Old Street: A Brushed Display Font That Elevates Brand Typography
Old Street in Action: Refreshing a Café’s Menu Design
As a creative consultant working with small businesses, I recently helped a local café redesign their menu. They wanted something that felt modern yet approachable — a balance that’s not always easy to strike. We tested several display fonts and landed on Old Street, a brushed display font that brought a refreshing energy to the design. It’s the kind of font that catches your eye without overwhelming the message, making it ideal for menus, signage, and brand headers.
Old Street has a casual, handcrafted look with subtle texture. It doesn’t feel overly stylized, which is key when you're designing customer-facing materials like menus. The brushed strokes add character without sacrificing legibility, especially at a distance or in printed formats. This made it perfect for the café’s drink menu headers and daily specials board.
Old Street for Packaging: A Bakery’s Branding Upgrade
Another project where Old Street stood out was a local bakery’s packaging redesign. They were using a generic sans serif font that, while clean, didn’t reflect the warmth and care they put into their pastries. Switching to Old Street gave their boxes and tags a more personalized, artisanal feel. The font’s brush texture paired beautifully with their kraft paper packaging and handwritten-style accents.
Because Old Street is a display font, it works best for short-form text like product names, bakery tags, or event signage. It’s not ideal for long paragraphs, but that’s exactly what makes it shine in branding materials. It commands attention and adds a sense of personality to any visual identity. Whether it’s used for a bakery logo or a boutique tag, it gives small businesses a polished, intentional look.
Using Old Street in Digital Branding: Instagram Templates and Web Banners
In the world of online shops and social media marketing, visual consistency is everything. A candle seller I worked with was updating her Instagram templates and needed a font that would stand out in thumbnails and stories. We used Old Street for headlines and promotional text, pairing it with a clean sans serif for body copy. The result? A cohesive, eye-catching aesthetic that made her brand instantly recognizable.
Old Street works especially well in digital formats because its brush texture reads clearly on screen, even at smaller sizes. It’s bold enough to be visible on mobile without looking cluttered. For web banners, social media posts, and digital ads, it gives a brand a distinctive voice. Just be mindful of spacing and contrast — this font shines brightest when it's not competing with too many other design elements.
Font Pairing Tips for Old Street in Business Branding
One of the most important aspects of using a display font like Old Street is knowing how to pair it with supporting typography. Since it’s bold and expressive, it pairs best with minimalist fonts that let it take center stage. For body text or supporting copy, try a clean sans serif like Montserrat or Lato. If you're going for a more elegant vibe, a simple serif font can balance the brush texture of Old Street beautifully.
For logos or product packaging, consider combining it with a script font for a dynamic, layered look. Just remember — the goal is to create visual harmony, not competition. Old Street is meant to be the highlight, not the background.
Why Old Street Works for Thank-You Cards and Small Business Stationery
When you're running a small business, every detail counts — including the handwritten notes you send to customers. A local skincare brand I collaborated with started including thank-you cards with each order, and they wanted something that felt personal yet professional. Old Street gave their cards a warm, inviting tone without looking too informal.
Because it’s a display font, we used it sparingly — mostly for the customer’s name and a short greeting. The rest of the text was set in a simple, legible font to ensure readability. This combination created a branded experience that felt thoughtful and intentional. It’s a small touch, but one that contributes to a more memorable customer interaction.
Choosing the Right Use Cases for Old Street in Brand Design
It’s important to understand where Old Street excels and where it might not be the best fit. As a display font, it’s best suited for headlines, logos, packaging titles, and short-form text. It’s not ideal for long blocks of copy or dense informational layouts. However, for visual branding — especially in print and digital marketing — it’s a powerful tool.
Whether you're designing product labels, business cards, social media graphics, or shop banners, Old Street can help your brand stand out. It brings a sense of authenticity and craftsmanship to your visuals, which is especially valuable for small businesses looking to build trust and recognition.
Before using it in commercial projects, always double-check the font licensing to ensure it’s approved for your intended use — whether that’s on product packaging, digital downloads, or client work. Also, verify that the font includes the necessary file formats, multilingual support, and alternate characters if needed for your design.
