Else Font Review: A Whimsical Handwritten Typeface for Branding Projects
Opening a new brand board for a local artisanal bakery, I needed a font that felt warm, personal, and a little playful. I reached for Else, a handwritten script font I’d seen in a few design kits but never tested in a real project. I dropped it into the logo draft, and right away, it brought a softness and charm that the more rigid sans serifs and formal scripts just couldn’t match.
What Makes Else Stand Out?
Else is a simple and friendly handwritten font with a whimsical, slightly quirky personality. It’s the kind of typeface that feels like it was written with a felt-tip pen—loose, expressive, and full of character. The lowercase letters have a gentle bounce, and the uppercase letters add just enough flair without being overly dramatic. It’s not a font for corporate annual reports or legal documents—it’s a font for brands that want to feel approachable, creative, and human.
Designed with branding in mind, Else works especially well in Script Amp categories where warmth and personality are key. It has a natural rhythm and spacing that makes it feel effortless on the page, whether it’s used for a logo, packaging, or social media headers.
Testing Else in Real Branding Applications
I used Else across several elements of the bakery project: logo concept, packaging mockups, business cards, website headers, and Instagram stories. On the logo, it gave a handcrafted feel that matched the brand’s artisanal values. I tried it in all caps and sentence case—both worked, though I found sentence case gave a more conversational tone.
For packaging, I placed it on a mockup of a cookie box. At a small size, it held up surprisingly well. The letters are distinct enough that they didn’t blur together, but I wouldn’t recommend it for long paragraphs or fine print. It’s best used as a display font or headline font, especially when you want to draw attention or evoke a sense of playfulness.
On the website, I paired it with a clean sans serif for the body text. The contrast worked beautifully—Else added personality to the hero section, while the sans serif kept the rest of the site legible and professional. On social media graphics, it looked especially vibrant in pastel color palettes, enhancing the brand’s soft, inviting aesthetic.
When Else Works—and When It Doesn’t
Else shines in brand identity projects that lean into warmth, creativity, and individuality. Think of handmade shops, boutique cafes, indie studios, or wellness brands that want to feel nurturing and authentic. It also works well in packaging design and product labels where a handwritten feel adds a personal touch.
However, it’s not ideal for:
- Long-form body copy or small text
- Corporate or formal branding
- Technical or academic content
- Logos that need to scale down significantly (like on favicons or mobile app icons)
If your project requires high legibility at tiny sizes or needs to maintain a very formal tone, consider pairing Else with a more structured typeface or using it only for accents and headlines.
Design Tips for Using Else in Your Projects
Here are a few practical tips I picked up while working with Else:
- Pair it wisely: Else pairs beautifully with minimalist sans serifs like Montserrat or Lato. For a more vintage look, try it with a serif like Playfair Display or Cinzel.
- Test it at different sizes: Before locking it in for packaging or print, test it at actual print sizes. I found that below 10pt, it started to lose clarity.
- Use it for short phrases: It works best for names, taglines, headings, and short calls to action. Avoid using it for long paragraphs or technical copy.
- Check the alternates: If the font includes stylistic alternates or ligatures, use them to add variation and avoid repetition in logos or headers.
- Ensure webfont compatibility: If you're using Else on a website, confirm that it's available as a webfont and check its performance impact.
Final Thoughts: A Versatile Handwritten Font for the Right Brand
After testing Else across multiple branding assets, I’d confidently recommend it for any designer working on a project that needs a warm, hand-drawn personality. It’s a versatile creative font that brings charm without being overly cutesy, and it holds up well in both print and digital formats.
As with any premium font, always check the licensing before using it in commercial projects—especially for brand identity, packaging design, or design assets that will be used by clients or resold. Make sure it’s approved for commercial use, and keep a copy of the license handy.
If you're looking for a handwritten font that adds a touch of whimsy and warmth to your next brand project, give Else a try. It might just be the right fit for your next client—or your own creative studio.
