14 Best Typography Courses (March 2025)

“Typography is what language looks like,” as Ellen Lupton famously said. It’s the visual voice behind every message, whether on screens, paper, or signage. And in our increasingly digital world, understanding the power and principles of typography isn’t just helpful—it’s essential for creating designs that communicate effectively.

But let’s be real—typography can be intimidating. With centuries of history, countless typefaces, and seemingly endless rules about kerning, leading, and hierarchy, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. That’s where a good typography course comes in.

As a freelance designer myself, I’ve seen how mastering typography can transform not just your designs but your entire freelance career. Clients notice the difference—even if they can’t quite put their finger on why your work just “feels better” than the competition.

To help you level up your typographic skills this year, I’ve curated this list of the 12 best typography courses available in 2025. Whether you’re a complete beginner or looking to refine advanced skills, there’s something here for you.

Why Typography Skills Matter for Designers in 2025

Before we dive into the courses, let’s talk about why typography matters now more than ever:

Digital Reading is Everywhere – The average person spends over 7 hours looking at screens daily. Your typography choices directly impact their experience.

Brand Recognition – Typography establishes brand identity in seconds. Think about how instantly recognizable Netflix, Airbnb, or Nike’s typography has become.

Get 300+ Fonts for FREE

Enter 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.

Accessibility is Non-Negotiable – With increasing focus on inclusive design, typography plays a crucial role in making content accessible to everyone—including those with visual impairments or reading difficulties.

Client Demand – Clients are becoming more typography-savvy, requesting specific typefaces and expecting designers to understand font licensing, variable fonts, and responsive typography.

The good news? Improving your typography skills is one of the highest-ROI investments you can make as a designer. And if you’re struggling to find consistent freelance work, services like SolidGigs can help by delivering curated freelance jobs directly to your inbox while you focus on upgrading your skills with one of these courses.

How We Selected These Courses

I didn’t just randomly pick courses with “typography” in the title. Each course on this list had to meet specific criteria:

Instructor Expertise – The course should be taught by someone with real-world typography experience and a solid reputation in the field.

Up-to-Date Content – Typography for print vs. web vs. mobile involves different considerations. The best courses address modern applications while respecting typographic traditions.

Practical Projects – Theory is important, but courses should include hands-on projects that build real-world skills.

Student Reviews – I considered actual student feedback and completion rates where available.

Value for Money – While some premium courses are worth their price tag, I’ve included excellent free and affordable options too.

The 14 Best Typography Courses for 2025

Introduction to Typography

The Introduction to Typography course from California Institute of the Arts on Coursera offers a comprehensive foundation in this essential graphic design skill. Instructor Anther Kiley guides students through the terminology, measuring systems, and historical evolution of typefaces.

The course covers practical aspects like selecting and combining fonts, as well as exploring typography’s expressive potential. Through hands-on projects, including a full-scale typographic poster design, students gain valuable experience applying typographic principles.

With over 178,000 enrolled learners, this popular course provides a solid grounding in typography for beginners while offering enough depth to benefit more experienced designers looking to refine their skills.

Typography From A to Z

Typography From A to Z is a comprehensive course that covers everything you need to know about using typography in various design fields. Over 6 hours of content, students learn typography fundamentals, how to apply principles to both digital and print media, and techniques for creating outstanding text-based logos and designs.

The course is suitable for beginners and intermediate designers, covering topics like font classifications, typography terminology, and the impact of fonts on messaging. With practical exercises and walkthroughs, students gain both theoretical knowledge and hands-on skills in typography design using software like Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign.

Graphic Design Theory – Typography

This comprehensive course by Martin Perhiniak covers the essential principles of typography in graphic design. Students will learn how to improve text readability, select and pair typefaces effectively, and use typography to enhance the style and message of their designs.

The course explores font anatomy, text sizing for web and print, and techniques for creating visual interest through typography. With 2.5 hours of on-demand video content, this course is suitable for beginners and professionals alike who want to master the art of using text in their design compositions.

Textual Elements of Design: Fonts, Typography, and Spacing

This course from the University of Colorado Boulder offers a comprehensive introduction to the textual aspects of graphic design. Students will explore the history of typography, learn to distinguish between type, fonts, and text, and gain hands-on experience with typography spacing techniques like leading, kerning, and tracking.

