28 Broken Fonts That ‘Shatter’ Your Expectations In this article:See more ▼Post may contain affiliate links which give us commissions at no cost to you.Broken fonts are exactly what they sound like – typefaces that appear deliberately fractured, glitched, deconstructed, or otherwise “broken” in ways that challenge visual expectations. They have an undeniable edge to them that feels rebellious, experimental, and thoroughly modern. In this post, I’ll be diving deep into the best broken fonts to try in 2025. We’ll explore: Essential tips for selecting the perfect broken font What gives broken fonts their disruptive, edgy aesthetic The best applications for broken fonts (and where to avoid them) Excellent broken font alternatives to consider Answers to common broken font questions And much more. Let’s dive in! 👋 Psst... Did you know you can get unlimited downloads of 59,000+ fonts and millions of other creative assets for just $16.95/mo? Learn more »The Most Shattered Broken Fonts of 2025 Let’s face it, not all broken fonts are created equal. Some convey a subtle digital glitch while others look like they’ve been through a digital blender. I’ve compiled a list of my favorite “shattered” broken fonts at the moment. Here they are: Broken Font Broken Font is a versatile typeface that combines script, handwritten, decorative, and sans-serif styles. It offers a unique blend of simplicity and vintage charm, making it suitable for a wide range of design projects that require a touch of nostalgia or character.Broken Wings Broken Wings is a sans-serif font that brings a distinctive edge to typography. Its broken aesthetic adds visual interest while maintaining readability, making it ideal for headlines, logos, or any design that needs to convey a sense of edginess or unconventionality.Broken Silence Broken Silence is a stencil font featuring a stencil-like design with an urban flair. Its fractured appearance and bold lines make it perfect for creating impactful designs in street art, posters, or any project requiring a raw, urban aesthetic.Broken Wood Font Broken Wood Font is a decorative typeface that mimics the appearance of splintered or cracked wood. Its unique texture and organic feel make it an excellent choice for rustic, nature-inspired designs or projects that require a rugged, weathered look.Get 300+ Fonts for FREEEnter your email to download our 100% free "Font Lover's Bundle". For commercial & personal use. No royalties. No fees. No attribution. 100% free to use anywhere. Bigger Cracks Sans Serif Decotive Font This font combines sans-serif simplicity with decorative cracks, offering a striking visual impact. It’s perfect for designs that need to balance readability with a touch of grunge or distress, ideal for posters, headlines, or branding that aims to stand out.Grounded Cracked Font Family Grounded Cracked is a unique sans-serif font family featuring a cracked texture. This versatile set offers various weights and styles, making it suitable for a range of design applications that require a balance of legibility and visual interest.Fracture Dreams Crack Graffiti Horror Display Font Fracture Dreams is a bold, decorative font that combines cracked textures with a bold style like the popular Impact font. Its horror-themed design makes it perfect for creating eerie, unsettling visuals for movie posters, book covers, or Halloween-themed projects.Urban Plaza Display Font Urban Plaza is a unique sans-serif display font with a rough, textured appearance. Its urban-inspired design makes it ideal for creating bold headlines, logos, or branding materials that need to convey a sense of grit and authenticity.Fractura Font Fractura is a decorative font featuring bold, cracked letterforms. Its dramatic appearance makes it perfect for creating attention-grabbing headlines, posters, or logos, especially in designs that aim to convey strength, impact, or a sense of breaking through.Thelor Cevlok – A Display Font Thelor Cevlok is a sans-serif display font with a unique textured appearance. Its distinctive character makes it suitable for creating eye-catching headlines, logos, or branding materials that require a balance of modernity and visual interest.Petrified Section Graffiti Horror Display Font Petrified Section is a decorative font that combines blackletter style with graffiti and horror elements. Its intricate, scary design makes it perfect for creating chilling visuals for horror-themed projects, album covers, or Halloween designs.Groovy Knock Groovy Knock is a decorative display font with an edgy, retro-inspired design. Its unique character makes it ideal for creating eye-catching headlines, posters, or branding materials that aim to capture a funky, vintage vibe with a modern twist.Groovy Volcano Groovy Volcano is a decorative display font with a hand-drawn, organic feel. Its playful, energetic and wavy design makes it perfect for creating lively headlines, posters, or branding materials, especially