The best 80s fonts on Canva for a groovy, retro design

If you’re looking for 80s fonts on Canva, you’ll quickly notice that you’re quite spoiled for options in this respect.

Even 30-40 years later, the aesthetics of the 1980s are still popular. You’ll see it in popular TV series, and fashion from that era is still often worn today – especially among younger generations. On top of that, you’ll see the 80s-style aesthetic in photography, branding, graphic design, and plenty of other places.

With the above in mind, you’ll probably need to use some of the main 80s fonts on Canva. However, knowing your best options in advance will save you a lot of time when creating your designs – and if you’re looking for those, you’re in the right place.

In this guide, you will learn about all of the best 80s fonts on Canva. You’ll also learn how to choose the best options, and we’ll provide a little more context as to when you might want to use the fonts on this list. Without further ado, let’s get into the main part of the article.

Intro: 80s fonts on Canva at their best

Nostalgia is a huge part of modern marketing strategies, but the trend looks like it’s here to stay. It’s not hard to see why, either. As humans, we love to reminisce on days gone by – and we often look back on even some of the more difficult periods in our lives with a rose-tinted lens. 

Many people also look back on periods when they weren’t alive with a sense of fondness, too – hence why the “born in the wrong generation” idea has become a huge internet meme. 

The 1980s were a formative period in modern history. Today, many of that era’s greatest hits are still frequently listened to. We also frequently watch some of the greatest movies from that decade, such as Top Gun and Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark. 

With so many creative ideas beaming around at that time, a whole host of aesthetic styles also emerged. 

With that in mind, looking at 80s fonts on Canva requires thinking about things from a logical standpoint. 

You might not be looking for the same thing as someone else, so we’ve included a broad range of styles that you can choose from. Some will have a bit more of a modern tinge, which reflects the latter stages of the 1980s – whereas others are a little older in look. 

While you’ll find many 80s Canva fonts with the free version of the app, you can also upgrade to a paid plan for even more options. Canva Pro has several benefits, and you should definitely consider subscribing. But even if you don’t, we’ve got you covered in this guide.

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How to choose the best 80s fonts on Canva

At this point in the article, you should have a better basic level of understanding when it comes to 80s fonts on Canva. Now, you know that there’s a broader selection of font styles than you might initially have thought. 

You’re also aware that some options are available with free and paid plans, whereas others are gated for Canva Pro members. With all of this in mind, how on earth do you choose the best 80s fonts on Canva? 

When picking a font for your designs, the first thing you should consider is your brand messaging and style. If you haven’t already done this, we recommend having a think about these areas of your business before starting to create your designs. 

You can check out our guide to creating an identity that leaves a positive impression on your audience if you want a starting point, and you’ll find plenty of other articles about branding on the Fabrik website as well. 

Considering the availability of different 80s fonts on Canva, you should also think about whether you’re ready to upgrade to a paid subscription. If you’re not, or you don’t have the budget yet, that’s absolutely fine. 

But in that case, you should make a list of the fonts that are available to all users (you can keep the paid versions handy for another time when you’re ready to upgrade). 

Another thing to think about when choosing a Canva 80s font is where you’ll use your designs. If you want to create a logo, you’ll need to ensure that the typing format you use is visible and clearly reflects your brand identity. 

It will also need to complement any pictures that you use in your brand logo. Meanwhile, if you’re using your font in the main body of text, you should ensure that it’s readable in decent-sized paragraphs. For these, you might need to pick something thinner than would otherwise be the case. 

What are the best 80s fonts on Canva?

Okay, so we’ve now covered all the basics for using 80s fonts on Canva. You also know about the different things you should consider when picking the best option for your brands and designs. Now, let’s discuss what you came here for; below are our favorite 80s fonts on Canva for you to check out. 

Architype Rubette 

The first font on our list is Architype Rubette. If you’re looking for something that features all capital letters, this is an excellent starting point. You might also find its bold lettering especially appealing. 

The Architype Rubette font works especially well in logos, and you can also use it as headings in your online articles.

You might also find that Architype Rubette is an excellent choice when designing headers for your social media profiles. If you use them in this context, you may find that it’s easier to stick to a more coherent social media marketing strategy. 

Another instance in which you might wish to use Architype Rubette is when creating brochures and other kinds of marketing materials for your customers. This font is available with a Canva Pro subscription. 

Retropix

It’s hard to think of a time when smartphones weren’t a crucial part of people’s lives, but you definitely couldn’t fit the mobile phones of the 1980s in your pocket. 