The course emphasizes the importance of selecting appropriate typefaces and font combinations to effectively communicate visual messages. With a focus on both theoretical knowledge and practical skills, learners will develop a deeper appreciation for typography as an art form and its crucial role in graphic design.

This beginner-level course is ideal for those looking to enhance their understanding of how text elements contribute to effective visual storytelling in design projects.

Master Typography and Logo Design with Aaron Draplin

This Skillshare learning path offers a comprehensive dive into typography and logo design, led by renowned graphic designer Aaron Draplin. The course is structured as a series of three classes, totaling nearly 4 hours of instruction.

Students will learn essential skills in logo design, including shape manipulation, color theory, and typography basics. The path also covers advanced techniques for customizing type and creating unique wordmarks. Additionally, Draplin shares his “dirty design” techniques, teaching students how to add vintage-inspired textures and imperfections to digital designs.

This course is suitable for beginners and provides hands-on experience with industry-standard software like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.

Typography for Designers & Developers – Don’t suck at design

This comprehensive Udemy course covers essential typography skills for both designers and developers. Over 9 hours of video content teaches students how to create elegant web and mobile app designs through font selection, pairing, and effective use of white space.

The course covers typography fundamentals like anatomy and classification, as well as advanced topics like vertical rhythm and modular grids. Designers will learn techniques to elevate their work to a professional level, while developers will gain practical skills for implementing typography in CSS and Bootstrap.

With a mix of theory and hands-on exercises, this course provides a solid foundation in typography for digital design.

Hand Lettering Practice: 3 Easy Steps to Explore New Typography Styles

This Skillshare course offers a structured approach to developing unique lettering styles. Taught by illustrator and lettering artist Vinitha Mammen, the class breaks down the process of creating diverse typography into three manageable steps: proportions, shapes, and details.

Students learn how to explore various letter forms and create a personal library of styles. The course is suitable for beginners looking to start a daily lettering practice, as well as experienced artists seeking to expand their creative range.

With over an hour of content, the class includes practical demonstrations and downloadable templates, making it an excellent resource for anyone interested in advancing their typography skills.

UI Typography Fundamentals

UI Typography Fundamentals is a comprehensive course that delves into the technical aspects of setting up and working with typography for web design. This 1.5-hour course covers essential topics such as choosing typefaces, creating hierarchies with type scales, and implementing responsive typography.

Students will learn about the importance of using REM units, understanding line height, and mastering color contrast. The course also explores practical implementation in Figma, including advanced techniques like using styles, variables, and modes.

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced designer, this course offers valuable insights to refine your typography skills and technical setup for UI design.

Typographic Logos: Typography and Lettering for Logo Design

This course offers a comprehensive guide to creating custom type-based logos from conception to completion. Taught by experienced graphic designer Ray Dombroski, students learn essential typographic terminology, sketching techniques, and digital refinement processes using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.

The course covers finding inspiration, structuring letterforms, implementing color theory, and adding textures to create professional, polished logo designs. With 1.5 hours of on-demand video and downloadable resources, this intermediate-level course is ideal for designers looking to enhance their typography skills and create more impactful logo designs.

Beyond Basic CSS: Typography, Color, Effects, & Animation

This intermediate-level course from the University of California, Davis delves deep into advanced CSS techniques, focusing on typography, color theory, effects, and animation.

Over four modules, students learn how typography communicates and affects message delivery, explore advanced web font features, and study color theory for digital products. The course also covers creating gradients, other visual effects, and sophisticated CSS animations using transitions, 2D and 3D transformations, and keyframes.

With 10 hours of content spread over three weeks, this course is ideal for web developers looking to enhance their design skills and create more visually appealing and interactive websites.

Motion Typography from Scratch

Motion Typography from Scratch is a comprehensive course that teaches you how to create stunning text-based animations using Adobe After Effects. Suitable for those with basic After Effects knowledge, this course covers both fundamental and advanced techniques in motion typography.

