Free Fonts for Cricut and Class Projects: What the Licenses Allow
Which free fonts can you put on a shirt you sell, a decal for the school fundraiser or a cut file? This guide explains the common font licenses in plain English, compares 14 free-font sources by what their own terms say, and lists 44 open-source fonts we tested for cutting, each with a free cut-test file.
- No ads, no sign-up. No account, no email, nothing to buy.
- Every license read on the source’s own page, October 6, 2026
- Not legal advice
The short answer
Use fonts under the SIL Open Font License, Apache 2.0 or CC0. Almost everything on Google Fonts qualifies. The license covers the shirt, sign or decal; you can’t sell the font file itself.
Free means free to try, not free to sell with. A shirt sold at a fundraiser, a teacher’s Etsy decal or a cut file you sell all count as commercial use on the sites that use that label.
OFL and Apache fonts can be copied to every computer in the lab with their license file. Fontshare fonts and most freeware can’t: each person downloads their own copy.
Font licenses in plain English
A font’s license lives in a text file that comes with it (often OFL.txt or LICENSE.txt), or on the designer’s site. The labels on download sites are a starting point; DaFont and Befonts both say their labels are only an indication. Here is what the common licenses let you do with the things you make.
| License | Sell things you make with it? | Share the font file? | Credit needed? | Watch out for | You’ll see it on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SIL Open Font License 1.1 (OFL) | Yes | Yes, with the license | No | You can't sell the font file by itself. A changed version can't keep a "Reserved Font Name". | Most of Google Fonts, The League of Moveable Type, Collletttivo |
| Apache License 2.0 | Yes | Yes, with the license and notices | No (keep notices in shared files) | Gives no trademark rights. | Some Google Fonts families (Roboto Slab, Luckiest Guy, Chewy), Material Symbols |
| Ubuntu Font Licence 1.0 | Yes | Yes, with the license | No | Changed versions must be renamed under its own rules. | The Ubuntu font family |
| Public domain / CC0 | Yes | Yes | No | A "public domain" label is only as reliable as whoever posted it. | Some fonts on Font Library |
| Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Give credit, link the license, say if you changed it. | Font Awesome Free icons (SVG), some Font Library fonts |
| GPL with font exception | Yes | Yes, under the GPL | No | Using the font in a document doesn't put the document under the GPL. | Older libre fonts such as GNU FreeFont |
| ITF Free Font License (Fontshare) | Yes | No: each person downloads it from Fontshare | No | No modifying the font file, and no offering it as a pickable font in a template editor. | Fontshare fonts by the Indian Type Foundry |
| "Free for personal use" | No | Usually no | Varies | A shirt, decal or file you sell, even at a fundraiser, is commercial use. | Many fonts on DaFont, 1001 Fonts, FontSpace, Befonts, Fontesk |
Three details people miss
- Turning text into a shape doesn’t change the license. Google Fonts calls text converted to vector outlines “an image of text”, so the cut file isn’t a font. The font’s license still decides whether you could use it in the first place.
- The OFL needs no credit. Its FAQ answers “Is any kind of acknowledgement required? No.” Its list of allowed uses includes t-shirts, personalized fabric, laser-cut shapes, rubber stamps and cookie cutters (OFL FAQ).
- Desktop, webfont and app licenses are separate for many paid fonts. Making graphics, prints and cut files is “desktop” use. Putting the font file on a website or in an app needs its own license, unless the font is OFL or similar (Font Squirrel FAQ).
