so that you can give your logo or name a custom, hand-calligraphic look.
