Gothic lettering is a style of lettering, also called a font or typeface, that is popular for many artistic projects and other uses. It is featured prominently in many operating systems for computers, and is offered as a printing option in most print shops. Although the definition of Gothic types of lettering can be difficult to explain due to different ideas about this font, some basic facts can show how this collection of typefaces came to be called Gothic lettering.

Many experts define Gothic lettering as a type of script used in various parts of Western Europe from about the middle of the 1100s to the early eighteenth century – throughout the centuries, the Gothic lettering represented an element of Gothic culture, which was related to Germanic tribal groups that lived in Western Europe. For this reason, some calligraphy and typeface experts refer to Gothic scripts as scripts that are neither Roman nor Greek.

One very common attribute of Gothic lettering that it is “sans serif." This goes back to the idea that Gothic forms of lettering were used, not by the Romans, but by other cultural groups of the era. Where Roman lettering included the serif, an additional stroke at the base or in other areas of a printed letter, Gothic lettering was said to be without serifs or, in the Anglicized French form, “sans serif.” It is also sometimes called “block printing.”

To understand the origin of forms of Gothic lettering, it’s a good idea to research the specific cultural groups known as Goths and their role in the development of Europe. Alternately, readers can learn more about Gothic types of lettering through seeing examples of its use, particularly in the German language, in books and publications of the eras in which it was used. One example of this is the Germanic art form known as fraktur, where a certain style of ornate calligraphy coincides with detailed drawings. This style of art was commonly used on German forms such as wedding certificates and other documents.

The example of fraktur is a good one because part of what distinguishes many forms of Gothic or "Goth" lettering from others today is their ornate quality. Besides just being sans serif, many prominent Gothic types of lettering have a level of detail that appeals to the eye. As one of the more ornate forms of fonts available in modern printing, gothic lettering provides a more eye-catching alternative to most other kinds of lettering available.