Using fonts for your business in any print materials (such as newspaper ads, in-store print outs, memos, etc) or for the web, might seem like a pretty easy job, but think again. Unless you know a thing or two about typography, it is really common for someone to choose a font that doesn’t work.
In fact, there are people who have made whole careers out of fonts. Typographers and Letterers can spend hours drawing the same letters in different ways, and Graphic Designers use fonts in almost every project they do. I still remember when I was in college studying Graphic Design, and spending hours attempting to draw fonts flawlessly for my Typography class. I think I spent four hours writing my own name!
Basically, there’s more to using fonts than meets the eye. So the next time you need to make a font decision, here are five simple rules that anyone can follow. Here we go!
1. Don’t Mix Too Many Fonts
Using too many different fonts is confusing and hard to read. A good rule is to just stick to two different fonts. Preferably a serif and a sans serif font.
2. Go Easy on the All Caps
There’s no need to yell! People will still read your ad if it’s not in all capital letters, and it will most likely be easier to read.
3. Don’t Distort Fonts
This doesn’t make a business look very professional. Plus, it’s a good way to make a designer sad.
4. Avoid Comic Sans
Comic Sans is greatly disliked in the design world. Looking at it technically, it’s a terribly designed font for print. However, Comic Sans wasn’t actually designed for print. If you’re a designer reading this, you should definitely check out A Defense of Comic Sans.
5. When in Doubt, Hire a Designer!
Creating an ad? Just sit back and let someone else do the work! Designers know their beans and will look at your needs more critically, and choose fonts that will best suit your brand. Plus, there’s a ton of other rules that designers will be conscious of that are not even mentioned here.
Are you guilty of some of these? The next time you need to create something for your business, stick to these simple rules and you’ll be on your way to publishing beautiful ads!
