Handwritten Fonts: How Glossier & Starbucks Use It To Increase Sales

Handwritten fonts make customers 5.43 times more likely to buy hedonic products—things you buy for pleasure like candles, chocolate, fashion, or beauty.

The science is simple. Your brain sees handwriting as human presence. That triggers emotion. And emotion drives hedonic purchases.

Researchers from the University of Innsbruck and Babson College tested this on product packaging. Crispbread with handwritten fonts sold to 30.4% of customers. Machine fonts? Only 5.6%. Chocolate showed the same gap: 17.2% versus 3.4%.

The rule flips for utilitarian products. Building materials or professional services need machine fonts. Customers want sturdy and technical, not creative and human.

Here's 3 brands using handwritten fonts to boost sales.

Three brands doing it right

Glossier: Beauty with a personal touch

Glossier includes handwritten notes with every shipment. They feel personal, like a friend sharing skincare secrets.

Beauty products are pure hedonic territory. The handwritten touch reinforces their skin first, makeup second philosophy.

Even their thank you notes use handwriting. "Thank you for visiting us today," signed by Glossier DC. It's intimate, human, and memorable.

Starbucks: Your name, your way

Starbucks writes your name on every cup. By hand.

Coffee is experiential and social. The handwritten name transforms a commodity drink into a personal moment. You're not customer 47. You're Dan (or Julia).

People photograph their cups. They share misspelled names online. Handwriting creates stories worth telling.

Levi's: Heritage in every thread

Levi's vintage line uses handwritten tags detailing the decade, style number, and measurements.

Vintage denim is emotional. People buy it for the story and connection to the past. The handwritten tag amplifies that feeling—signaling craftsmanship and individual attention.

Customer reactions prove handwritten fonts work: "I love the handwritten note."

Here's why it really works

I ordered food from a hotel using a delivery app. The food was okay. Nothing special.

But the chef had sent a handwritten note.

I still remember that hotel's name. I've ordered from thousands of different restaurants. Only one ever sent a handwritten note.

That's the real power here. Nobody does this.

When everyone defaults to printed labels and generic packaging, handwriting becomes remarkable. It's not just the psychology of human presence. It's the novelty of someone actually caring enough to write by hand.

The science shows a 5.43X increase in sales. But the lasting impact is harder to measure.

I forgot what I ate that day. But I still remembered the gesture.

Hat Tip to Science Says for the insight.

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