Patrick Hand

Patrick Hand font preview
Replaces: Chic Hand (75%) | OFL-1.1 | Updated: Jan 2026

About Patrick Hand

Classification
display
Weights
400
Features
Standard
SIL Open Font License 1.1

Free to use, modify, and distribute. Can be used commercially without attribution.

What's allowed?
  • ✓ Client work
  • ✓ SaaS / Web apps
  • ✓ YouTube / Video
  • ✓ Sell products
  • ✓ Print materials

Note: Derivative fonts must use the same license.

Full license guide →
Get Patrick Hand Free ↗

Patrick Hand is a casual handwriting-style typeface designed by Patrick Wagesreiter. Released in 2011, it captures the natural, friendly character of everyday handwriting with consistent letterforms.

History and Design

Patrick Wagesreiter created Patrick Hand as a digitization of his own handwriting. Unlike many script fonts that aim for elegance, Patrick Hand embraces the casual, unpretentious character of normal penmanship. The design maintains consistent stroke width and natural proportions that make it feel genuinely hand-written.

Why Patrick Hand is Popular

Patrick Hand has become popular for its authentic, approachable character. It serves as a free alternative to premium handwritten fonts used in educational materials, children's content, and casual branding. The honest, unpretentious quality makes it suitable for projects that want to convey friendliness without formality.

Technical Features

  • Single weight: Natural pen-weight consistency
  • Handwritten character: Based on actual penmanship
  • Consistent forms: Readable despite informal style
  • Extended Latin: Support for European and Vietnamese characters
  • SC variant: Patrick Hand SC offers small-caps style

Best Use Cases

Patrick Hand excels in:

  • Educational materials: Worksheets and learning resources
  • Children's content: Books and apps for kids
  • Personal blogs: Friendly, conversational headers
  • Craft projects: DIY and maker content
  • Casual signage: Handmade market and cafe signs

Usage Tips

Use Patrick Hand at 18px+ for best legibility. Works well for headlines, annotations, and informal text passages. Avoid for professional or formal contexts. Pairs naturally with clean, friendly sans-serifs like Nunito or Poppins. The SC variant provides a less casual option when consistency is needed. Consider line-height of 1.6+ for multi-line text.

Alternative For (1)

Patrick Hand is a free alternative to the following premium fonts:

#1 Chic Hand 75%
[Seniors Studio] · display

Comparable friendly style

View all alternatives →

How to Use Patrick Hand

Copy these code snippets to quickly add Patrick Hand to your project.

CSS Import

@import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Patrick+Hand:wght@400&display=swap');

HTML Link Tags

<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com">
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.gstatic.com" crossorigin>
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Patrick+Hand:wght@400&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">

Tailwind CSS

// tailwind.config.js
module.exports = {
  theme: {
    extend: {
      fontFamily: {
        'patrick-hand': ['"Patrick Hand"', 'sans-serif'],
      },
    },
  },
}

// Usage in HTML:
// <p class="font-patrick-hand">Your text here</p>

React / Next.js

// Using next/font (Next.js 13+)
import { Patrick_Hand } from 'next/font/google';

const patrick_hand = Patrick_Hand({
  subsets: ['latin'],
  weight: ['400'],
});

export default function Component() {
  return (
    <p className={patrick_hand.className}>
      Your text here
    </p>
  );
}

// Or using inline styles with Google Fonts link:
// <p style={{ fontFamily: '"Patrick Hand"' }}>Your text</p>