Good font for mapping

[Hodgie]

The title speaks for itself really... Just wondering if anyone can point me in the direction of a font that looks stylish and reads well when put over a colorful map.

Thanks in advance.

 

[TogaMario]

Black Chancery is pretty good. So is Bradley Gratis. Both can be found at "1001 fonts" and should be free to use for commercial and non-commercial purposes.

P.S. I wouldn't use Papyrus for anything. It's the equivalent to using a Photoshop filter to generate art (very noticeable as amateur).

 

[Pyrandon]

The type of map you are creating can have some weight in this decision. Over at the Cartographers' Guild fonts are a perpetually hot topic ( this thread, for example)

I am fond of many of the fonts at Blambot.com, although their uses can be limited to certain types of maps.

P.S. I wouldn't use Papyrus for anything. It's the equivalent to using a Photoshop filter to generate art (very noticeable as amateur).

Hahaha. Good advice--and I would add many of the Tolkien-derived fonts to the list-- although that being said I have seen the Papyrus font as well as many "stock" PS filters used to wonderful effect. In the right spots even easy can be useful, just don't jump to it automatically, without discernment.

Good luck!

 

[kreynolds]

I like Pterra for some of my maps. Christopher West uses it in some of his maps (if not all?). I also like Garamond every now and then, but I have a difficult time with sizing and spacing sometimes. Celeste Antiqua is also a classic for me.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

I use John Speed for names of water bodies. It was based on antique maps where the map author "John Speed" would use a stylized cursive for seas and rivers. These are never on straight lines.

I used Hadrianus for man-made settlements, sites, roads, etc. I also never put these names on an alignment other than horizontal straight lines. Though roads I have the name follow the road precisely, but using small-caps.

I use Malagua for land-based natural geography, forests, mountains, deserts, plus ruins of man-made sites. Also, never on straight lines, unless it is a ruin then it is horizontal.

 

[Silverblade The Ench]

Slightly off-side, but from doing my comic art I found a few that I liked:

Caribbean's Treasure and Scurlock, sort of 17th century style English.
Sorry, I can't recall where I got them from though.

Also, the SIZE you use the font, and the background you give, are important.
Smaller = needs to be more clear. If you can give it a backgorund that's suitable, it can stand out more.