Through 7 hours of on-demand video content, you’ll learn to animate text for various applications such as music videos, film credits, and advertisements. The course includes project files for hands-on practice and over $50 worth of bonus assets like presets, templates, and sound effects.

By the end, you’ll have the skills to bring words to life through captivating motion graphics.

Graphic Design: Explore Typography through Animated Music Posters

In this engaging Skillshare course, graphic designer Khadija El Sharawy guides students through the creative process of designing and animating typographic music posters. The course covers song selection, mood board creation, poster design in Adobe Illustrator, and basic animation techniques in After Effects.

Suitable for beginners and intermediate designers alike, this class offers a fun way to expand your creative skills, experiment with typography, and add dynamic pieces to your portfolio.

With a focus on conveying the emotion and meaning of songs through visual design, students will learn valuable techniques that can be applied to various graphic design projects.

Animated Typography Stickers in After Effects

This Skillshare course teaches intermediate After Effects users how to create engaging animated typography stickers. Taught by motion designer and illustrator Manon Louart, the class covers various animation techniques including text stroke animations, shape layer animations, and using effects like CC Twister and polar coordinates.

Students learn to add personality and movement to their typography, making it perfect for social media content or enhancing design portfolios. The course culminates in a project where participants create a 4-second looping video of animated typography stickers, applying the skills learned throughout the lessons.

With over 2.5 hours of content, this course offers a practical way to elevate typography skills and create eye-catching animated text designs.

Lettering in Procreate: Illustrating Landmarks with Type

This Skillshare course by graphic artist Pieter Boels offers an innovative approach to typography and illustration. Students learn to create typographic illustrations by transforming landmarks into unique lettering pieces using Procreate.

The course covers essential techniques such as using reference material, sketching, refining letterforms, and adding color and texture. With a focus on bending letterforms into creative shapes, this intermediate-level class is ideal for illustrators, graphic designers, and typography enthusiasts looking to expand their skills.

The hands-on project allows students to apply their learning by creating a bespoke lettering piece based on a landmark of their choice.

Finding Time to Improve Your Typography Skills

As a busy freelancer, finding time for professional development can be challenging. Here are some approaches that have worked for me and other designers I know:

Client Project Integration – Choose one typographic skill to focus on with each client project. This way, you’re learning while getting paid.

Morning Micro-Learning – Dedicate just 20 minutes each morning to typography practice before starting client work. Consistency beats occasional marathon sessions.

Outsource Lead Generation – Use services like SolidGigs to deliver curated freelance opportunities to your inbox, freeing up the time you’d spend hunting for jobs.

Weekend Workshops – Block one weekend a month for focused learning. Many of these courses have weekend-sized projects you can complete in a day.

The Return on Investment for Typography Skills

Investing in typography education pays dividends throughout your design career. Here’s how:

Higher Rates – Designers with strong typography skills can charge 20-30% more than their peers with similar years of experience but weaker typographic knowledge.

Faster Workflows – When you understand typographic principles deeply, you make better decisions faster, allowing you to take on more projects.

Client Retention – Projects with thoughtful typography tend to perform better for clients, leading to longer-term relationships and referrals.

Portfolio Differentiation – Strong typography makes your portfolio stand out instantly, even before potential clients consciously analyze why.

Final Thoughts: Beyond Courses

While these courses provide structured learning, typography mastery comes through consistent practice and observation. I recommend creating a typography-focused habit:

Start a Type Journal – Document interesting typography you encounter daily, analyzing what makes it effective (or not).

Join Type Communities – Participate in forums like TypeDrawers or the Typography subreddit to get feedback on your work.

Follow Type Designers – Many share their process and insights on social media, offering continuous education.

Apply Immediately – Try to implement each new concept the same day you learn it, even if just in practice projects.

Typography isn’t just a design skill—it’s a communication superpower. In a world increasingly driven by visual information, your ability to effectively organize and present text can make the difference between content that connects and content that’s ignored.

Which course caught your eye? Have you taken any typography courses that transformed your design work? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments below.

And if you’re looking for freelance design opportunities to apply your typography skills, consider checking out SolidGigs. They hand-pick the best freelance jobs and deliver them straight to your inbox, saving you hours of job searching each week so you can focus on what matters—creating beautiful, effective typography.