for projects that aim to convey a sense of fun and creativity.Cracking Sans – Another Cartoon Font Cracking Sans is a unique sans-serif font with a cartoon-inspired, textured appearance. Its playful design and cracked texture make it ideal for children’s books, animated projects, or any design that requires a fun, lighthearted feel with a touch of quirkiness.Asphalt Crack – Distressed Cartoon Typeface Asphalt Crack is a distressed, superhero-style font that combines sans-serif simplicity with decorative elements. Its unique texture makes it perfect for branding and advertising projects that require a balance of playfulness and urban grit.The Quakeer – Display Font The Quakeer is a script and handwritten display font with a horror-movie inspired design. Its eerie, shaky appearance makes it perfect for creating unsettling visuals for horror films, book covers, or Halloween-themed projects that aim to evoke a sense of unease.Breaking The Comic -Bold Playful Comic Font Breaking The Comic is a bold, playful font that combines sans-serif and decorative elements. Its lively design makes it perfect for children’s books, animated projects, or any design that requires a fun, energetic feel with high readability.Break Jumps Font Break Jumps is a decorative font with a unique, fragmented appearance. Its distinctive design makes it ideal for creating eye-catching typography in posters, logos, or branding materials, especially for projects that aim to convey a sense of dynamism or disruption.Stone Breaker Stone Breaker is a decorative font that mimics the appearance of carved or broken stone. Its rugged texture and bold design make it perfect for creating impactful headlines, logos, or branding materials, especially for projects related to construction, archaeology, or nature.Cursed Stone Cursed Stone is a textured font with stone-like vibes. Its eerie design makes it ideal for creating chilling visuals for horror movies, book covers, or Halloween-themed projects that aim to evoke a sense of ancient curses or supernatural dread.Cave Stone – prehistoric cartoon font Cave Stone is a sans-serif font with a prehistoric, cartoon-inspired design. Its playful, stone-like texture makes it perfect for children’s books, educational materials about prehistory, or any project that requires a fun, primitive aesthetic.Stone Man – Rock Texture Font Stone Man is a decorative display font with a realistic rock texture. Its rugged, three-dimensional appearance makes it ideal for creating impactful headlines, logos, or branding materials, especially for projects related to nature, outdoor activities, or geology.The Stack Stone – Display Font The Stack Stone is a decorative display font that mimics stacked or piled stones. Its unique design makes it perfect for creating eye-catching typography in posters, logos, or branding materials, especially for projects related to construction, landscaping, or natural themes.Stone Skin Horror Grunge Font Stone Skin is a decorative font with a horror-inspired, grungy texture resembling rough stone. Its unsettling design makes it ideal for creating eerie visuals for horror movies, book covers, or Halloween-themed projects that require a raw, unsettling aesthetic.Brick Stones – SVG Color Font Brick Stones is a decorative SVG color font that mimics the appearance of cartoon-style bricks. Its playful design and color options make it perfect for creating eye-catching typography in children’s books, animated projects, or any design that requires a fun, buildable aesthetic.Stoner Hexago – Stone & Typeface Font Stoner Hexago is a decorative font that combines a stone-like texture with geometric elements. Its unique design, reminiscent of both grotesk and marker styles, makes it ideal for creating distinctive typography in posters, logos, or branding materials with a modern edge.Burgystone – Bold Graffiti Font Burgystone is a bold, decorative font inspired by graffiti art. Its strong, urban-inspired design makes it perfect for creating impactful headlines, logos, or branding materials, especially for projects related to street culture, music, or youth-oriented brands.Brown Stones a Cartoon SVG Color Font Brown Stones is a playful SVG color font that combines sans-serif simplicity with decorative, cartoon-like stone textures. Its versatile design makes it suitable for creating fun typography in children’s books, comics, or any project that requires a balance of readability and whimsical charm.What Makes Broken Fonts Feel So Disruptive? Broken fonts get their rebellious, edgy personality from a few key characteristics: Fragmented Letterforms First, the fragmentation. Broken fonts feature letters styled as if they’ve been shattered – with jagged edges, missing pieces, or fractured elements. This gives letterforms an incomplete yet intentional appearance that immediately signals something different is happening. The “breakage” creates letters that feel deliberately damaged yet artistically