20 of the best font families to supercharge your typography

The best font families are versatile resources for designers. It can be hard to choose just the right typography for a project: do you go for something unique to give the piece character, or is it better to opt for something neutral that doesn’t overwhelm the rest of the design?

In order to be consistent within a project without becoming repetitive, it can help if a typeface offers a large font family that cover different styles, weights and widths. The notion of an extended, organised type family (or 'superfamily' if it contains different classifications, such as a serif and a sans serif) is a relatively new concept, and has only been around as we know it today for just over a century.

But nowadays there are plenty to choose from. Below, we've rounded up 20 of the best versatile type families to help with all manner of design projects. See our pick of the best free fonts and the best font pairings for more options.

The best font families for versatility

01. FF Meta

versatile font families

FF Meta is the "antithesis of Helvetica"

Originally developed by Erik Spiekermann for the Deutsche Bundespost (West German Post Office), Meta was released commercially in 1991 on the FontFont label. Intended to be the "antithesis of Helvetica", it comes in serif, sans serif and headline versions, and hairline, thin, light, normal, book, medium, bold and black weights.

02. Knockout

versatile font families

The Knockout family from Hoefler & Frere-Jones is available in nine widths and four weights

Renowned New York foundry Hoefler & Frere-Jones likes its metaphors. Knockout is available in nine boxing-themed widths, from flyweight to sumo - and its four weights are themed too, ranging from junior to ultimate. If the full range of styles is overwhelming, they're split into seven 'series' packs to fulfil different creative needs.

03. ITC Franklin Gothic

versatile font families

ITC Franklin Gothic has plenty of impact

Another wonderfully versatile type family, ITC Franklin Gothic supplements the standard book, medium, semi and heavy weights with both condensed and compressed weights too. The typeface boasts plenty of impact when used large for display purposes, and has been used extensively both in advertising and for newspaper headlines.

04. Minion

versatile font families

Adobe's font is influenced by Renaissance era typography

Despite being designed in 1990, Adobe's elegant serif face Minion was influenced by Renaissance era typography. It takes its name from the traditional naming system for type sizes: ‘minion’ is a measure in-between ‘nonparell’ and ‘brevier’. Other multi-weight varieties include Minion Expert and Minion Pro.

05. Mrs Eaves / Mr Eaves

versatile font families

Mrs Eaves and Mr Eaves is a typographical marriage made in heaven

Okay, so technically two separate typefaces - but as their names imply, it's a marriage made in heaven. Designed by Zuzana Licko for Emigre in 1996, delectable serif Mrs Eaves is named after John Baskerville's wife, while its sans serif partner followed thanks to popular demand in 2009. Both also come in an XL display variety.

06. Soho

versatile font families

Soho is a hugely versatile slab serif font family

Designed by Sebastian Lester for Monotype in 2007, Soho is a relatively rare beast: a hugely versatile slab serif font family. Its enviable range of weights - including thin, extra light, light, regular, medium, bold, extra bold, heavy and ultra - are supplemented further with condensed, compressed and extended varieties.

07. Thesis

versatile font families

Thesis from LucasFonts is a true superfamily of typefaces

Lucas de Groot of LucasFonts developed this typeface between 1994 and 1999. Within the Thesis superfamily are TheSans, TheSans Mono, TheSans Typewriter, TheSans Hair, TheSerif, TheMix, TheMix Mono and TheAntigua, each in various weights. Each comes in three collections, ranging from Classic - seven varieties in eight different weights - to the more pared-back Basic and Office versions.

08. FF Scala

versatile font families

FF Scala was originally developed for use by a Dutch music venue

Another FontFont superfamily, this time by Martin Majoor, FF Scala was originally developed for use by a Dutch music venue and later released commercially. The serif version came out in 1990, followed by the sans serif in 1992 - both feature true small capitals, a broad range of ligatures, and both lining and non-lining figures.

09. Gotham

versatile font families

Gotham is a practical workhorse typeface

One more from the masters of versatility, Hoefler & Frere-Jones: Gotham is a practical workhorse typeface that's influenced by and celebrates the urban typography that surrounds us, from neon signage to hand-painted lettering on trucks. It comes in eight weights, as well as narrow, extra narrow and condensed varieties, all with complementary italics.

10. ITC Century

versatile font families

ITC Century was Tony Stan’s 1970s interpretation of a 19th-century typeface

This is Tony Stan's 1970s interpretation of a typeface originally designed for The Century magazine at the end of the 19th century as a more practical, scalable alternative to the popular Bodoni-style faces popular during that period. It comes in four weights - light, book, bold and ultra - plus a condensed version.

