What the font?

Fonts, typeface, typography…

So many names. “I can just pick one I like whenever I need one can’t I? – Does it really matter?” No, you can’t and Yes, it does. Very much.

You’ve spent time working through your brand strategy (If you haven’t yet, you can learn more about it here), and you know what makes you stand out from your competitors. The logo is designed, and you have your brand colours. Great, well done!

However, please don’t fall flat on your branded face by forgetting to give your fonts the attention they deserve. They play an important role in translating your brand just as your images do, so you need to use a font style that represents your business.

If you work with me and the team on your brand identity, you’ll be given a set of fonts to use. But why is it so important to stick with these and not add a few more to the mix?

If you’ve got amazing and consistent images, a beautiful logo and products but use multiple fonts and no structure, it will look unprofessional. Therefore, it’s essential to stick to your guidelines and develop a suite of fonts that work for your brand.

But, let’s take it back a bit – what actually is typography? The word ‘Typography’ describes anything that is printed text. In essence, it’s the art of arranging letters and text in a way that makes the copy legible, clear, and visually appealing.

It involves font style, appearance, and structure and brings out certain emotions and conveys specific messages – typography is what brings the text to life. A font or typeface are two different words to describe the same thing.

The basics of selecting the correct font is easier said than done. The font should be:

• Clean
• Not too small or take attention away from what you’re trying to say
• Easy to read
• Appealing and stand out
• Different to your competitors
• A way to elevate your brand

You’d be surprised at how fonts can enhance or damage your message if they’re not right. If you’re selecting fonts for a fun kids playroom or toy brand, the font should not be too serious but still look professional for it to look beautiful. Alternatively, a luxurious minimalist fashion brand needs a clean and simple font.

The choice of font determines how the content is understood, resulting in how your brand is perceived.

• Serif fonts – classic, traditional, and trustworthy
• Sans-serif fonts – modern, clean, and help create a minimal design
• Slab serif fonts – bold, quirky, and confident
• Script fonts – elegant and unique
• Decorative fonts – stylised, distinctive, and dramatic

Hierarchy

You also need to pay attention to how you write your text. You don’t want your main message to compete with your headline, for example, and this can be achieved by using size and different fonts.

Consistency

Using the same font pattern across your presentation, website or document gives it harmony, making it easier to read and convey your brand message.

It’s also about when

Some fonts look great in print, headlines or large text but don’t work on your website.

A trained graphic designer knows how to choose the right fonts for brands that work best in different formats and knows how to build a selling hierarchy best suitable for the industry and audience.