controlled. The fragments can appear to be falling apart or reassembling, creating visual tension that draws the eye. Technological Distortion Most broken fonts also feature digital distortions that mimic technology errors. Glitches, pixelation, scan lines, and noise elements suggest digital malfunction or corruption. This gives a contemporary, tech-inspired edge even to otherwise traditional letter shapes. The similarities with actual software errors or hardware malfunctions continues in the vertical rhythm. Elements might appear to “lag” or stutter, evoking that same glitchy digital movement. Unpredictable Patterns and Chaos Finally, broken fonts often incorporate controlled chaos. These unpredictable elements like varying break patterns or inconsistent damage effects create visual interest. The combination of order (the recognizable letter) and disorder (the breakage) creates a fascinating tension. Altogether these traits – fragmentation, digital distortion, and controlled chaos – define the disruptive attitude of a broken font. Where Can You Use Broken Fonts? Now that we understand what makes broken fonts tick, where can we actually use them in designs? Their disruptive vibe makes broken fonts particularly suited for: Tech and Digital Branding Broken fonts are a fantastic choice for brands in technology, gaming, digital services, or innovative startups looking to position themselves as disruptors. For example, cybersecurity firms, game development studios, digital agencies, tech conferences, and forward-thinking software companies can all benefit from the innovative, cutting-edge feel conveyed by an appropriate broken font in their visual identity. Music and Entertainment In a similar vein, broken fonts make striking choices for music, particularly electronic, industrial, or experimental genres. Album covers, gig posters, artist websites, merch designs, and music festival branding can all leverage broken fonts for maximum impact. Editorial and Magazine Design Broken fonts add visual interest and create statement moments in editorial layouts. They’re perfect for feature headlines, pull quotes, or section dividers in magazines covering technology, music, avant-garde art, or fashion. Apparel and Streetwear Broken fonts lend serious edge to t-shirts, hoodies, and other streetwear. They make designs feel more contemporary and catch the eye with their unconventional appearance. Great for urban fashion brands, skate culture, or any street-inspired aesthetic. Experimental Art Projects For art exhibitions, experimental films, digital installations, or other creative projects, a fractured typeface can reinforce themes of disruption, fragmentation, or technology’s impact on communication. Where to Avoid Broken Fonts While fantastic for many applications, there are certain uses where broken fonts may not make the best choice. Namely in contexts requiring: Clarity and Legibility For body text, essential information, wayfinding, or any context where quick and easy reading is critical – legal documents, medical information, instructional manuals, emergency signage – standard, highly legible typefaces are mandatory. Broken fonts, by their intentionally fragmented nature, sacrifice some degree of immediate legibility for visual interest. Professionalism/Traditional Authority For formal corporate business, legal, medical, financial contexts, broken fonts likely feel too experimental and diminish perceived professionalism and reliability. In these cases, traditional serifs or clean sans serifs that feel established, trustworthy, and conventional make more appropriate choices. Heritage and Longevity For designs celebrating heritage, history, or conveying timelessness, broken fonts feel too contemporary and trendy. Traditional typefaces that have stood the test of time better communicate historical significance and permanence. Museums, luxury goods, established corporations, and historical societies often opt for classic, well-known typefaces instead. So while striking and impactful for scores of creative uses, thoughtfully evaluate context when deciding if a broken font makes sense. Their experimental nature may undermine certain aesthetics or messages requiring stability and tradition. How to Pick the Perfect Broken Font To choose an excellent broken font matching your needs, first reflect on: Degree of Breakage Consider how “broken” you want your text to appear. Subtle fractures maintain better readability while still adding edge. Heavily broken fonts create more visual impact but sacrifice some legibility. Match the level of disruption to your communication goals. A lightly fragmented font might work for a headline that needs to be immediately understood, while a heavily glitched font could work for a single word or short phrase meant to create visual drama. Breakage Style Analyze what type of “broken” aesthetic best fits your concept. Pixelated glitches? Shattered glass effect? Corrupted data