Typography is a fascinating subject, but it can be intimidating. There are millions of fonts in the world, with designers creating more nearly every day. It can be hard to try to select an effective one for a business or other design project. On one hand, you may want to avoid the most common fonts and pick something that will stand out. On the other, you want to make sure you’re conveying the right message and feel. Here are some pointers to guide you to an appropriate font style.
Serif Fonts
A serif font is one that has notches at the ends of most of its letters. A graphic design company Beltsville MD will often choose serif fonts if they want to project elegance or authority. You often see serif fonts in the logos of financial institutions and political ads. Most awards and engravements will use a serif font as well.
Sans Serif Fonts
Sans serif fonts, as the name would suggest, do not have the notches that serif fonts do. This gives them an appearance that is generally rounder. Sans serif fonts are more popular in modern design, as they are often used in the tech industry. Many san serif fonts are associated with the space age style of the 1970s. This doesn’t mean they can’t appear to be classy and dignified in certain settings, they just give off a less traditional vibe.
Places to Have Fun
It’s important to really understand what feelings font families suggest before playing around with the rules. The best way is to start by considering your audience. An elementary school teacher, for example, would be fine using a “fun and bubbly” font like Comic Sans or Arial Black Rounded for their students, but these could be disastrous when used in a business setting. When in doubt, choose between serif and sans serif, and find a clean, neutral typeface family.
