If you’re a Scrabble aficionado, you’ve probably spent plenty of time squinting down at your hand of tiles, trying to figure out what the heck to play on your next turn. But have you ever wondered what font it is you’re squinting at?
What is the Official Scrabble Letter Font?
The official Scrabble letter font is Eurostile, according to WordFinder by YourDictionary. A sans-serif typeface, the font was originally created for a company called Nebiolo, a manufacturer of print presses.
The font was preceded by other similar fonts, including the uppercase-only font Microgramma. Eurostile is a very linear font, with squared-off letters. The typeface has a very modern feel and is considered optimal for signs and titles, because of the clarity and boldness of each individual letter. Perhaps this is why it was chosen for Scrabble game tiles: because the letters are easily recognizable, they can stand on their own.
What is the Official Scrabble Board Font?
It may surprise you that the official letter font differs from the official board font. The official Scrabble board font is Interstate Bold. The font gained popularity shortly after it was first created in the 1940s, catching on by the late ‘90s as a common printer’s font. Since then, other designers have created their own fonts inspired by Interstate, including the PF Grand Gothic Variable typeface and the PF Highway Sans typeface. Unlike Eurostile, the Interstate typeface is considered equally suitable for signs as it is for typesetting and printing.
Similar Fonts You Can Use as a Substitute
Maybe you’re looking for a Scrabble font so you can make your own custom board in Photoshop. Or maybe you’re crafting your own physical Scrabble board, and wondering what typeface you should mimic. Whatever your reasons for looking up Scrabble fonts, you might not be able to access Eurostile and Interstate Bold immediately, since neither font is offered for free on Pages or Word. You could go to the effort of buying and downloading the fonts if you were really dedicated. Or you could take the easier route and use a free font. While it may not be identical to Eurostile or Interstate Bold, it’d be close enough, and it’d save you time and money. Here are a few ideas of fonts you could use:
As a substitute for Eurostile, try:
- Futura
- News Gothic Standard
- Franklin Gothic
As a substitute for Interstate Bold, try:
- DIN
- Highway Gothic
