Fonts in Marketing - The most important points in brief: |
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Arial, Calibri, Roboto, Times New Roman, and Verdana. Everyone has probably used these fonts. But are they all serif fonts or are they sans-serif fonts? What effect do the fonts have on readers, and in the end, are they perhaps completely unsuitable for your business purposes?
While you don’t have to worry about this when creating Word documents and the like, in marketing the choice of the right font is crucial, because it can have a significant impact on your company’s image. But how are you supposed to find the right one for your branding among the countless fonts on offer? We explain everything that is important.
Fonts are an essential component of a company’s visual identity. The typeface is just as much a part of the corporate identity as elements like the logo or the company colors. Typography contributes to differentiation and enables recognition. It can convey a specific character, such as emotional, professional, quirky, modern, and the like. As typefaces carry the content, they form the foundation of all your content. You can use existing fonts for this purpose or even have one or more custom typefaces developed by a designer to use as a unique feature.
Fonts can be classified into different categories. The most common ones are:
Serif fonts are the most traditional typefaces. Serifs are small lines or hooks attached to the ends of letters. The most well-known serif font is Times New Roman. Serif fonts convey a literary, high-quality, and classy feel. They are a great choice for extensive texts such as books, brochures, and the like, as well as for fine print due to their high readability. Serif fonts give text a classic and reputable touch, making them ideal for businesses with traditional values like financial services or law firms.
Serif fonts convey a literary, high-quality, and classy feel.
As the name suggests, sans serif fonts do not have serifs, which are additional lines at the ends of letters. Sans serif fonts generally maintain a consistent stroke width. The most famous example of a sans serif font is Arial. Sans serif fonts are highly legible and therefore work well for fine print. They also perform effectively at lower resolutions, making them suitable for digital texts, such as websites and eReaders. Sans serif fonts project strength and clarity, presenting a modern, clean, and organized appearance. Variations in stroke width within the same font can create significantly different impressions. For instance, thick sans serif fonts can appear masculine and robust, while thin versions look glamorous and sophisticated. Because of the modern, minimalist effect of sans serif fonts, they are often used by technology or fashion companies.
Sans serif fonts project strength and clarity, presenting a modern, clean, and organized appearance.
Script fonts resemble handwritten styles. Just like with handwriting, there is a wide range of unique typefaces within this category. They range from highly calligraphic styles to more casual ones. They are decorative and thus not suitable for longer text passages. They are primarily used for designs such as logos and often for attention-grabbing headlines. An example of a newer script font is the typeface “Selfie.”
The font “Selfie”. (Source: DAFONT FREE)
Script fonts exude elegance and creativity. They work well for brands aiming to convey a personal and artistic impression. Due to their luxurious appearance, they are also favored by coffee roasteries, organic product brands, or similar businesses.
Script fonts exude elegance and creativity.
Display fonts are intricate typefaces designed to evoke specific emotions in the reader. Contrary to what the name might suggest, they are not specifically made for digital displays. In fact, their readability in digital contexts is limited. In this context, “display” refers to the verb “to display,” meaning to showcase something. Display fonts should be used sparingly as they can compromise the readability of your text, and many of the available fonts are poorly executed, potentially harming your branding. They are typically used for headings and slogans and are not suitable for body text. The exact fonts falling into this category are not clearly defined. Many script fonts can also be classified as display fonts, including the example font “Selfie.”
Display Fonts are typically used for headings and slogans and are not suitable for body text.
Monospace fonts (also known as non-proportional or fixed fonts) are typefaces where each character has the same width. They exist both with and without serifs. Monospace fonts with serifs resemble the classic appearance of a typewriter, like the “Courier” typeface. Serif-less monospace fonts have evolved from earlier screen fonts. Examples include MS Consolas or Console/Sans Typewriter. Monospace fonts are primarily used in printing. Due to their consistent width, they are also popular for coding and other technical purposes. They are less commonly used in marketing materials.
Monospace fonts are typefaces where each character has the same width.
In addition to the fonts already available in many programs (for example, Canva offers a wide range of typefaces), there are other sources to acquire new fonts for your company.
