Matter of the Heart: A Doubled Display Font for Crafters
When I first loaded Matter of the Heart into my design software, I knew instantly it would become a staple in my product-making toolkit. This doubled display font carries a handwritten quality that feels both intentional and approachable. It’s not perfectly polished, and that’s exactly why it works so well for handmade goods, printable designs, and small shop branding. The organic vibe it gives off makes every word feel like it was lettered by hand, yet the doubled structure gives it a bold presence that holds up beautifully on everything from stickers to signage.
I’ve tested dozens of fonts over the years for my candle labels, wedding invitations, and digital downloads, and this one stands out because it bridges the gap between casual warmth and commercial readability. It’s a typeface that doesn’t scream for attention but instead pulls people in with its gentle, imperfect charm. If you create physical products, sell templates, or run a Cricut-based business, understanding how this font performs in real-world applications can save you hours of trial and error.
What Makes Matter of the Heart Stand Out
The first thing you notice is the doubled line effect. Each letter has a subtle inner and outer stroke, creating a layered look that mimics a handwritten marker or a carefully drawn chalk design. This gives the font a dimensional feel without being overly complicated. The handwritten personality is relaxed and friendly, with slight variations in stroke weight that keep it from feeling mechanical. For crafters, this means you can add a custom, handcrafted touch to your products even if you’re not a lettering artist yourself.
As a display font, Matter of the Heart is designed for headlines, titles, and short phrases. It’s not meant for long body text, but in the craft world, that’s almost always exactly what we need. Whether you’re writing “Happy Birthday,” a name on a tumbler, or a product name on a candle jar, this font handles those key moments with personality. The organic, slightly imperfect letterforms help your creations feel unique and less like mass-produced merchandise, which is a huge selling point for handmade businesses.
Handmade Labels and Stickers with Personality
Product labels are often the first thing a customer sees, and they set the tone for the entire purchase. I’ve used Matter of the Heart on candle labels, soap packaging, and honey jar tags, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. The doubled style adds just enough weight to make the text legible at a glance, while the handwritten character suggests a small-batch, artisanal quality. For sticker makers, this font is a dream. It cuts cleanly on my Silhouette machine, and the doubled lines actually help the design stand out even on busy backgrounds like patterned paper or kraft surfaces.
If you’re designing for a boutique, think about using it for price tags, care instruction cards, or thank-you notes. The font’s organic vibe pairs wonderfully with natural textures like twine, burlap, and recycled paper. I’ve also seen it used on clear sticker material for planner pages, where the doubled effect pops against colorful weekly layouts. For small stickers, I recommend keeping the text short and sizing the font no smaller than 12 points to maintain the double-line detail, especially if you’re printing at home or using a cutting machine with fine blades.
Invitations, Cards, and Wedding Stationery
Wedding and event stationery is where Matter of the Heart truly shines. I’ve created bridal shower invitations, save-the-date cards, and wedding welcome boards using this font, and each time, the couple commented on how it felt both elegant and personal. The doubled display effect works beautifully for names, dates, and short phrases like “Forever Begins Here.” It doesn’t compete with watercolor florals or delicate illustrations; instead, it complements them with a soft, handwritten presence.
For birthday party invitations, baby shower cards, or holiday greeting cards, this font adds a cozy, homemade feel that digital templates often lack. I usually pair it with a simple address block in a clean sans serif, which lets the main text take center stage. When printing on textured cardstock, the doubled lines remain crisp and readable, which isn’t always the case with thinner handwritten fonts. If you sell printable invitation suites, including this font as a suggested option for the headline can set your designs apart from the hundreds of generic script-heavy templates on the market.
Printable Wall Art and Signs That Sell
Printable wall art is a competitive space, and the right font can make or break a design. I’ve created farmhouse-style signs, nursery name prints, and inspirational quote art using Matter of the Heart, and they consistently perform well in my Etsy shop. The doubled lettering has a hand-drawn chalkboard quality that feels right at home in rustic, modern, and boho decors. For a “Welcome to Our Home” sign or a child’s name plaque, the font’s organic warmth draws the eye and creates an emotional connection.
When designing larger signs, I often increase the letter spacing slightly to let the double lines breathe. The font scales well, and on a 16x20 print, the layered effect becomes a decorative element in itself. For seasonal crafts, I’ve used it on Halloween treat bags, Christmas ornament designs, and Valentine’s Day cards. The handwritten style adapts to the mood simply by changing the color palette or surrounding graphics. It’s versatile enough to work for a spooky “Boo” sign just as well as it does for a romantic “Love” print.
