Permanent Marker

Replaces: Soulcraft (72%) | Apache-2.0 | Updated: Feb 2026

About Permanent Marker

Classification
display
Weights
400
Features
Standard
Apache License 2.0

Free to use, modify, and distribute. Permits commercial use with attribution.

What's allowed?
  • Client work
  • SaaS / Web apps
  • YouTube / Video
  • Sell products
  • Print materials
Full license guide →
Get Permanent Marker Free ↗

Permanent Marker is a bold, hand-drawn display typeface designed by Font Diner. It captures the distinctive look of thick permanent marker writing, offering an authentic hand-lettered appearance for casual and energetic designs.

History and Design

Font Diner created Permanent Marker to replicate the bold, slightly rough character of actual permanent marker handwriting. The design features thick strokes, organic edges, and the natural variation you'd see from a real marker. Unlike more polished display fonts, it embraces imperfection for authenticity.

Why Permanent Marker is Popular

Permanent Marker has become a go-to choice for designers seeking an authentic hand-drawn look without custom lettering. It serves as a free alternative to premium marker fonts used in packaging, advertising, and youth-oriented branding. The bold character ensures visibility and impact in promotional materials.

Technical Features

  • Single weight: Bold marker-style weight
  • Hand-drawn quality: Organic, slightly rough edges
  • Uppercase focus: Strong caps with lowercase available
  • Basic Latin: Core character support
  • High impact: Designed for visibility

Best Use Cases

Permanent Marker excels in:

  • Poster design: High-visibility headlines
  • Youth marketing: Energetic, casual campaigns
  • Packaging: Craft and artisanal products
  • Sports branding: Dynamic, athletic aesthetic
  • Protest and activism: Bold, attention-grabbing statements

Usage Tips

Use Permanent Marker at large sizes (32px+) where the marker texture is visible. The single weight means hierarchy comes from size only. Limit to headlines and very short text. Avoid for body text or professional contexts. Pairs well with clean sans-serifs like Open Sans or Roboto for supporting text. Works best on simple backgrounds that don't compete with the textured letterforms.

Is Permanent Marker on Google Fonts?

Yes, Permanent Marker is available for free on Google Fonts. Get Permanent Marker on Google Fonts ↗

Alternative For (1)

Permanent Marker is a free alternative to the following premium fonts:

[88 Made] · display

Similar bold brush

View all alternatives

Compare Permanent Marker

See how Permanent Marker compares to other fonts side by side.

Font Pairings

Fonts that pair well with Permanent Marker based on contrast and complementary design characteristics.

Libre Franklin + Permanent Marker
83/100
sans-serif + display
Permanent Marker + Quicksand
83/100
display + sans-serif
Permanent Marker + Saira
83/100
display + sans-serif
Barlow + Permanent Marker
71/100
sans-serif + display
Cabin + Permanent Marker
71/100
sans-serif + display

Performance

Key metrics for evaluating Permanent Marker in production.

Score
51 /100 Average
File Size
28.9 KB Tiny
Weights
1 static
Languages
1 group CDN delivery

Font Metrics

x-Height Ratio
0.61
Cap Height Ratio
0.74
Ascender
622
Descender
-61

Fallback CSS Overrides

Apply these overrides to Arial to minimize layout shift when loading Permanent Marker.

@font-face {
  font-family: 'Permanent Marker Fallback';
  src: local('Arial');
  ascent-override: 60.74%;
  descent-override: 5.96%;
  line-gap-override: 5.96%;
  size-adjust: 117.7%;
}
woff2 Measured via Google Fonts API Metrics extracted from WOFF2

How to Use Permanent Marker

Copy these code snippets to quickly add Permanent Marker to your project.

Quick Start

CSS code for Permanent Marker

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