Our font shelves are stocked with thousands of delightful script typefaces, but finding those that convincingly simulate handwriting can be difficult. We culled from our collection the best handwriting fonts for this week’s FontFeed. Here are a few of our favorites in various writing styles, from print to cursive, antique to contemporary. All emulate a hand-driven pen without sacrificing legibility.
MVB Calliope™
The clean, yet personal writing of Gayle Sato was an ideal specimen for digitization. MVB Calliope plays well at any size, lending a human touch to both headlines and small notes.
FF Hands®
Erik van Blokland and Just van Rossum created FF Erikrighthand and FF Justlefthand during FontShop’s infancy. The scripts were based on the handwriting style they learned at The Hague academy. It quickly became one of the most widely used FontFonts, seen on greeting cards, baby care products, magazines, and most recently on the Web for sites like Diarised.
FF Providence™
This very legible “print” script was first drawn by Guy Jeffrey Nelson in 1987 for use in a comic book series. With alternates for common characters, FF Providence can emulate the simple writing of a child or adult. The Sans package comes with a set of adorable illustrations.
Felt Tip Roman™
Hagrid’s handwriting in the Harry Potter books is actually the handwriting of type designer Mark Simonson. The typeface has become one of the most popular tools for making all sorts of communication feel more personal, from cafe menus to direct mail advertising. Woman and Senior variations are available.
Handsome™ Pro 
Contextual alternates make typesetting with Handsome look even more like real writing. Nick Shinn’s six pen styles range from Thin (like a “Finerliner”) to Extra Bold (like a “Speedball Fat”), and Classic (nib tip) to Rough, which simulates the subtle bleed of a rollerball on paper. Download the PDF [65k] to learn more about Handsome Pro’s features.
MVB Emmascript™
Mark van Bronkhorst took the spirited script of his partner Kanna Aoki and contorted some of the letters to make them connect. The result is a feminine handwriting face that feels surprisingly natural.
P22 Cézanne™ Pro
P22’s most popular font — celebrating the influential French artist — recently got the OpenType® treatment. Cézanne Pro includes over 1,200 glyphs and “smart features” which automatically substitute letter combinations to create a more natural handwriting effect than was possible with the original font. Download the PDF [179k] to learn about all of this advanced font’s many features.
Voluta™ Script Pro
When asked to create a typeface based on the calligraphy of the Baroque period, Solt-Bittner turned for inspiration to Kurrent writing, a cursive blackletter style. Voluta Script Pro comes complete with stylistic alternates, ligatures, and snap-on flourishes. Download the PDF (134k) for a look at the full glyph set. See also Viktor Solt-Bittner’s other historic handwritten scripts.
P22 Pop Art™ Comic
The Pop Art font set was developed for the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York. The Comic typeface, in regular and bold italic, was inspired by the work of Roy Lichtenstein, whose crisp, clear caps were distinctive but legible.
Chantal™
Rian Hughes, veteran comic book artist and letterer, designed Chantal for the “RoboHunter“ series that he produced with Peter Hogan for 2000AD in 1993. It’s a friendly, animated typeface in three weights, each with italics.