11. Myriad

versatile font families

Apple’s corporate font has Myriad uses

Designed by Robert Slimbach and Carol Twombly for Adobe, Myriad is perhaps most famous for its role as Apple's corporate font. The Pro version has wider language support, featuring five weights each of four widths - including condensed, semi-condensed and semi-extended - all with complementary italics of course.

12. Base 9 and 12

versatile font families

Base 9 and 12 is a superfamily with both serif and sans varieties

Another Zuzana Licko creation for Emigre, Base 9 and 12 is a superfamily with both serif and sans varieties, as well as a monospace version. It's designed to harmonise the relationship between screen fonts and printer fonts, designed for use at the two most popular sizes - 9-point and 12-point - and multiples thereof.

13. Rotis

versatile font families

Rotis includes semi-serif and semi-sans varieties alongside serif and sans versions

Named after the place he lived, Otl Aicher's pioneering hybrid typeface superfamily was completed in 1988 - three years before his tragic death in a motorbike accident. Rotis was unique at the time for including semi-serif and semi-sans varieties alongside the traditional serif and sans versions, making it particularly versatile.

14. Agenda

versatile font families

Agenda offers a stylish alternative to the ubiquitous Swiss sans serif

Coming in an impressive 54 font styles, Greg Thompson's Agenda type family was designed for Font Bureau in 1993 as a stylish alternative to the ubiquitous Swiss sans serif. It comes in thin, light, regular, medium, semi-bold, bold and black, with condensed, extra-condensed and ultra-condensed varieties.

15. Fedra

versatile font families

Fedra boasts two different serif varieties alongside the original sans

Developed by Typotheque's Peter Bil'ak, Fedra is a superfamily that boasts two different serif varieties alongside the original sans, plus a mono-spaced version too. It was first commissioned in 2000 for an insurance company, followed in 2004 by serif A - which matches the proportions of the original - and serif B, which is proportioned differently.

16. FF Quadraat

versatile font families

FF Quadraat includes display, headline, sans, sans display and sans mono versions

The third FontFont representative on the list, designed by Fred Smeijers, is another superfamily. It includes display, headline, sans, sans display and sans mono versions under the same Quadraat umbrella - all in six weights, from regular through to bold. It's particularly well suited to editorial and publishing applications.

17. Chronicle

versatile font families

This newspaper typeface font family comes in four ‘grades’ to allow for different paper stocks

This Hoefler & Frere-Jones' newspaper typeface is a sterling example of the Scotch Transitional serif, so named after 18th century Scottish type founders Alexander Wilson and William Miller. Chronicle Text comes in four 'grades' to allow for different paper stocks, while the display is more expansive - three widths, six weights and a 'deck' version for sizes in between display and text.

18. ITC Officina

versatile font families

Officina has open counters and strong slab serifs

There's an impressive range of fonts in this superfamily that Erik Spiekermann designed in the '90s for ITC. Based on the premise that photocopiers, fax machines and poor-quality printers can deteriorate type, Officina has open counters and strong slab serifs, and is available in five weights, from book up to black.

19. Antenna

versatile font families

Antenna has a pleasing sense of symmetry

There's a pleasing sense of symmetry to Cyrus Highsmith's creation for Font Bureau, with strong emphasis placed on the repeat and variation of counter shapes within the spacing between letters. The sans serif comes with seven weights in four widths, including compressed, condensed and extra condensed.

20. Lucida

versatile font families

This superfamily includes several scripts, including Blackletter, Calligraphy and Handwriting variants

Closing our list of versatile font families is Lucida. Charles Bigelow and Kris Holmes designed this hugely varied typeface superfamily in 1985. Uniquely for this list, as well as serif (Lucida Fax and Lucida Bright) and sans serif (Lucida Sans, Lucida Sans Unicode, Lucida Grande and Lucida Sans Typewriter), there are also several scripts - including blackletter, calligraphy and handwriting variants.

For more type options, see our pick of the best free graffiti fonts and the tree tattoo fonts. We also have an explainer, what is typography?

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Joseph Foley

Joe is a regular freelance journalist and editor at Creative Bloq. He writes news and features, updates buying guides and keeps track of the best equipment for creatives, from monitors to accessories and office supplies. A writer and translator, he also works as a project manager at London and Buenos Aires-based design and branding agency Hermana Creatives, where he manages a team of designers, photographers and video editors who specialise in producing photography, video content, graphic design and collaterals for the hospitality sector. He enjoys photography, particularly nature photography, wellness and he dances Argentine tango.