Typography is an enjoyable and useful hobby and one that has overtaken the design world. Because the font is such an integral part of the overall layout of a design, creating lettering is as relevant as it is artistic – which is why so many have dived in and begun making their own.

Whether it is for a project or just for fun, it helps to have the right tools. Typographers most often seem to use Photoshop (no surprises there) and so are always on the lookout for new bits and pieces to enhance the experience and make it easier to generate high-quality letter samples.

Finding brushes to use is easy enough, and many of them are open source and, therefore, free. All you have to do is download the zip files, export them to C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CSx\Presets\Brushes\ (or Applications/Adobe Photoshop CSx/Presets/Brushes/ for you Apple fans), and then load the brushes through Photoshops Brush Options.

These 10 Photoshop brushes are every typographer’s dream.

Smoking Alphabet

Fonts that have been made to look like they are smoking are a dime a dozen. Normally, I am not much of a fun of the style. But these are better than most, as they actually look like the smoke is making up the letters themselves. There is a genuine airy touch to the alphabet, with great detail swirling in spirals against each one.

The transparency of the font is also nice, with the details making up enough of a border to easily read.

Grafabet

These are only the brushes, not the font. But the colors and the shape of the graffiti-inspired tools are really well made. It has a nice, thick border with a white center that makes it more unique than a lot of other street-art Photoshop brush packs.

It could be very useful for people who want an urban look that has been further stylized and easier to read, though there is some issue with the thickness of the overall brush making it harder to distinguish smaller lettering.

BLOQD

If you like block letters – especially bulky, squared ones – you will love these brushes. Simple outlines are used, and so it is great for patterned backgrounds.

The creator showcased the font by putting it up against a wood background made by another artist. There are also different intensities of the black, with one also done in gray. It is dark enough to be seen and has a nice effect for faded images.

Alphabet Newspaper Tears

Just what they sound like, these brushes provide letters that look like they have been pulled from a newspaper. However, there is no letter “Q,” as the designer says she was not able to find one.

There are extra words, though, such as “plus,” “free,” “war,” “attack,” “fashion,” “beauty” and “fabulous.” So as long as you don’t need to spell anything like “quiche,” you should be fine.

Line Brushes + Complete ABC

This is a unique and cool-looking set that could be very useful for a number of projects. It comes with a complete alphabet already made, as well as the full brush set.

The lines are similar to what you might find with calligraphy. They are very attractive and seem like they could be functional for most modern art or designs.

100×100 Braille

There is a shocking lack of good Braille brushes for Photoshop that don’t have to be purchased in expensive packages. This one is more than just decent, and it is completely free with proper attribution. It is just a simple A-Z alphabet, which connects to your keyboard so you can write out Braille prior to proper printing.

Stenciled Letters

These are basic stencil brushes, but they have a bit of a twist. They have been made in that classic ’90s grunge style that you will probably remember from T-shirts, CD covers and posters of the time.

There is some nice detail that makes it look like it has been printed on the cheap. The artist asks that the main page be alerted of use as well as proper credit given.

Alphabet Borders and Imagepack

Each brush comes with its own image brush, and there are 26 in all. Each piece is 100 by 100, so it’s perfect for making icons or avatars as well as awesome calendar design. The lettering is very architectural in design and different than anything else I have seen out there.

While there is a classy, professional flare in the overall look, it’s semi-casual. These brushes would be great for a presentation or print job.

Elegant Letters LS

These are gorgeous, gilded-looking letters with a very classic look. The looping and the partial cursive are further enhanced by the use of nature imagery like leaves and vines entwined with the font. But they do it in a simple way that keeps it from being overdone like some that use the same concept.

Art Alphabet

This is a brilliant set of brushes. The lettering is all really unique, with a sketched look done in what appears to be black pen. But it all looks very ink and quill rather than ballpoint. The shading is well done, and the little details are adorable. The whole thing reminds me a bit of Shel Silverstein and his books of children’s poetry.

Typography is popular, and Photoshop is the program of choice. Luckily, brushes seem to be coming out by the day from users who are just as excited by the art form as you are – which is why sites like DeviantArt have whole groups and categories dedicated to what they come up with.

Do you have a brush pack that you are really impressed with? Maybe you have made one yourself? Let us know in the comments and be sure to give a link to the download page!

Jennifer Moline writes about freelancing, small business and design for the PsPrint Blog. PsPrint is an online printing solutions company, which you can follow on Twitter.