Darker Grotesque Font

Darker Grotesque is a sans serif font designed by Gabriel Lam and published by TypeRant (2019). Simple, open letter shapes keep it easy to read at almost any size, from app buttons to big headlines. You get seven styles in one free ZIP, and the preview above lets you test each one before you download.

Darker Grotesque Font Details

• Designer: Gabriel Lam
• Publisher: TypeRant
• Year: 2019 (from the copyright line in the font)
• Category: Sans serif font
• Font styles: 7 (Regular, Light, Medium, SemiBold, Bold, ExtraBold and Black)
• Weights: Light (300) to Black (900)
• Glyphs: 575 in the Regular style
• Characters: A–Z, a–z, 0–9 and basic punctuation
• Languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese and Italian
• OpenType features: Ligatures (including optional ones), one stylistic set and fractions
• Kerning: Built in
• Version: 1.000
• Download: Free ZIP (267.4 KB) with eight TTF files

What You Can Type With Darker Grotesque

Darker Grotesque covers the full alphabet in upper and lowercase, plus all ten numbers, so you can set names, dates and prices without switching fonts. Everyday marks like &, !, ? and @ are there too. Thanks to its accented letters, it also works for Spanish, French, German, Portuguese and Italian, not just English.

How to Use the Alternate Letters in Darker Grotesque

Darker Grotesque has a stylistic set and optional ligatures built in as OpenType features. In Illustrator and InDesign, open the Glyphs panel (Window > Type) and select a letter to see its alternates. In Photoshop, use Window > Glyphs. Figma shows them under the text settings as OpenType features. Microsoft Word can switch on stylistic sets in the Font dialog under Advanced. Canva and Cricut Design Space can't reach OpenType alternates, so for those, set the word in a desktop app first and import it as an SVG. Its ligatures switch on by themselves in most design apps: certain letter pairs join into one specially drawn shape.

Where Darker Grotesque Works Best

Darker Grotesque is a natural fit for websites, app screens and clean logos. It works for headings and body text alike. If the download has several weights, use a heavier one for titles and a lighter one for paragraphs. Because the family has more than one style, you can mix them in a single design for headings, subheadings and highlights.

Darker Grotesque Font FAQs

Is Darker Grotesque font free to download?

Yes, Darker Grotesque is a free download here (free ZIP (267.4 KB) with eight TTF files), no sign-up needed. For commercial projects, read the license note on this page first, since that's set by the designer.

Who designed Darker Grotesque font?

Darker Grotesque was designed by Gabriel Lam and published by TypeRant. The copyright line inside the font is dated 2019.

How do I install Darker Grotesque on Windows or Mac?

Unzip the download first. On Windows, right-click the font file and choose Install. On a Mac, double-click it and click Install Font. The ZIP contains TTF files, which work on Windows, Mac, Cricut and almost every app. Restart any app that was already open so it picks up Darker Grotesque.

How do I get the alternate letters and swashes in Darker Grotesque?

They are OpenType features, so pick them from the Glyphs panel in Illustrator, InDesign or Photoshop, or the OpenType settings in Figma. Canva and Cricut can't reach them directly; design the word in a desktop app and import it as an SVG.

Can I use Darker Grotesque in Canva and Cricut?

Canva lets you upload it on Pro, Teams and other plans with font uploads (Brand Kit > Upload a font); free accounts can't upload fonts. For Cricut Design Space, install it on your computer first and it shows up under System fonts.

Does Darker Grotesque support accented letters?

Yes. Darker Grotesque includes the accented letters needed for Spanish, French, German, Portuguese and Italian, so it works for more than just English.

What fonts pair well with Darker Grotesque?

For more contrast, pair it with a serif like Playfair Display or Merriweather in your headings.