Songwriters Fonts gives you the opportunity to type in the handwriting of David Bowie and John Lennon

Songwriters Fonts, a new project launched by French graphic designer Nicolas Damiens and copywriter Julien Sans, gives typography fans the opportunity to experiment with using the handwriting of some of the world’s most treasured songwriters.

Developing a collection of five alternate famous fonts to choose from, the pair has researched into handwritten letters and notes of Leonard Cohen, David Bowie, John Lennon, Kurt Cobain and Serge Gainsbourg, mimicking their respective handwriting to create a font for each.

Choosing songwriters such as Kurt Cobain whose “unique writing did affect a generation forever,” or David Bowie who “never stopped experimenting new approaches in his music, writing unconventional songs which became classics,” the pair hope that using the typefaces will spur on inspiration. “Writing lyrics with the handwriting of influential songwriters helps imagination to develop,” explains Songwriters Fonts. “Being in the mood of Bowie, Cohen, Gainsbourg, Lennon, might be purely imaginative… but that’s precisely the point.”

Each of the fonts are free to download, for personal use only, and are available here.