Where to get free fonts
Each row below is based on the source’s own terms or FAQ, read October 6, 2026. “Varies” means the site mixes licenses: open the font’s own license file every time.
| Source | What it is, in plain English | Free for commercial use? | Account? | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Fonts | Every family is open source (mostly OFL). The FAQ says the fonts can be used commercially and "on any surface", and that text turned into vector shapes is an image, not a font. | All | No | terms |
| The League of Moveable Type | A small open-source foundry; every font is OFL. It asks you to credit the designer when you can, though the OFL doesn't require it. | All | No | terms |
| Collletttivo | An Italian collective of open-source type designers; all fonts are OFL for personal and commercial work. | All | No | terms |
| Fontshare | Free fonts from the Indian Type Foundry under its own Free Font License: commercial use and vector files allowed, but the font file can't be shared, even with students. | All, with limits | No | terms |
| Font Library | A library of libre fonts. It accepts OFL, Apache, CC0, CC BY, GPL with font exception and also "freeware", so check each font. | Varies | No | terms |
| Open Foundry | A showcase of open-source fonts that links to each designer; the site says the font's own license wins. | Varies | No | terms |
| UNCUT.wtf | A curated list of free typefaces; each page names the license with a plain-English summary. | Varies | No | terms |
| Font Squirrel | Hand-picked fonts it says are free for commercial use. Its own FAQ says it can't guarantee that and you should read each font's license. Runs ads. | Most | No | terms |
| Adobe Fonts | Included with a Creative Cloud subscription. Selling shirts and merchandise is allowed, but not products made of single letters (an alphabet set) or letting customers pick the font. | With subscription | Yes | terms |
| FontSpace | Mixed licenses. Its help page counts "printing a T-shirt that you will be selling" as commercial use; filter for commercial-use fonts. | Varies | No | terms |
| 1001 Fonts | Mixed. Fonts marked FFP are personal use only; FFC fonts allow commercial use. | Varies | No | terms |
| DaFont | Mostly freeware and personal-use fonts. DaFont says its license label is "just an indication": read the font's own file. | Varies | No | terms |
| Fontesk | Personal use is free by default. Commercial use only where the font's own license says so. | Varies | No | terms |
| Befonts | Many personal-use and demo fonts, plus a paid section. Its own guide says personal-use fonts can't go on merchandise for sale. | Varies | No | terms |
Velvetyne, a well-known open-source foundry, is left out because its site wasn’t loading when we checked. Its fonts we could check on GitLab are OFL.
Fonts in Cricut Design Space
Design Space shows two kinds of fonts: Cricut’s own fonts and “fonts installed on your device (system fonts)” (Cricut: Working with Text). Install a free font on your computer or tablet and it appears under System fonts.
- Cricut fonts and the Angel Policy. Cricut’s Angel Policy lets you sell finished physical projects made with Cricut Access fonts (marked with the “a” icon). It excludes licensed brand fonts, single die-cut letters, digital cut files, logos and runs over 10,000 items a year, and sold items must say “Includes Copyright Materials of Cricut”.
- System fonts follow their own license. The Angel Policy doesn’t cover them. An OFL font from Google Fonts is fine on things you sell; a personal-use font is not, whichever app you cut it in.
- Shared projects. Design Space keeps canvases that use system fonts private when you share them, “to protect the original art” (Cricut help).
Script fonts need a Weld before cutting so the letters cut as one piece. See our guides on uploading SVGs to Design Space and weeding vinyl.
44 free fonts that cut well
All 44 are on Google Fonts under the SIL Open Font License 1.1 or Apache 2.0, confirmed from each family’s files in the google/fonts repository. That means you can use them in things you sell and share them with students.
“Smallest checked cap height” is our own test: we set the words “Hello friends” in each font (bold weight where there is one), at cap heights from 0.3 to 1.5 in, and ran the same software check we use on every cut file for strokes too thin to cut and gaps too narrow to weed in vinyl. It’s a software check, not a test cut on every machine, so cut a test before a big project.
Montserrat
SIL OFL 1.1 · Julieta Ulanovsky, Sol Matas, Juan Pablo del Peral, Jacques Le Bailly
Geometric sans; variable weight goes up to Black (900). Heavy weights give wide strokes and open counters that weed easily.
0.4 in smallest checked cap height
Poppins
SIL OFL 1.1 · Indian Type Foundry, Jonny Pinhorn, Ninad Kale
Geometric sans with even stroke widths; Bold keeps round, open counters.
