25 Resources for Ornaments, Fleurons and Frilly Bits

Among the how-to design inquiries I receive by email, the subject of this entry is (surprisingly) near the top of the list in terms of quantity. One reader asked the repeated question this way: I noticed all the little ‘frilly’ bits (for lack of better word) around the site; I’m wondering whether you made these yourself, or if you found them somewhere else? Perfectly put. “Frilly bits” seems to aptly describe what are typically called ornaments, fleurons, vignettes, embellishments, or in some cases, frippery. Type ornaments, also termed printer’s ornaments, have been used in conjunction with type for literally hundreds of years. Of course, nowadays it’s all too easy to abuse these design elements, adding them merely for decoration rather than communication. But in the hands of an accomplished designer who knows how to use them appropriately and in moderation, type ornaments can serve to beautify and enhance a design.
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