Freestyle Script
Freestyle Script is an informal display script typeface that was designed by Colin Brignall in 1969 and Martin Wait in 1981, by Letraset. Used for commercials, birthday cards, decorations, and logos. The bold version was designed in 1986.
Freestyle Script

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- Name
- Freestyle Script
- Period
- 1981
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Documentary summary
Freestyle Script is an informal display script typeface that was designed by Colin Brignall in 1969 and Martin Wait in 1981, by Letraset. Used for commercials, birthday cards, decorations, and logos. The bold version was designed in 1986.
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wikidata · Q45807000 · wikipedia · Freestyle Script
In this article
Overview
Overview
The publishers of this font are Adobe, ITC, Monotype Imaging, Elsner+Flake, Esselte Corporation (in 1997), Scangraphic Type, Linotype, Image Club, and Letraset. This font has a few versions, namely Regular, Bold, LT, Plain, LET, EF, SB, SH, SH Reg Alt, and SB Reg Alt. Script font supports up to 78 different languages for cursive (plain) and 33 different languages for other styles (Regular, Bold, Alt, etc.). The Cyrillic version of Freestyle Script was created in 1993, consisting of the glyphs in Latin supplement. The font has been included in MyFonts since 2000.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Freestyle Script • Style — Script • Releasedate — 1981 • Creator — Martin Wait • Illustration — Text of Freestyle Script
History
History
Freestyle Script was first designed by Colin Brignall in 1969 and then by Martin Wait in 1981 for regular and cursive font. The bold version was released in 1986, which several of its digital versions lack proper weight. In 1993, the fonts similar to Freestyle Script in all glyphs are called "VI My Ha Hoa" and "VI My Ha." Those fonts are all caps and designed by VISCII Fonts in 1993. URW++ used to have a version named URW Fresnel in 1996, and it is similar to this font. SG Freestyle Script's SB Regular Alternative is also available but some letters are different from original Freestyle Script. In 2003, the Freestyle Script font was added to Microsoft Word, and it is continued with succeeding versions such as Word 2007, Word 2010, Word 2013, Word 2016 and Word 2019. The font is in TrueType font format.
Opposition
Opposition
The font Bradley Hand and other handwritten fonts (including Freestyle Script) were banned on the website Webdesigner Depot in 2010. It was ranked 8th among the top banned fonts. Those banned fonts, including Freestyle Script, were said to be "annoying". In March 8, 2018, the website Illumine 8 described Freestyle Script as Adobe's poor attempt to fool people into believing that the font is handwritten. Illumine 8 ranked Freestyle Script as the 14th worst handwritten font in the first round of voting. Freestyle Script was not included in the following rounds.
Glyph copying to other typefaces
Glyph copying to other typefaces
Because of some oppositions from the typographists for Freestyle Script typeface, there are typefaces that duplicates some of the glyphs that infringe copyright from original designers of this typeface (as there are no official permit from any company that own it), like and Photoshoot that showed on some glyphs that were allegedly the inspiration of some techniques for Freestyle Script typeface. There are typefaces that legitimately made even there are similarities on glyphs and are open source like Yellowtail.
Name copying
Name copying
There is a faux calligraphy typeface called "Freestyle" (alternately "Freestyle Script" faux calligraphy typeface) that could confuse many graphic designers who use Microsoft to search or download a particular typeface. It was first listed on August 23, 2016, and the typeface costs US$14 lower (that duplicate typeface name costs US$15) than the original typeface that can be seen at MyFonts. There is another typeface used the same name (alternately "Freestyle Script" brush calligraphy typeface) that could also confuse graphic designers to the original typeface name. The designers however, did answer the comment yet why that name are they used than changing to the other name. In reality, those typeface designers are about to confuse people who are using the original Freestyle Script typeface to force its downfall to the original owner that designed the typeface.
Defense
Defense
• On the blog site The Creative Hustler: Freestyle Script was ranked as 29th of the best cursive fonts. • On Allfonts.co: Freestyle Script was included as one of the best cursive fonts in 2021, stating "It is not like the traditional handwritten fonts, and has separated characters. It is a handwritten typeface that captures the essence of handwriting without the unnecessary extras".
Gallery
Gallery
Versions comparison of Freestyle Script: • Illustration — alt=Freestyle Script Plain Freestyle Script Plain • Illustration — alt=Freestyle Script Plain Bold Freestyle Script Plain Bold • Illustration — alt=Freestyle Script Regular Freestyle Script Regular • Illustration — alt=Ispesimen ng Freestyle Script Plain Freestyle Script Plain specimen • Illustration — alt=Further samples of comparison Further samples of comparison • Illustration — alt=The Freestyle Script specimen: cat article from Wikipedia (revision as of 7/9/2021) • Illustration — alt=The Freestyle Script Regular specimen: cat article from Wikipedia (revision as of 4/14/2019)
Chronology
Dated record
Chronology
The full dated record · 2 entries
1981
Freestyle Script first recorded.
1981
Freestyle Script is recorded from 1981.
Reception
• Illustration — Versions of Freestyle Script
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Freestyle Script Font Family. Fonts.com.
- 2.Team, AllFont net. Font: Freestyle Script Normal. AllFont.net.
- 3.SG Freestyle™ Script SB Regular Alternative. Fonts.com.
- 4.Fonts that are installed with Microsoft Office 2010 Products. support.microsoft.com.
- 5.mijacobs. Fonts and supported products - Typography. docs.microsoft.com.
- 6.Pitzer, Erik. Font Madness: First Round (Handwriting Region). blog.illumine8.com.
- 7.Photoshoot Font. dafont.com.
- 8.Freestyle Font. creativefabrica.com.
- 9.Freestyle Script. textfonts.net.
- 10.30 Best Cursive Fonts. The Creative Hustler. 2015-11-24.
- 11.Best Cursive Fonts To Use In 2021. The Creative Hustler.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
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Partially resolved
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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