0.4 in smallest checked cap height
League Spartan
SIL OFL 1.1 · Matt Bailey, Tyler Finck
Variable geometric sans that reaches very heavy weights; blocky shapes suit vinyl lettering and iron-on.
0.5 in smallest checked cap height
Anton
SIL OFL 1.1 · Vernon Adams
Condensed heavy grotesque with thick uniform strokes; fits long words on narrow items like tumblers. Small counters need a large enough size.
0.5 in smallest checked cap height
Bebas Neue
SIL OFL 1.1 · Ryoichi Tsunekawa
All-caps condensed sans with clean straight strokes; easy to weed. Caps only, with no lowercase design.
0.4 in smallest checked cap height
Archivo Black
SIL OFL 1.1 · Omnibus-Type
Single very heavy weight with wide letters and sturdy strokes; good for short words and names.
0.4 in smallest checked cap height
Oswald
SIL OFL 1.1 · Vernon Adams, Kalapi Gajjar, Cyreal
Condensed gothic sans with variable weight; the Bold/SemiBold weights cut cleanly at moderate sizes.
0.5 in smallest checked cap height
Roboto Slab
Apache 2.0 · Christian Robertson
Variable slab serif; the slabs are rectangular, not hairline, so they hold up in vinyl at heavier weights.
0.5 in smallest checked cap height
Arvo
SIL OFL 1.1 · Anton Koovit Reserved name: 'Arvo'.
Geometric slab with a fairly even stroke; the Bold file is included.
0.4 in smallest checked cap height
Alfa Slab One
SIL OFL 1.1 · JM Solé Reserved name: "Alfa Slab"..
Very heavy display slab with thick serifs; works for varsity and farmhouse-style signs.
0.6 in smallest checked cap height
Bevan
SIL OFL 1.1 · Vernon Adams
Heavy slab display face with strong contrast between thick and thin. Keep it large so the thinner joins hold.
0.6 in smallest checked cap height
Nunito
SIL OFL 1.1 · Vernon Adams, Cyreal, Jacques Le Bailly
Rounded-terminal sans with variable weight; the soft ends reduce sharp corners that can lift or tear.
0.4 in smallest checked cap height
Varela Round
SIL OFL 1.1 · Joe Prince Reserved name: 'Varela' and ‘Varela Round’..
Single-weight rounded sans; simple shapes for kids' names and labels.
0.5 in smallest checked cap height
Fredoka
SIL OFL 1.1 · Milena Brandão, Hafontia
Chunky rounded sans with variable weight and width; bubbly heavy weights suit kids' shirts and party decor.
0.4 in smallest checked cap height
Quicksand
SIL OFL 1.1 · Andrew Paglinawan Reserved name: “Quicksand”..
Rounded geometric sans. Use the Bold end of the variable range; light weights are too thin for vinyl.
0.4 in smallest checked cap height
Baloo 2
SIL OFL 1.1 · Ek Type
Heavy, friendly rounded display sans with variable weight; thick strokes and soft corners.
0.4 in smallest checked cap height
Lilita One
SIL OFL 1.1 · Juan Montoreano Reserved name: Lilita.
Single heavy weight with slightly rounded corners; bold and easy to weed.
0.6 in smallest checked cap height
Bungee
SIL OFL 1.1 · David Jonathan Ross
Blocky vertical-friendly signage face designed for stacked letters; uniform thick strokes.
0.4 in smallest checked cap height
Luckiest Guy
Apache 2.0 · Astigmatic
Comic-book style heavy caps with fat strokes; popular for kids' and party projects.
1 in smallest checked cap height
Titan One
SIL OFL 1.1 · Rodrigo Fuenzalida Reserved name: Titan..
Very heavy rounded display face; tiny counters, so cut it at a generous size.
0.5 in smallest checked cap height
Chewy
Apache 2.0 · Sideshow
Playful heavy display face with irregular, bouncy letters; thick strokes.