Product Packaging That Tells a Story
If you’re selling physical products, packaging is an extension of your brand. I’ve designed custom hang tags, belly bands, and thank-you cards with Matter of the Heart, and the font helps convey a story of care and craftsmanship. The doubled display effect catches the light on glossy packaging, and on matte surfaces it feels soft and tactile. For a candle business, imagine a kraft paper label with the scent name in this font, accented by a simple botanical illustration. The result is a product that looks expensive and thoughtfully designed, which often translates to higher perceived value.
For holiday packaging, I’ve used the font on gift tags and small favor boxes. The handwritten quality makes the wrapping feel personal, even if you’re preparing dozens of units. When I design for client projects, I often recommend this font for bakery boxes, coffee bags, or handmade soap wrappers. It’s a commercial font that doesn’t look overly commercial, and that balance is hard to find. Shoppers notice these details, and a consistent, appealing label design can be the reason they choose your product over a competitor’s.
Readability and Cutting Machine Tips
As crafters, we know that a beautiful font is useless if it doesn’t cut or print well. I’ve run Matter of the Heart through my Cricut Explore and Silhouette Cameo, and with a few adjustments, it performs reliably. The doubled lines are integrated into the font design, so you don’t need to create separate offset layers yourself. However, for very small cuts—say, tiny stickers under 1 inch—the inner details can become delicate. I recommend doing a test cut on your material, and if the machine struggles, increase the text size or use a slightly thicker material setting.
For printed products like cards and labels, the font reads clearly at 18 points and above. At smaller sizes, the double lines can merge visually, especially on porous paper, so I tend to use it for the focal point of the design and rely on a simpler font for supporting details. On mockup previews, it photographs beautifully, and the layered effect adds depth that flat fonts often lack. When I’m creating product mockups for my shop listings, I always make sure the font is sized prominently so customers can see the handwritten character right away.
Font Pairing Ideas for Matter of the Heart
Pairing fonts is one of my favorite parts of designing, and Matter of the Heart gives you a lot of creative options. Because it’s a bold display font with a handwritten feel, it works exceptionally well with clean, simple typefaces that don’t compete for attention. I often pair it with a light sans serif like a minimal geometric font for a modern, balanced look. For a more classic feel, a gentle serif font with thin strokes creates a lovely contrast against the doubled, organic lines.
If you’re designing a wedding invitation, try using the font for the couple’s names and a delicate script font for the date line. For a rustic product label, combine it with a clean all-caps sans serif for the ingredient list or business name. The key is to let Matter of the Heart be the star. It’s not a font that blends into the background, so I always make sure the secondary typeface is understated. Avoid pairing it with another highly decorative font, as the overall design can become cluttered. Instead, think of it as the voice of your project, while the supporting font is the quiet listener.
File Formats and Special Features
When you purchase Matter of the Heart, be sure to check what’s included in the download. Most premium display fonts come with standard file formats like OTF and TTF, which work across design software such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Cricut Design Space, and Silhouette Studio. Since this is a doubled display font, the double lines are built into the letterforms, but you may also find alternates, ligatures, or swashes if the designer included them. I always explore the glyphs panel to see if there are any extra stylistic options that can make a name or phrase look even more unique.
Multilingual support is another factor to consider if you sell internationally or create designs for a diverse customer base. I look for fonts that include extended Latin characters, accent marks, and punctuation. If the description mentions that Matter of the Heart supports multiple languages, that’s a big plus for printable sellers who want to offer their designs in different languages. Even if you don’t need them immediately, having those characters available can open up new product possibilities down the line.
Commercial Licensing for Craft Sellers
Using a font for personal projects is one thing, but if you’re selling physical products, digital downloads, or templates, you need a commercial license. Matter of the Heart is a font that many small business owners will want to use commercially, so it’s essential to check the licensing terms carefully. Most font creators allow you to use the font on physical products you sell, like shirts, mugs, tote bags, and signs, as long as the product volume stays within the license limits. For printable items, SVG designs, and digital templates, you may need an extended license that covers redistribution of the font file itself.
I always keep a copy of my license and note the permitted uses in my project files. If you’re designing for clients, make sure your license covers that work, or advise your client to purchase their own license. The last thing you want is a legal issue over a beautiful font. Luckily, many independent font designers are clear about their terms, and the investment in a proper commercial license is small compared to the value the font adds to your products. A font like Matter of the Heart can become part of your brand identity, so it’s worth doing things right from the start.
In every craft fair display, every Etsy listing, and every customer package, the fonts you choose speak volumes about your work. Matter of the Heart says that you care about the details, that you value a human touch, and that your products are made with intention. Whether you’re printing a single birthday card or producing a full line of boutique labels, this doubled display font helps you communicate that message clearly and beautifully.
