Kidding: A Handwritten Font with a Playful Touch
There’s something about the right font that can transform a layout from ordinary to unforgettable. Recently, I found myself in the familiar situation of redesigning the header for a lifestyle blog—something that needed to feel warm, inviting, and just a little bit whimsical. As I sifted through options, Kidding caught my eye. It wasn’t just any font; it was a handwritten typeface with a rhythm that felt personal, almost like a friend’s cursive scrawl on a greeting card.
A Font That Feels Like a Personal Note
Kidding is a thick lettered yet sweet and joyful handwritten font. The visual character of this script font has a softness that immediately makes it feel approachable. Its curves are gentle, its strokes are expressive, and it carries a mood that leans into warmth and playfulness without losing its elegance. This is not a font that shouts—it whispers with personality.
What sets Kidding apart is its PUA encoding, which allows easy access to all the glyphs and swashes. For someone who needs to fine-tune a design, this means having full control over the details, making it ideal for editorial projects where subtle adjustments can elevate the final look.
Testing Kidding in Real Publishing Contexts
I decided to test Kidding in a few different publishing scenarios. First, as the main title for a recipe ebook. The font’s hand-drawn quality gave the cover a friendly and homey vibe, perfect for a collection of comforting meals. Next, I used it for pull quotes in a digital magazine layout. The contrast between Kidding and a clean sans serif body font made the quotes stand out beautifully, guiding the reader’s attention naturally.
In another case, I applied it to a coaching workbook’s chapter openers. The font’s playful nature helped break up dense content, adding a touch of lightness to an otherwise serious subject. Even in a newsletter graphic, Kidding added a sense of intimacy, making the communication feel more like a personal message than a mass email.
Where Kidding Shines Best
Kidding excels in titles, subtitles, pull quotes, and decorative accents. Its expressive style is best suited for short bursts of text rather than long-form reading. When used for longer passages, such as body copy or small captions, the font may become difficult to read due to its organic form and thickness.
For example, using Kidding as the primary font for a wedding guide would be a delightful choice. It could work well for section headings or even in a signature block at the end of an invitation. However, if you’re designing a formal report or a document with dense paragraphs, it’s better to pair it with a more readable serif or sans serif font for the body text.
Font Pairing and Practical Considerations
When working with display fonts like Kidding, it’s essential to consider how they interact with other typefaces. I found that pairing Kidding with a modern sans serif font, like Helvetica Neue or Montserrat, created a balanced and professional look. This combination works especially well in digital magazines or course PDFs where readability is key but a touch of personality is still desired.
Before using Kidding in any commercial project, it’s important to check the included styles, alternates, ligatures, weights, multilingual support, file formats, and licensing terms. These factors will determine whether the font is suitable for your specific use case, whether it’s for print materials, PDF exports, web design, or social media graphics.
As a designer, I appreciate that Kidding doesn’t compromise on quality while maintaining a casual charm. It’s a versatile tool that adds a human touch to editorial design, helping to create layouts that are both visually engaging and emotionally resonant.