Two letters nearly touch at normal spacing: weld or add space
Pacifico
SIL OFL 1.1 · Vernon Adams, Jacques Le Bailly, Botjo Nikoltchev, Ani Petrova
Connected brush script with thick strokes; letters touch, so weld usually merges a word into one piece.
1 in smallest checked cap height
Lobster
SIL OFL 1.1 · Impallari Type Reserved name: "Lobster"..
Bold connected script with built-in connecting forms; heavy enough for vinyl. Check the overlaps after welding.
0.75 in smallest checked cap height
Yellowtail
Apache 2.0 · Astigmatic
Connected retro script with moderate stroke weight; weld it and keep it large.
Two letters nearly touch at normal spacing: weld or add space
Damion
SIL OFL 1.1 · Vernon Adams
Casual connected script with medium-thick strokes; weld it before cutting.
0.75 in smallest checked cap height
Leckerli One
SIL OFL 1.1 · Gesine Todt Reserved name: "Leckerli" and "Leckerli One"..
Heavy, playful semi-connected script with thick strokes; some letters do not touch, so check before welding.
0.75 in smallest checked cap height
Kaushan Script
SIL OFL 1.1 · Impallari Type Reserved name: Kaushan Script..
Brushy script with thick strokes but rough edges and some gaps between letters; cut it larger and check the connections.
1.5 in smallest checked cap height
Grand Hotel
SIL OFL 1.1 · Astigmatic Reserved name: "Grand Hotel".
Connected 1930s-style script with moderate weight; weld it and avoid small sizes.
Two letters nearly touch at normal spacing: weld or add space
Cookie
SIL OFL 1.1 · Ania Kruk Reserved name: "Cookie"..
Connected brush-pen script; strokes are thinner than Pacifico's, so use larger sizes.
1.5 in smallest checked cap height
Satisfy
Apache 2.0 · Sideshow
Connected brush script; strokes are on the thinner side, so it is better for HTV/paper at large size than for small vinyl.
1.25 in smallest checked cap height
Patrick Hand
SIL OFL 1.1 · Patrick Wagesreiter
Neat print handwriting with even strokes; reads like a teacher's hand, good for labels.
0.5 in smallest checked cap height
Gochi Hand
SIL OFL 1.1 · HT Fonts Reserved name: "Gochi" and "Gochi Hand".
Casual marker-style handwriting with medium-thick strokes.
0.75 in smallest checked cap height
Caveat Brush
SIL OFL 1.1 · Impallari Type
Brush-marker handwriting with thicker strokes than regular Caveat.
0.5 in smallest checked cap height
Schoolbell
Apache 2.0 · Font Diner
Chalkboard-style handwriting; strokes are fairly thin, so use it large or on paper/cardstock.
0.6 in smallest checked cap height
Short Stack
SIL OFL 1.1 · James Grieshaber Reserved name: "Short Stack"..
Childlike rounded handwriting print with thick, even strokes.
0.4 in smallest checked cap height
Comic Neue
SIL OFL 1.1 · Craig Rozynski, Hrant Papazian
Cleaned-up casual comic-style face; the Bold file gives solid, readable strokes for classroom labels.
0.4 in smallest checked cap height
Allerta Stencil
SIL OFL 1.1 · Matt McInerney Reserved name: Allerta..
Stencil sans: bridges keep the counters of O, A, and similar letters attached, so nothing drops out. Good for painted-sign stencils.
0.6 in smallest checked cap height
Stardos Stencil
SIL OFL 1.1 · Vernon Adams Reserved name: "Stardos" and "Stardos Stencil"..
Military-style stencil serif with built-in bridges; Bold file included.
0.75 in smallest checked cap height
Big Shoulders Stencil
SIL OFL 1.1 · Patric King
Condensed stencil display face with variable weight; built-in bridges. Use the heavier weights for vinyl stencils.
0.75 in smallest checked cap height
Saira Stencil
SIL OFL 1.1 · Hector Gatti, Omnibus-Type
Single-weight technical stencil sans with consistent bridges. (Google Fonts now lists it as Saira Stencil; we tested the Saira Stencil One file.)