appearance? Acid deterioration? Each style of breakage communicates different associations and emotions. Tech-inspired digital glitches feel contemporary and related to software, while shattered or cracked effects may suggest physical impact and analog damage. Choose breakage type that reinforces your concept. Base Font Style Look at the underlying font style before the breakage effects. Is it serif? Sans-serif? Script? The base typography still influences the overall impression even after being “broken.” A broken serif might retain some traditional qualities while a broken script creates interesting tension between elegance and disruption. Consider what base characteristics will shine through the fragmentation. Context and Scale Factor in where and how your broken font will be displayed. Large applications allow for more intricate fracturing details, while smaller uses may require simpler breaks to remain effective. Test broken fonts at your intended display size to ensure the fragmentation effects remain visible and impactful without becoming muddy or illegible. With these factors in mind, matching an appropriate broken font to your specific project becomes much more intuitive! Fantastic Broken Font Alternatives While broken fonts themselves inject disruptive energy into designs, alternatives can provide that edgy, experimental allure too. Some top options include: Distressed Fonts Distressed fonts with worn, eroded, or weathered appearances create a different type of “broken” aesthetic focusing on age and deterioration rather than fragmentation. These worn letterforms still communicate disruption of perfect typography. Experimental Display Fonts Highly experimental display fonts with unusual construction, extreme proportions, or unconventional letter building principles can create visual interest without actual “breakage.” These boundary-pushing designs challenge typographic norms in different ways. Layered Font Systems Layered font systems allowing multiple color combinations and overlapping elements can create the appearance of fractured or complex typography. By stacking different layers with slight offsets, you can simulate certain types of digital distortion or print errors. So creating that broken, experimental aesthetic is possible with these alternatives that offer different approaches to typographic disruption! Common Broken Font Questions Let’s wrap up by answering some common broken font questions: What are glitch fonts called? Glitch fonts specifically mimic digital errors and electronic malfunctions in their appearance. While “glitch fonts” is the umbrella term, you might see them labeled as “corrupted fonts,” “distorted fonts,” or “digital interference typefaces” as well. When were broken fonts first created? The intentional “breaking” of typography gained popularity in the 1990s with the rise of digital design and experimental typography. However, the true explosion of broken font styles coincided with the glitch art movement of the 2010s, and they continue evolving today with increasingly sophisticated digital techniques. Can I use broken fonts for my logo? Absolutely! Broken fonts can make memorable, distinctive logos particularly for brands wanting to appear innovative, disruptive, or cutting-edge. However, ensure the fragmentation doesn’t compromise recognition or scalability. Test your broken font logo at multiple sizes and in black and white to confirm it maintains impact and legibility in all applications. Are broken fonts accessible? By their nature, broken fonts prioritize visual style over maximum readability, potentially creating accessibility challenges. If accessibility is a priority, consider using broken fonts only for decorative elements or headlines while keeping body text in highly legible standard typefaces. For digital applications, always provide appropriate alt text describing content written in broken fonts. Broken fonts breathe rebellious energy and contemporary edge into designs meant to challenge viewers and stand out from the crowd. Their fragmented appearance ensures your typography breaks through the noise of conventional design. So try out some of these sensational broken fonts in your own projects. Used thoughtfully, they build memorable designs certain to disrupt expectations and demand attention. Have favorite broken fonts not mentioned? Please share below! Jack Nolan Jack Nolan is a freelance graphic designer with over 10 years of experience helping brands stand out through bold, impactful design. Specializing in logo design, visual identity, and digital illustrations, Jack has worked with startups, small businesses, and global clients to bring creative ideas to life. His passion for clean, timeless design is matched only by his commitment to understanding client needs and delivering work that exceeds expectations. When he's not designing, Jack enjoys hiking, experimenting with photography, and exploring the latest trends in design.