Rochester

handwriting · Designed by Sideshow

Rochester: Jackdaws love my big sphinx of quartz

Available weights

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Snippet updates automatically to match whichever weight you select above.

Get this font on Google Fonts

What do I do with this?

Just want to use the font? Click "Get this font on Google Fonts" to download it or add it directly to a document, design tool (like Canva or Photoshop), or your computer's font list.

Building a website? Click "Copy Font Code" to copy a short snippet, then paste it into your website's HTML (usually inside the <head> section) to use this font on your site.

Rochester is a formal script font with tall, narrow letterforms and strong vertical strokes that give it an upright, elegant quality. Unlike many handwriting fonts that lean heavily cursive or casual, Rochester maintains a structured look with clear connections between letters and consistent baseline alignment. The contrast between thick and thin strokes is moderate, lending it a refined feel without tipping into the ornate. It reads well at display sizes and carries an air of vintage sophistication, reminiscent of mid-century formal stationery and signage. The overall impression is polished and intentional rather than playful or informal.

Rochester works well in contexts where a touch of class is needed without going fully decorative. Wedding-related businesses can use it for logos, invitations, or website headers to communicate elegance on a budget. It suits boutique brands in fashion, beauty, or hospitality where the identity needs to feel personal and handcrafted but still professional. In editorial design, it can serve as a display headline for lifestyle or culture publications looking to break from standard serif or sans-serif headers. It is best used at larger sizes where the stroke detail can be appreciated, and kept to short runs of text such as names, taglines, or section titles.

Best suited for: Rochester suits wedding invitations, boutique branding, lifestyle editorial headers, and formal event materials where elegant handwriting conveys sophistication without ornamental excess.

Design considerations: As a formal script with a single regular weight, Rochester works best at display sizes where its vertical structure and stroke contrast remain legible and impactful. The structured letterforms and consistent baseline make it more restrained than many handwriting fonts, positioning it for professional contexts that benefit from personality without casualness.

Pairing guidance: Pair Rochester with Cormorant Garamond to anchor formal layouts with a complementary serif voice, use Lato as a clean sans-serif counterpart for body text and functional elements, or combine it with Dancing Script to layer handwriting styles where Rochester provides refined headlines and Dancing Script adds warmth to secondary text.

Pairs well with

Cormorant Garamond Lato Dancing Script

Rochester at a glance

Designer

Sideshow

License

Apache License 2.0

Added to Google Fonts

August 2011

Last updated

September 2025

Styles

1 (1 weight)

Classification

Handwriting · Display

Character sets

1

Distributed via

Google Fonts

Rochester styles

Weight Name Upright
400 Regular Aa Bb Gg 123

Rochester character map

Uppercase

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Lowercase

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Numbers and punctuation

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ! ? & @ # % $ € £ ( ) [ ] { } . , : ; " ' - / * + =

Which languages does Rochester support?

Rochester includes one character set:

  • Latin: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and other Western European languages

It does not include Cyrillic or Greek characters, so it can't set Russian, Ukrainian or Greek text.

Can I use Rochester commercially?

Yes, it's free for personal and commercial use. Rochester is released under the Apache License 2.0. You can use it in personal and client work, websites, apps and products you sell. If you share the font files themselves, include a copy of the license with them.

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Rochester FAQ

Is Rochester free for commercial use?

Yes. Rochester is licensed under the Apache License 2.0, so you can use it in commercial projects, including logos, client work and products you sell.

Which weights does Rochester include?

Rochester comes in a single weight, Regular (400), with no italic style.

Does Rochester support Cyrillic?

No. Rochester supports Latin, but not Cyrillic.

Who designed Rochester?

Rochester was designed by Sideshow. It was added to Google Fonts in August 2011.