0.6 in smallest checked cap height
Lexend
SIL OFL 1.1 · Bonnie Shaver-Troup, Thomas Jockin, Santiago Orozco, Héctor Gómez, Superunion Reserved name: “RevReading Lexend”..
Designed to improve reading fluency (per its project), with wide spacing and simple shapes. Variable weight; use SemiBold or Bold for vinyl labels.
0.3 in smallest checked cap height
Atkinson Hyperlegible
SIL OFL 1.1 · Braille Institute, Applied Design Works, Elliott Scott, Megan Eiswerth, Linus Boman, Theodore Petrosky
Braille Institute typeface built so similar letters (I/l/1, O/0) look different; Bold file included.
0.4 in smallest checked cap height
Atkinson Hyperlegible Next
SIL OFL 1.1 · Braille Institute, Applied Design Works, Elliott Scott, Megan Eiswerth, Letters From Sweden
Expanded variable-weight follow-up to Atkinson Hyperlegible (more weights and languages).
0.4 in smallest checked cap height
Andika
SIL OFL 1.1 · SIL International Reserved name: "Andika" and "SIL"..
SIL sans designed for beginning readers and literacy, with clear, distinct letterforms (single-story a and g); Bold file included.
0.3 in smallest checked cap height
Free cut-test files
41 cut-test ladders: “Hello friends” in each font at its smallest checked size and the next sizes up. Cut one in your vinyl and you’ll know how small that font can go on your machine.
⬇ All 41 test files (ZIP, 2.7 MB)
SVG for Design Space and Silhouette Designer Edition, DXF for Silhouette Studio Basic, PNG previews, and a README listing each font’s license and designer. The files are outlines, not fonts: to type your own words, download the font from Google Fonts. You may print, cut and share these files; please don’t sell them.
Free icon sets
Icon fonts and SVG icon sets show up on the same library guides as fonts. These three are free for commercial use:
- Material Symbols / Material Icons (Google): Google's icon set under Apache 2.0: free for commercial use, including things you sell. (license)
- Font Awesome Free: Free icons are CC BY 4.0 (as SVG), the icon fonts OFL, the code MIT. Commercial use is allowed; credit is required, and the comments inside the files count for normal use. (license)
- Bootstrap Icons: MIT License: use, change and sell freely; keep the notice if you share the files. (license)
Font links that moved
Font sites change hands and move pages often. If your guide links to any of these, here is where each one goes now.
| Old link | What happened (checked October 6, 2026) | Link this instead |
|---|---|---|
www.fontshop.com/free-fonts | Page not found. FontShop's home page says the shop moved to MyFonts. There is no free-font list there. | Google Fonts, or the sources table above |
www.fontfont.com/ | Redirects to a FontShop page that no longer exists. The FontFont library is now sold on MyFonts. | FontFont on MyFonts |
new.myfonts.com/ | Old beta address that no longer resolves. | MyFonts (commercial fonts) |
www.urbanfonts.com/free-fonts.htm | Page not found; the UrbanFonts home page is still up. | UrbanFonts home |
www.stockio.com/free-fonts/ | Stockio's font section is gone; the address forwards to a different site's home page. | Google Fonts |
www.1001fonts.com/dingbat+icons-fonts.html | Page not found; the category moved. | 1001 Fonts dingbats (check each license) |
www.google.com/webfonts | The original Google Web Fonts address now shows Google's error page. | Google Fonts |
fonts.google.com/specimen/Source+Sans+Pro | Page not found. The family is now listed as Source Sans 3. | Source Sans 3 |
fonts.google.com/specimen/Droid+Serif | Page not found; Droid Serif is no longer in Google Fonts. | Noto Serif, the usual substitute |
scripts.sil.org/cms/scripts/page.php?site_id=nrsi&id=OFL | Still redirects, to the license's new home. | openfontlicense.org |
material.io/resources/icons/?style=baseline | Redirects through two addresses; the icons now live on Google Fonts. | Material Symbols on Google Fonts |
fontawesome.io/icons/ | Redirects to the Font Awesome home page, not the icon list. | Font Awesome icons |
www.typesociety.org/ | The domain no longer loads. SOTA's pages are on the TypeCon site. | SOTA on typecon.com |
www.fontspace.com/new-waltograph-font-f22088 | Page not found. The designer's own site marks Waltograph non-commercial. | Designer's page (personal use only) |
www.FontMesa.com | The domain is parked. | No replacement found |
pixelify.net/downloads/category/fonts/ | Page not found; the domain is now an unrelated lifestyle blog. | No replacement; don't link the domain |
Printable font license checklist
Four questions to answer before you sell something made with a font, or copy a font onto shared computers. Keep the filled-in sheet with your project records.