There are several providers of free fonts, such as Google Fonts, Font Squirrel, or DaFont. Fonts can usually be downloaded for free from these sources. However, it’s important to pay attention to the different licenses associated with each font.
For high-quality and exclusive fonts, there are also paid sources such as MyFonts and Adobe Fonts. These platforms offer professional typefaces created by renowned designers and often provide a broader selection and support in font discovery.
Naturally, you can also have your own fonts created by font designers. Additionally, there’s the option to design fonts yourself. Various programs provide assistance for this, such as Birdfont, Calligraphr, or FontForge. Apart from possessing a distinctive handwriting style, these programs also require technical skills (like working with vectors) and technical equipment, such as a graphics tablet, to be advantageous.
While you should choose fonts that align with your company’s image, it’s also possible to use fonts from other websites that you’ve come across and liked. To identify the fonts used, there are various programs that can assist you.
There are several browser extensions that allow you to easily determine the font used on the website you’re visiting with just a click. These include Type Sample, Fount, WhatFont, Fonts Ninja Extension, Font Scanner, and Fonts Finder.
There are websites that provide the option to recognize a font online by uploading an image. After uploading, the characters within the image are analyzed. Such websites include WhatTheFont, Whatfontis.com, FontSpring Matcherator, and LikeFont.
In addition to browser extensions and websites, there’s a very simple way to identify fonts on websites without needing an extra program. Just right-click on the element whose font you’re interested in on the respective website. Choose “Inspect” or “Inspect Element.” You’ll find the name of the font you’re looking for under the entry “font-family” or “fonts”.
This is how easy it is to find out which font is used on a website.
Not only the type of font, but also the formatting of your text is crucial in conveying the right image of your company.
In creatives, using multiple text fields with different (yet complementary) fonts, font colors, and font sizes can attract attention. This livens up designs and piques the viewer’s interest. However, avoid overdoing it. Too bright and flashy combinations can also deter your customers.
For alignment, you can generally choose between left, right, and center. It’s important to opt for the option that suits the layout of your website or the creatives you’re designing. When positioning the text, ensure that it remains readable where you place it.
As mentioned in the “Multiple Text Fields” section, using different font sizes is important. This applies not only to creatives but also to longer texts. Varying font sizes is crucial because a long text in a uniform font size can be visually tiring. Different font sizes also help structure your text. The human eye first notices larger text. Therefore, make your headings large, subheadings slightly smaller, and so on. However, never make the text so small that it becomes difficult to read, nor so large that your headings span more than one line. Your text should always appear professional. You can use bold formatting for headings, important information, or keywords to generate more attention.
Character spacing is usually preset for most fonts. Ideally, you shouldn’t alter this, as font designers have put thought into it. Some graphic design programs allow you to adjust character spacing, which might be helpful when aligning different lines of text to the same width, for example, to make a graphic appear more fluid. Line spacing can also be varied. However, excessively tight spacing compromises readability, while overly large spacing might make the text seem disjointed.
As mentioned before, using different fonts to capture interest is recommended. However, it’s crucial to select fonts that complement each other and not use too many different typefaces, preferably no more than three. Many design programs, like Canva, offer preset font combinations where you can be sure they match. Of course, you can also experiment with combining different fonts yourself. The chosen fonts should always have a high contrast between them.
HERE are examples of suitable, modern font combinations.
Indeed, it’s possible to write a novel on any topic. But no matter how great the fonts you’ve selected for your company’s appearance are, an excessive amount of text can still deter your readers. Try to be concise, write short paragraphs, and use bullet points in general. The same applies to creatives: Less is more. Don’t overwhelm the image with text. Give the text “room to breathe.”
The choice and use of fonts are critical aspects of a company’s branding. Thoughtful selection can positively influence the brand image and establish a strong connection with the target audience. Companies should ensure they use fonts that support their brand identity while enhancing readability and aesthetics. Free sources offer a wide range of options, while paid sources provide exclusive and professional choices. However, regardless of the font you choose, please ensure that you have the appropriate license to use it for your purposes, as otherwise, you could face legal action. Fonts pre-installed in design programs like Canva should generally keep you on the safe side.
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