In fact, when you think of the devices that were around then, *that* picture of Patrick Bateman on his phone in American Psycho might come to mind. But while people weren’t constantly glued to their screens back then, the internet was beginning to become more of a mainstay. 

When looking at 80s fonts on Canva, you might want to include something that demonstrates the beginning of the digital revolution.

Retropix is something that works exceptionally well for that, and it’s a great choice for anyone with some kind of tech or computer brand. When capitalized, it’s great for podcast covers and social media headers. You can also use it in your logos and writing. 

Graduate

Graduate is another of the best 80s fonts on Canva. The font will likely remind you of those old movies featuring college sports stars, and you could easily envision it appearing on the front of a vintage-style sweater. 

The font is both simple and effective, featuring straight edges and a good mix between older styles and something more modern. 

You can use the Graduate font in several settings. Like Retropix, it works well if you need a font for your title – including on your websites and landing pages. You might also want to think about using Graduate when designing other brand assets, such as logos and channel art. 

IBM Plex Mono

Another font that works well in the modern digital space is IBM Plex Mono. Considering that it’s named after one of the most successful technology companies that we’ve ever seen, you probably won’t find that too surprising. 

IBM Plex Mono features a monotype design, which is similar to what you might notice on websites like Ahrefs. 

IBM Plex Mono is a simple font with straight edges on its letters. On top of that, all of its letters are thin and have a lot of spacing between them – when compared to some of the other fonts on our list. 

You may find that it’s a great choice if you want to design your own magazine, and you can also use IBM Plex Mono in numerous other scenarios – such as for the main body of the text of your website landing page copy. 

Norwester

With the exception of Architype Rubette, most of the 80s fonts on Canva covered so far focus on more of a thinner and minimalistic design. If you want to buck that trend and pick something a little bolder, Norwester is an option you should consider looking at. 

Norwester features all capital letters, making it similar to Architype Rubette in this respect. However, it’s also a font that is entirely on its own in terms of uniqueness. You can use it in your logos and headings, and it works best if you leave it as the default black color. 

However, you can also add various effects to it in Canva. 

Cabales

If you don’t want something as bold as Norwester, or you’re looking for something that isn’t exclusively capital letters, Cabales is a potential alternative. The font is quite similar to Norwester, other than it doesn’t share those two traits that we just mentioned. 

The shaping of the letters is somewhat similar, so you might want to use this font in conjunction with Norwester. 

As an example, you can use Norwester for a title on your website’s pages. Then, for the main text, you can have Cabales do the talking instead. Doing this will give you a nice dynamic where your text is easy to read, but your brand shall also remain consistent. 

Side note: If you’re unsure why inconsistent branding is a bad idea, we’ve written a complete article looking at that. 

Boxing

If you want to try one of the 80s fonts on Canva that has more of a sporty theme, look no further than Boxing. The font is quite similar to Graduate, but the main difference is that it’s a lot bolder than the just-mentioned option. You could, again, imagine it featuring on a vintage-style sweater or t-shirt. 

As you can guess from the name, Boxing is a good option if you run a boxing gym – and you might also want to use it for other niches, such as CrossFit. You can also use it if you run a magazine about sports; you may find that it works well when writing a publication about soccer, for example. 

If you want to use the Boxing font in your designs, you’ll need to upgrade to a Canva Pro membership. 

Arcade Gamer

Moving back to the pixel-style fonts, Arcade Gamer is a great option if you’d like to recreate that older gaming aesthetic before PlayStations became a thing. 

Needless to say, it works well if you’re within the gaming sector; for example, if you’re a graphic designer specializing in video game covers, you can use this font on your portfolio site. 

Similarly, you can use Arcade Gamer if you’re actually designing an arcade-style – or app with some kind of gamification feature. 

You can also use the Arcade Gamer font if you’re in some kind of technological niche. It’s a great choice if you’re a technology writer, and you might also find that the font is handy if you actually run a tech publication. Similarly, you can use it if you’re trying to brand a software company. 

Megapixel 

Let’s say that you’re looking for something like Arcade Gamer, but if you want a font that isn’t as big, Megapixel is an alternative that you can think about using. The font, like Arcade Gamer, features a pixel-style design. 

However, the main difference is that it is much smaller. In fact, it’s one of the smaller font options on our list in terms of letter sizing. 

When using Megapixel, you might want to avoid using it in your logo designs. However, it would work well as a subheading – and you could also use it for a “follow” prompt on your social media headers. On top of that, you may wish to use this font when designing infographics and similar kinds of content. 