Font license checklist
1. Where did it come from?
- The designer’s or foundry’s own site, or Google Fonts
- A free-font directory: open the font’s own license file, not just the label
- Shared by a friend or a Facebook group: find the original source first
2. What does the license file say?
- OFL, Apache, Ubuntu, CC0: free to use in things you sell
- CC BY: allowed, but you must give credit
- “Personal use only” or “demo”: nothing that earns money
- No license file at all: treat it as personal use only
3. What are you making?
- A shirt, decal, sign or card to sell (even at a fundraiser): commercial use
- A cut file or printable you sell: check the license allows “vector files” or outlines
- A single-letter or alphabet product: some licenses forbid it
- Customers pick the font: some licenses forbid it
4. Sharing with students or patrons?
- OFL / Apache: you may share the font file with its license
- Fontshare and most freeware: each person downloads it from the source
From the free font license guide at cleancutsvg.com/free-fonts-for-cricut-license-guide. Plain-English summary, not legal advice. You may print and share this sheet.
Common questions
Can I use Google Fonts on shirts and decals I sell?
Yes. Google Fonts says its fonts can be used commercially, including on products you sell. Most are under the SIL Open Font License, which lets you use the font in anything you make. The only thing you can't do is sell the font file itself.
Is a font labeled "free for personal use" OK for a school fundraiser shirt?
Usually not. Sites like FontSpace and 1001 Fonts count a shirt or item sold for money as commercial use, even for a good cause. Pick an OFL or Apache font instead, or buy the commercial license.
Can I give a font file to my students or makerspace patrons?
Only if the license allows sharing. OFL and Apache fonts can be shared with their license file. Fontshare fonts and most freeware can't: each person downloads the font from the original site.
Do I have to credit the font designer?
Not for OFL, Apache or CC0 fonts, though designers appreciate it. CC BY fonts and icons, such as Font Awesome Free, do require credit.
Does Cricut's Angel Policy cover fonts installed on my computer?
No. The Angel Policy covers Cricut's own content, such as Cricut Access fonts. Fonts installed on your computer (system fonts) follow their own licenses.
Cite or link this page
No ads, no sign-up, nothing to buy. You’re welcome to link this page from a library guide, a design course page or a makerspace handout.
APA: Clean Cut SVG. (2026, October 6). Free fonts for Cricut and class projects: What the licenses allow. https://cleancutsvg.com/free-fonts-for-cricut-license-guide/
MLA: “Free Fonts for Cricut and Class Projects: What the Licenses Allow.” Clean Cut SVG, 6 Oct. 2026, cleancutsvg.com/free-fonts-for-cricut-license-guide/.
This page summarizes licenses in plain English; it isn’t legal advice, and the license text always wins. Licenses and sites were checked October 6, 2026 and will be re-checked quarterly. Spot something out of date? Email hello@cleancutsvg.com. Clean Cut SVG is independent and not affiliated with Cricut, Google or any font source listed here.
More for makerspaces and classrooms
The Cricut makerspace guide has a materials and settings chart; the copyright-safe images guide does for pictures what this page does for fonts.