Kidings Three: A Vintage-Inspired Dingbats Font for Playful Editorial Design
As I sat down to redesign the header for my lifestyle blog, I found myself scrolling endlessly through font libraries, searching for something that felt both nostalgic and fresh. That’s when I stumbled upon Kidings Three—a vintage-inspired dingbats font that immediately caught my eye with its whimsical illustrations and hand-drawn charm. I was testing it for a new article series on family-friendly travel, and I knew right away that this font would bring a lighthearted tone to the visuals without sacrificing editorial polish.
Kidings Three for Lifestyle Blogs and Family-Themed Content
Kidings Three is a dingbats font that stands out for its playful character. Each glyph is a small hand-drawn illustration—think of kids playing, bicycles, balloons, and other cheerful icons. This makes it perfect for blogs or digital content focused on parenting, travel with kids, or family-oriented themes. I used it to create a header for a post titled “10 Kid-Friendly Destinations in Europe,” and the font added a sense of warmth and approachability that a standard display font couldn’t match.
What I especially appreciated was how easily it integrated into my existing layout. I paired it with a clean sans serif for body text, which created a nice visual contrast while keeping the overall design cohesive. The font worked beautifully in both desktop and mobile views, maintaining its charm and readability even at smaller sizes.
Kidings Three in Recipe Ebooks and Illustrated Guides
When I was designing a downloadable recipe guide for a client, I wanted to evoke the warmth of a handwritten cookbook. Kidings Three became my go-to for chapter openers and decorative accents. The vintage aesthetic of the fonts gave the ebook a nostalgic feel, while the hand-drawn icons added a personal touch that resonated with readers.
For example, I used a small balloon icon from the font set as a bullet point next to each seasonal recipe. It wasn’t just decorative—it subtly guided the reader through the layout and made the content feel more engaging. I made sure to keep the font usage minimal in body text, using it only for headings and visual accents to preserve readability.
Using Kidings Three for Wedding Guides and Elegant Branding
A fellow designer reached out asking for font recommendations for a wedding planning guide she was creating as a printable PDF. I suggested Kidings Three for section headers and decorative elements, especially those featuring children-related themes like “Bridal Party Kids” or “Family Seating Charts.” The dingbats style lent itself beautifully to elegant, handcrafted layouts without feeling too childish.
We paired it with a soft serif font for body copy, which balanced the whimsy with a touch of sophistication. The result was a guide that felt both personal and professional—perfect for a niche audience looking for a boutique-style wedding resource. She ended up using the font in both print and digital versions, noting how easy it was to work with across platforms.
Kidings Three for Printables and Planner Design
One of the most versatile uses I found for Kidings Three was in printable planners and coaching workbooks. As a digital product creator, I often design weekly planners for clients in the wellness space. This font provided just the right amount of visual interest for headers, icons, and motivational quotes without overwhelming the layout.
I used the kid illustrations as decorative dividers between sections in a “Mindful Parenting” planner. It gave the pages a gentle, nurturing tone that aligned with the content. Since the font includes a variety of hand-drawn objects, I could mix and match icons to suit different weekly themes—like a bicycle for “Movement Week” or a book for “Reading Goals.”
Readability Considerations for Screen and Print
While Kidings Three is a display font at heart, I found it surprisingly versatile across formats. On screen, it looked crisp in both PDFs and web graphics, especially when used at a reasonable size. For print materials like guides and planners, the vintage texture held up well, giving the designs a tactile, handcrafted quality.
Still, I made sure to limit its use to titles, icons, and short bursts of text. Using it for long-form content would have been distracting, as the illustrative nature of the dingbats can make extended reading challenging. The key is to treat it as a visual accent rather than a primary text choice.
Font Pairing Tips for Editorial Layouts
Pairing Kidings Three with other fonts was an enjoyable part of the design process. For digital magazines and newsletters, I found success pairing it with modern sans serif fonts like Montserrat or Lato for captions and navigation bars. This created a clean, contemporary contrast that elevated the overall layout.
In printables and guides, I often combined it with a readable serif font like Merriweather or Playfair Display for body copy. This helped maintain a visual rhythm—whimsical but grounded. The trick is to use Kidings Three sparingly, letting it shine in headers and decorative elements while relying on more traditional typeface choices for extended reading.
What to Check Before Using Kidings Three in Commercial Projects
Before finalizing any project, I always double-check the licensing and technical specs of a commercial font. Kidings Three comes with a standard commercial license, which means it can be used in digital products, templates, and client work—important for creators selling ebooks, printables, or newsletter designs.
I also made sure to verify that it included a full set of alternate glyphs, ligatures, and multilingual support. These details matter when designing for a global audience or when you need flexibility in how the font displays across platforms. The file formats available—like OTF and TTF—were compatible with all the design tools I use, from Canva to Adobe InDesign.
