Showbill is a hand-crafted display typeface inspired by old wood type, Western showbills, circus posters, theatre bills and the bold decorative lettering once used to announce shows, performances and spectacles. All made from scratch by hand.
Built from chunky, imperfect forms, Showbill imagines a collection of old wooden letters that have been cut, carved, printed and decorated over time. Heavy slabs sit alongside bulbous curves, strange little notches, exaggerated serifs and uneven proportions. Tiny imperfect stars appear throughout, as though they’ve been stuck onto an old painted sign or carved into the type itself.
The irregularity is intentional. Stars shift position and size, edges wobble, proportions change and individual characters don’t always agree on the rules. Rather than behaving like a perfectly matched digital alphabet, Showbill is designed to feel like letters pulled one by one from an old wood-type suitcase and assembled into something new.
The a–z keys contain the standard Showbill letterforms, while A–Z reveals a more ornate set of uppercase forms. Each letter also includes an additional, even more decorative alternate, giving you a collection of different characters to mix and match throughout words and compositions.
Some are chunky. Some are strange. Some are covered in stars. Some have exaggerated feet, carved edges, pinched waists or decorative details. They aren’t supposed to match perfectly — that’s the point.
Mix the alphabets, swap in alternates and let the letters clash a little. Showbill takes cues from old Western show posters, saloons, travelling entertainment, circus printing and theatrical ephemera, without trying to recreate any single historical typeface.
This is an experimental display font made to be played with — imperfect, theatrical, decorative and a little odd.
Perfect For
Posters & bold typography
Music artwork & band merchandise
Western & vintage-inspired graphics
T-shirts, apparel & merchandise
Branding & expressive word marks
Bars, restaurants & hospitality
Festivals, events & entertainment
Packaging & independent brands
Editorial & publication design
Signs, banners & social graphics
What’s Included
Please note: Showbill is an experimental display typeface intended primarily for headlines, titles, logos and short pieces of expressive typography rather than long passages of text.
Please also note: the print textures and styling shown in the preview images are not included as part of the font.
LICENSING
Your purchase includes a Standard Font Licence for one user, covering unlimited personal and commercial finished projects.
Use your font for branding, logos, client work, packaging, posters, print, editorial, social media, advertising, music artwork, apparel, merchandise and products for sale.
There is no production or sales limit on finished designs created using the font.
Working in a team? Add the Multi-User Font Licence (+US$50) to cover up to 5 users within the same company, studio or organisation.
For 6+ users, or if you need to embed the actual font as live type on a website, app, software, eBook or other digital platform, please get in touch for licensing.
Font files may not be shared, resold, redistributed or sub-licensed.
Full licence terms are included with your download. If you'd like to review them before purchasing, or you're unsure which licence you need, have a look at my FAQs or please get in touch — I'm always happy to help.
Showbill is a hand-crafted display typeface inspired by old wood type, Western showbills, circus posters, theatre bills and the bold decorative lettering once used to announce shows, performances and spectacles. All made from scratch by hand.
Built from chunky, imperfect forms, Showbill imagines a collection of old wooden letters that have been cut, carved, printed and decorated over time. Heavy slabs sit alongside bulbous curves, strange little notches, exaggerated serifs and uneven proportions. Tiny imperfect stars appear throughout, as though they’ve been stuck onto an old painted sign or carved into the type itself.
The irregularity is intentional. Stars shift position and size, edges wobble, proportions change and individual characters don’t always agree on the rules. Rather than behaving like a perfectly matched digital alphabet, Showbill is designed to feel like letters pulled one by one from an old wood-type suitcase and assembled into something new.
The a–z keys contain the standard Showbill letterforms, while A–Z reveals a more ornate set of uppercase forms. Each letter also includes an additional, even more decorative alternate, giving you a collection of different characters to mix and match throughout words and compositions.
Some are chunky. Some are strange. Some are covered in stars. Some have exaggerated feet, carved edges, pinched waists or decorative details. They aren’t supposed to match perfectly — that’s the point.
Mix the alphabets, swap in alternates and let the letters clash a little. Showbill takes cues from old Western show posters, saloons, travelling entertainment, circus printing and theatrical ephemera, without trying to recreate any single historical typeface.
This is an experimental display font made to be played with — imperfect, theatrical, decorative and a little odd.
Perfect For
Posters & bold typography
Music artwork & band merchandise
Western & vintage-inspired graphics
T-shirts, apparel & merchandise
Branding & expressive word marks
Bars, restaurants & hospitality
Festivals, events & entertainment
Packaging & independent brands
Editorial & publication design
Signs, banners & social graphics
What’s Included
Please note: Showbill is an experimental display typeface intended primarily for headlines, titles, logos and short pieces of expressive typography rather than long passages of text.
Please also note: the print textures and styling shown in the preview images are not included as part of the font.
LICENSING
Your purchase includes a Standard Font Licence for one user, covering unlimited personal and commercial finished projects.
Use your font for branding, logos, client work, packaging, posters, print, editorial, social media, advertising, music artwork, apparel, merchandise and products for sale.
There is no production or sales limit on finished designs created using the font.
Working in a team? Add the Multi-User Font Licence (+US$50) to cover up to 5 users within the same company, studio or organisation.
For 6+ users, or if you need to embed the actual font as live type on a website, app, software, eBook or other digital platform, please get in touch for licensing.
Font files may not be shared, resold, redistributed or sub-licensed.
Full licence terms are included with your download. If you'd like to review them before purchasing, or you're unsure which licence you need, have a look at my FAQs or please get in touch — I'm always happy to help.
Image 1 of 5
Image 2 of 5
Image 3 of 5
Image 4 of 5
Image 5 of 5
