Metaphor Font

Metaphor is a basic font made by Barrett Reid-Maroney. It's a no-fuss, easy-to-read font that does its job without shouting for attention. It's a free download, and you can try it with your own text in the preview above first.

Metaphor Font Details

• Designer: Barrett Reid-Maroney
• Category: Basic font
• Font styles: 1 (Bold)
• Weight: Bold (700)
• Glyphs: 144
• Characters: A–Z, a–z, 0–9 and basic punctuation
• Languages: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Italian
• OpenType features: Ligatures (including optional ones)
• Kerning: Built in
• Version: 1.006
• Download: Free ZIP (28.0 KB) with one OTF file

What You Can Type With Metaphor

You get every letter from A to Z in both cases and all the numbers from 0 to 9, which means Metaphor can handle full sentences, dates and prices. Everyday marks like &, !, ? and @ are there too. Thanks to its accented letters, it also works for Spanish, French, Portuguese and Italian, not just English.

How to Use the Alternate Letters in Metaphor

Metaphor has 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. 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.

Where Metaphor Works Best

Designers usually reach for fonts like Metaphor when they're making everyday text, websites and clean logos. Fonts like this are workhorses: use them for body text, captions and anything people need to read quickly.

Metaphor Font FAQs

Is Metaphor font free to download?

Yes. You can download Metaphor for free from this page: free ZIP (28.0 KB) with one OTF file. Free to download doesn't always mean free for business use, so check the license section on this page before you use it in anything you sell.

Who designed Metaphor font?

Metaphor was designed by Barrett Reid-Maroney.

How do I install Metaphor on Windows or Mac?

Extract the ZIP file, then open the font file inside it. Click Install on Windows or Install Font on a Mac. The ZIP contains OTF files, which work on Windows, Mac and in every major design app. Restart any app that was already open so it picks up Metaphor.

How do I get the alternate letters and swashes in Metaphor?

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 Metaphor 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 Metaphor support accented letters?

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

What fonts pair well with Metaphor?

Add a more decorative display font for the headline if your design needs extra personality.