Handwriting · Gaslight
Bad Script
Find the font. Find its kind.
CSSfont-family: 'Bad Script', cursive; font-weight: 400; font-style: normal; line-height: 1.1;
Bad Script is a free handwriting font by Gaslight, on Google Fonts since 2011. Among the 331 handwriting faces on FontKind, Bad Script has an x-height taller than 69%, is of average width and, at its regular weight, is lighter than 82%. Its thickest strokes are 1.0 times its thinnest: nearly even strokes.
01 / Light table
Laid on top of Calligraffitti
Bad Script on one light table with its two closest fonts, Calligraffitti (75 out of 100) and Sedgwick Ave (70). Calligraffitti is 14% heavier and 4% wider, with an x-height 9% shorter; Sedgwick Ave is 20% wider and 38% heavier, with an x-height 30% taller.
Bad Script and Calligraffitti laid on top of each other.
Ink shared with Bad ScriptCalligraffitti…
Most different letters first; the figure is the share of ink the fonts have in common. Where the fonts agree the letters cancel to black: every white sliver is a real difference.
02 / Letters
The Bad Script alphabet
Capitals, lowercase, figures and signs · weight 400
Tap the letters you like, here and in other fonts, to find the fonts whose letters look most like them.
- &
- ?
- !
- @
- %
- (
- )
03 / Sizes
Bad Script at every size
1 weight (400) · six sizes, in your words
- 12 px
- 16 px
- 24 px
- 36 px
- 48 px
- 72 px
04 / Facts
Who made Bad Script, and can you use it?
- Designer
- Gaslight
- Kind
- Handwriting
- Styles
- 1 weight (400)
- On Google Fonts since
- 2011
- Character sets
- cyrillic, cyrillic-ext, latin, latin-ext, vietnamese
- Licence
- SIL Open Font License 1.1
Can I use it?
- Commercial use
- Yes.
- Logos
- Yes.
- Websites and apps
- Yes. Self-hosted or loaded from Google Fonts.
- PDFs and documents
- Yes.
- Changes
- Yes.
- Sharing the files
- Yes, but not for sale. With the licence.
Bad Script is under the SIL Open Font License 1.1. This is a plain summary, not legal advice: the licence itself decides.
Already in your apps?
- Google Docs
- Most likely. Under More fonts, in Sheets and Slides too. Google’s guide
- Word, PowerPoint
- No. Install it from Google Fonts first. Microsoft’s list
- Figma
- Yes. Built in, nothing to install. Figma’s help
- Canva
- Not verified. Search its font menu for Bad Script, or upload it with Canva Pro. Canva’s help
- Cricut
- Once installed. Design Space lists Bad Script under System. Fonts for Cricut →
From each app’s own font list or help pages, read on 28 September 2026.
05 / Measurements
Bad Script, measured
Taken from the font file's own outlines, regular style
- x-height
- 51.5% of the emlowercase x
- Cap height
- 97.8% of the emcapitals
- x / cap
- 0.53lowercase against capitals
- Width
- 38.6% of the emaverage lowercase
- Ink
- 35%letter box filled
- Contrast
- 1.03 : 1nearly even strokes
Where it stands among handwriting faces
Ranked against all 331 handwriting faces on FontKind
x-heightLarger than 69% of handwriting faces
WidthNear the middle of handwriting faces
InkLighter than 82% of handwriting faces
ContrastMore even than 67% of handwriting faces
06 / Similar fonts
Fonts similar to Bad Script
Matched letter by letter · its own family apart
- Calligraffitti75x-height 9% shorter · 14% heavier · 4% wider
- Sedgwick Ave70x-height 30% taller · 20% wider · 38% heavier
- Edu TAS Beginner68x-height 19% shorter · 26% heavier · more stroke contrast
- Edu Australia VIC WA NT Hand Precursive6728% wider
- Edu Australia VIC WA NT Hand6728% wider
- Edu QLD Beginner65x-height 19% shorter · 28% heavier · 9% wider
All 100 fonts similar to Bad Script →Compare side by side →Get Bad Script on Google Fonts
07 / Swap
Swap Bad Script without a jump
Running text within 3% of the width, x-height within 5%
- Lichte Graphic CAT48text 1.2% wider · x-height 2.4% taller
- Graphic CAT44text 1.2% wider · x-height 2.9% taller
Fallback while it loads
Until Bad Script loads, this sets Arial in its place at 80.1% of its size, so running text keeps Bad Script’s width and lines keep their height: nothing moves when it arrives.
@font-face {
font-family: 'Bad Script Fallback';
src: local('Arial');
size-adjust: 80.08%;
ascent-override: 165.34%;
descent-override: 80.92%;
line-gap-override: 0.00%;
}
font-family: 'Bad Script', 'Bad Script Fallback', sans-serif;08 / Pairs
Used together with Bad Script
Of the 1,765 home pages that load Bad Script, the share that load each font too, and how that compares with chance.
Same page, not which sets the headings · HTTP Archive , 1 September 2026
- Open Sans21%362 sites · 1.1× chance
- Roboto17%306 sites · 0.9× chance
- Montserrat12%208 sites · 0.9× chance
- Poppins8.3%146 sites · 0.8× chance
- Raleway7.9%140 sites · 1.9× chance
- Lato7.1%125 sites · 0.9× chance
More than chanceLora 3×Rubik 2.4×Raleway 1.9×
Fonts that go with Bad Script: pairs and trios →The pairs sites choose most →
Pair checkerBad Script + any fontHow many of the 6,276,350 home pages counted load the two together, and how that compares with chance.Check this font with any other09 / Questions
Questions about Bad Script
Answered from its licence, Google Fonts and each app’s own font list
Is Bad Script free for commercial use?
Yes. Bad Script is under the SIL Open Font License 1.1 , which allows commercial use at any scale, logos, websites, apps and PDFs included.
How do I download and install Bad Script?
FontKind doesn’t host Bad Script’s files: it comes free from Google Fonts . On its page there, choose Get font, then Download all, and unzip the file. It holds a single font file. On Windows or a Mac, double-click each font file and choose Install, then restart any app that was open, Word included.
Is Bad Script in Microsoft Word?
Not until you install it: Bad Script isn’t one of Microsoft 365’s cloud fonts. Installed, it is in Word’s font menu and PowerPoint’s. For someone who hasn’t installed it, turn on Embed fonts in the file in Word’s save options: its licence allows that.
Is Bad Script in Google Docs?
Most likely. Search for Bad Script under More fonts in the font menu of Docs; added there, it is in Sheets and Slides too.
Is Bad Script in Figma?
Yes: Bad Script is in Figma’s font menu, in the browser and the desktop app, with nothing to install.
How many weights does Bad Script have?
Bad Script comes in one weight, Regular (400). Ask for bold and most apps thicken the letters themselves: a faux bold, not a drawn one.
Who designed Bad Script?
Bad Script was designed by Gaslight. It has been on Google Fonts since December 2011. Gaslight also made Electrolize.
What fonts are similar to Bad Script?
The closest in our letter-by-letter match are Calligraffitti (75), Sedgwick Ave (70) and Edu TAS Beginner (68), out of 100. Next to Bad Script, Calligraffitti is 14% heavier and 4% wider, with an x-height 9% shorter. See all 100 fonts like Bad Script.