Custom Ink News & Events

Best Fonts for Business T-shirts

Kate Degen Posted By Kate Degen —

Kate wants her work to impact the little but important moments in people’s lives—like birthdays, anniversaries, and family celebrations. She loves coming up with witty copy that might inspire someone to create an awesome t-shirt!


One of the most important parts of business is your branding. Colors and logos are important, but you can’t forget about your fonts. With the right fonts (also known as typefaces) you can make your business signage and marketing materials stand out from the rest. Below are some of our recommendations for establishing your business’ “look” with the best fonts for business t-shirts.

Font Categories

First, a quick primer on fonts. There are two main font styles–serif and sans serif:
  1. A serif font has short lines at the ends of the letters, making it look less blocky. One of the most popular serif fonts that you might know is Times.
  2. Sans serif fonts are just that–a font “sans” or without serif. A common sans serif font is Arial.
Examples of other font categories are: script, handwritten, Greek, and decorative fonts, which you’ll see in some of our examples below and categorized in our Design Lab.

Our Best Fonts for Business Picks

For business materials and business t-shirts, we’ve narrowed it down to include fonts in the three main styles we know businesses look for: bold, standard, and playful. In the graphic below, you’ll also see these fonts in font pairings, as well as some of our favorite business templates that use these fonts. best fonts for business t-shirts

9 Bold Fonts for Business T-shirts

  1. Aachen Bold
  2. Bourton Base
  3. Eveleth Solid
  4. ITC Motter Corpus
  5. Luxury Diamond
  6. Neutra Slab
  7. Neutra Titling
  8. Taberna Serif Black
  9. Veneer Solid

10 Standard Fonts for Business T-shirts

  1. Arial
  2. Chalet
  3. Chalet Comprime
  4. Copperplate
  5. Eames Bold
  6. Garamond
  7. Helvetica
  8. Neutra Medium
  9. Rockwell
  10. Trajan Pro B

8 Playful Fonts for Business T-shirts

  1. Aromatica Script
  2. Distillery Strong
  3. Drop Dead Gorgeous
  4. Garden Grown Script
  5. House Script
  6. Lifehack Caps
  7. Local Brewery
  8. Signalist

Any Business Can Use Fonts

When it comes to the fonts Custom Ink customers use for their businesses, we see that many of them use bold, standard fonts that are easily scalable. When businesses design something for an event or outing, or for a specific department, more playful fonts are often paired with the company’s logo or a unique design. And don’t think that you have to be a graphic designer or work in a creative field to use fonts effectively for your business! Businesses we see use our fonts the most include first responders, landscaping, contractors, and large businesses such as sports & government. So you can save lives or build houses, and design an amazing t-shirt, too!

Pairing Fonts

Almost as important as choosing a font is pairing multiple fonts. Pairing two unique fonts together adds depth and style to your design. You’ll see in our graphic above some of our favorite fonts to pair together. Using Garden Grown Script with LifeHack Caps is perfect for a fun and approachable business. The script is feminine and makes for a great headline, while the playful font is perfect and easy to read for subheadlines and longer areas of text. For something a bit more serious, we love pairing Luxury Diamond with Copperplate. The bold Luxury Diamond gives the design a high-end look and the standard fav Copperplate complements it without being overpowering. If you’re ready to start designing your business t-shirts, head to our Design Lab and check out all of our fun fonts. If you need more inspiration, check out our business templates.

Our Top Picks for Business T-shirts

Most businesses start with a polo for the team, a cotton tee for events, and a hat for giveaways. The 3 picks below cover all three.

Sport-Tek RacerMesh Performance Polo - Printed

Sport-Tek RacerMesh Performance Polo – Printed

  • Polo for a polished company look
  • Logo on the chest
Bayside USA-Made Jersey T-shirt

Bayside USA-Made Jersey T-shirt

  • Made-in-the-USA cotton tee for events
  • Bold logo on the front
47 Brand Clean Up Baseball Hat - Embroidered

47 Brand Clean Up Baseball Hat – Embroidered

  • Embroidered hat for giveaways
  • Logo on the front

Design Your Own Business Shirts

Business Fonts FAQ

Which fonts read best on a business shirt?

Bold, simple fonts read best from a distance, like a clean sans serif or a slab serif.

How many fonts should one design use?

Two at most. Pair a bold headline font with a simple font for smaller text.

When should we order company shirts?

Order a few weeks before you need them. That leaves time to approve the design, collect sizes, and have the shirts arrive in time.

Can I get help with the design?

Yes. Start in the Design Lab, and Custom Ink’s Inkers can help with fonts, colors, and placement.

More Custom Ink News & Events


Kate wants her work to impact the little but important moments in people’s lives—like birthdays, anniversaries, and family celebrations. She loves coming up with witty copy that might inspire someone to create an awesome t-shirt!

Start Designing