Tips and tricks for choosing the right font.

What is a font?

A font is a complete set of characters (letters, numbers, symbols, punctuation) from the same group with an identical visual style. These are known as ‘font families’.

For example, Helvetica, Arial, Times New Roman and Sans Serif are fonts.

Each typeface has a particular visual style and can convey different emotions and values. Choosing one font over another can make a big difference in an advertising campaign, and for a company's overall image.

Some brands are even recognisable at a glance because of the font they use. In these cases, the font is a cornerstone of their visual identity.

A history of fonts and typography.

While you may think fonts and typography date back to the beginning of the printing era, styling characters has actually been happening for millennia, with the transformation of pictograms into alphabet letters.

Typographic printing.

Printing content using movable characters began in the 11th century in China, where movable type made of terracotta was created to print characters.

Printing in the West.

It was in 1440 that printing using movable characters appeared in the West. The evolution continued with mechanical presses, then towards increasingly automated technologies. Today, most font design work is done using vector drawing software.

Evolution of character styles.

Since the beginning of printing, typefaces have become more refined, more thoughtful and more stylised, with each major era represented.

The Age of Enlightenment was characterised by fine serif scripts, while the Industrial Revolution saw the rise of thicker fonts. Later, in the post-war period, more straightforward, unadorned typefaces surged in popularity, while the 1960s and ’70s gave rise to more original rounded fonts.

This paved the way for today's modern fonts featuring clean, minimalist characters.

The importance of fonts.

Font selection is an important component of graphic design, and for good reason. Different feelings, atmospheres and emotions can be expressed simply through font choice and style.

Behind the advertising messages and texts you read on a daily basis, a designer has taken time to think about the relationship between what words say and how they look.

It's also worth noting that a poorly chosen font can impact how readable a message is.

Different font categories.

Today, there are thousands of different fonts to use in projects and communications, which doesn't make choosing one easy!

To avoid drowning in a sea of options, a good tip might be to first choose a broad font type and then search within that category for a font suited to your needs.

Here are some options:

Serif fonts: Typefaces with serifs (small additional strokes at the ends of characters are classical and elegant (Times New Roman, Bodoni, Garamond, Didot, etc.).

Sans-serif fonts: Typefaces without serifs are more modern and minimalist (Helvetica, Univers, Arial, etc.).

Slab-serif fonts: These feature thicker serifs than traditional serif fonts. They evoke feelings of strength and stability (Clarendon, Serifa, Rockwell, etc.).

Script fonts: These resemble handwriting and convey refinement and softness (Gigi, Lucida, Monotype Corsiva, etc.).

Monospace fonts: Here, all characters occupy the same width. Depending on the font chosen, monospace fonts can evoke a vintage style (Lucida Console, Courier New, etc.).

Special or decorative fonts: These are particularly original and refined typefaces. While not suitable for long text passages, they can, however, be particularly useful for creating logos or posters (Fraktur, Impact, etc.).

How to choose the right font.

When choosing a font for a logo, a website, a poster or any other visual creation, certain points are extremely important to keep in mind.

Consult this checklist when wondering what font to use.

• Define your content objective. Is it a task like a poster, or a website? In the first case, creativity and grabbing attention are more important. In the second case, decorative typefaces should be avoided.
• Consider the medium. Some fonts are more suited to certain mediums than others. It's generally accepted that sans-serif fonts should be prioritised for screen-based creations, and serif fonts for print on paper.
• Study your audience and sector. A financial services company will likely display a different font than a theme park or a fashion brand. Do you want to evoke a sense of fun, style or credibility?
• Think about readability. Style shouldn't come at the expense of readability. Therefore, ensure you choose a highly readable font, especially if your design contains lots of text.
• Combine fonts. It's recommended to use 2–3 different fonts in the same visual creation or web page. However, ensure a certain harmony by always choosing the same font for headings, another for body text, another for calls-to-action, etc. Obviously, you must also choose fonts that work well together. Try alternating between serif and sans-serif fonts (for headings and body text, for example).
• Consider the overall layout.
• The available space for text and the overall design of your creation can also limit your font choices. Some fonts take up more space than others. Meanwhile, others warrant generous line spacing to optimise reading. Here, there is room to experiment whilst considering your design's overall appearance.
• Work with colour. Have you found the perfect font for your graphic design? Now it's time to choose its colour. The key here is having good contrast, always with clarity and readability in mind. Be careful with bright colours—they generally don't make for comfortable reading and quickly strain the eyes.

Best practices for using fonts.

Lots of people spend a great deal of time searching for the right font for a logo or researching what the best font for a CV is. But there are some simple tips that will help:

Choosing a font for a poster.

For poster creation, limit yourself to two or three fonts maximum. Too many different fonts could distract the viewer and might even discourage them from reading the poster. Opt primarily for sans-serif fonts, which are generally more visible from a distance.

Adopting a font for a logo.

The logo is at the very heart of brand identity. Font selection should be made according to the sector and brand values. With logos, any type of font can work. Serif, sans-serif, decorative, script—there are many options. It's mostly about testing and staying true to the brand image.

Finding the best font for a CV.

When it comes to CVs, prioritise sober, professional serif and sans-serif fonts. Avoid overly decorative fonts as they may end up distracting recruiters. Certain space and layout constraints can also guide your choices when finding the best font for a CV.

Determining the best font for websites.

Limit yourself to 2–3 fonts maximum and prioritise serif and sans-serif fonts. For example, you might opt for serif for headings and sans-serif for body text, or vice versa.

The essential thing is choosing perfectly readable fonts that are generally simple and modern. Remember that many internet users browse websites from their smartphones, so consider good readability, regardless of screen size.

Choosing a font for a business card.

Base your choice on sector, audience and values to convey. Also, ensure you choose a perfectly readable font—a business card format is relatively small and your contact information must be quickly identifiable and legible. Choose a font designed for numerals too, if you’re including a contact number.

Choosing fonts for a book.

Here, opt for a single font throughout the book, or one for body text and another for headings and chapters. In any case, it's advisable to avoid script and decorative fonts, which would hinder smooth reading. Serif fonts are best for print. If choosing a font for a digital book (or e-book), opt for a sans-serif font instead.