Mokoto

One of the best 80s fonts on Canva with more of a modern style is Mokoto. The font will remind you of something that you would expect to see in an alien-style shooter game, and it could also work well on the poster for a science fiction movie. 

Each letter has a sleek finish, and some – like capital R, P, and E – feature some sections that don’t join together. 

Mokoto is definitely something worth considering for brands with more of a futuristic look and message. It’s a little bigger than some of the other fonts on our list, so you should keep that in mind when creating your designs. You can also try the Mokoto Glitch options if you want something that’s more dynamic. 

Princetown

We’ve mentioned a couple of sport-style fonts on this list already, but we figured that you might want to have a few more options in this respect. 

With that in mind, another of the 80s fonts on Canva worth checking out is Princetown. It’s quite similar to Boxing, but – instead of having the main part of the letters filled in – you only get the outlines for each of these instead. 

Princetown is smaller than some of the other sport-style 80s fonts in Canva, but it’s still an option worth considering if you need something for your logo. 

On top of that, you might find that it’s a great option for sports magazines and podcast covers. It might not be the best choice for your website landing page headers, though you can always experiment and see if it works for you in this respect. 

Bungee Shade

Bungee Shade is a must-see for those who want to create a brand with more of a fun theme style. The font is all in capital letters, and it has a strong level of shading as well.

Thanks to these, it’s a great choice for any titles you might want to create; it’s something that would go particularly well on a music album cover. 

When using Bungee Shade, your letters will adopt the color of your design’s overall background. However, you can adjust these within Canva – along with changing the color of your font’s outlines. 

This font works quite well if you’re trying to launch some kind of creative project, and it’s also a wise option if you want to create an online store selling vintage products. 

Organic Slab

Some could regard Organic Slab as more of a “serious” font style than many of the others on our list. It’s quite simple, with large, bolded letters. All of these are in caps, too. It’s slightly different from its sister font, Organic, as each of its letters features bigger edges. 

Some of the letters also have slight curves, adding a bit more of a dynamic look to them. 

Organic Slab is a good choice if you want something simple to portray your brand message. It’s quite versatile, too, so you can try it in several settings – regardless of what your niche is. To use this font, you’ll need a Canva Pro membership. 

Kent Shadowed 

Kent Shadowed is an excellent alternative to Bungee Shade if you want your letters to be filled with a block color – but you’re also not interested in fancy patterns in the middle of them. And if versatility is one of the main things you’re looking for, Kent Shadowed is one of the best 80s fonts on Canva for this. 

Kent Shadowed features a simple style in terms of its letters’ shaping, and all of them are in caps. The font works well if you have a print publication of some kind, and you can try experimenting with different colors – though, in our opinion, you’re better off using this font with something darker. 

Like Organic Slab, you’ll need a Canva Pro subscription if you want to try Kent Shadowed. 

Knewave

While many of the fonts mentioned so far have simplistic designs, you might also want to choose something that’s a little more playful. 

You do have a few options in this regard, and Knewave is one that we would recommend for that 80s aesthetic. Knewave features an italicized style with letters that look more similar to handwriting than many that we’ve discussed so far. 

The Knewave font is available in both capital and lowercase letters, but we think that it looks best in all caps. You can use the font for podcast covers, on posters, and in numerous other scenarios. If you don’t have a Canva Pro subscription, don’t worry – you can use Knewave with a free plan. 

29LT Arapix

To complete our list of the best 80s fonts on Canva, we’ll have a look at Arapix. It’s quite similar to Megapixel in two main ways; first, the letter sizing is quite small. And on top of that, 29LT Arapix features the same type of pixelated design as Megapixel and Arcade Gamer. 

It’s available in upper and lowercase letters, and your text will look good in both formats. 

29LT Ariapix is a great font to use in several scenarios. You can use it on your resume if you’re going for a tech or IT job, for example, and it will also be a good option when showcasing your freelance portfolio in either sector. Similarly, you can use the 29LT Arapix to brand a company’s website. 

All of the best 80s fonts on Canva in one place

As you can see from this list, you will find a broad selection of 80s fonts in Canva. We’ve only scratched the surface here; you can choose from several other styles and designs. And regardless of whether you use a free or paid version of Canva, you have a broad selection of options. 

You will find these fonts in Canva for numerous design formats. You can call upon them when designing your initial brand logo, and they’re also available if you need to launch a channel to promote your work. Many of them are versatile, too, which will get you to achieve that all-important consistent branding style. 

You can still find many options even if you only use your fonts on one platform. And if Instagram happens to be where you decide to share your work, you can check out our guide to the best Canva fonts for Instagram.

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