The last aspect of branding I want to discuss right now is fonts. Most people don’t think about it since typography is more subconscious than other branding, but it is important. People spend hours reading on their phones and computers, and they are subconsciously picking up signals from the text.
Selecting A Font
There are several things you must consider when picking your brand fonts. All brands have two font styles: one for headings and one for the body of text. You can have a third for emphasis or small quotes, but it’s optional and not always recommended. If you’re starting out, I’d recommend just finding two fonts to represent your brand. To help you pick the right fonts, ask yourself these five questions.
1. How many weights does the font have?
Every font has different weights (or boldness). Some fonts cannot be bolded, and others come with five different weights. You’ll want one with some options to help vary your text and create emphasis.
2. Is the readability good?
Every font has what it called the x-height, and this determines the proportions of the letters. Pick one that is easy to read across all devices as a lot of people tend to read on their phones nowadays. You can do a simple search on the internet to see what fonts are the most legible and then select from that list for your body text font.
3. Is the font accessible?
You can purchase some fonts, but you want to make sure you can use them across your platforms. There are a lot of good free fonts that most programs carry. Research your platforms to see if you can use your choice before you settle on it.
4. What is the contrast ratio between your heading and body fonts?
Make sure your two fonts complement each other (have similar x-heights) but also contrast. When you hold up your fonts at a distance, it should be easy to tell they are different. You should have one with personality for headings, and one neutral for the body of text. If you are concerned about picking the right fonts, select two fonts within the same font family. It’ll guarantee they complement each other.
5. What is the message or feeling of your brand?
There is such a thing as the psychology of fonts, and it can help you choose the font for your brand. My favorite resource for this topic is again Website Builder Expert (the link is for their 2022 article so check for a more recent post if you’re reading this a different year). In their article, they list five font styles.
- Serif—traditional, respectable, comfortable, and reliable
- Sans Serif—contemporary, modern, minimalistic, and progressive
- Modern—strong, stable, defined, and chic
- Script—romantic, elegant, beautiful, and vintage
- Display—unique, expressive, amusing, and friendly
Judging by the branding pillars you picked, select the font style that fits those values. Once you have it narrowed down to a style, you can select two fonts to represent your brand.
Most recommend a Sans Serif for your body of text as it is considered the most readable font style, but you can pick any font that is neutral. Headings can be more expressive font styles like Script or Display, or you can keep it neutral as well (if that fits your brand image). Just make sure your two fonts still contrast for emphasis.
Final Thoughts
When someone visits your website or sees your marketing, you have seconds to grab their attention and keep it. Font is a simple yet powerful way to grab their attention. Words are how you convey meaning, but their presentation is how you grab their attention so you can convey that meaning. Don’t make the mistake of picking a font at random. Put effort into how you present your message to the world, and you will be surprised how positively your audience responds.
Thanks for reading!
Write a tale
Leave a trail
0 Comments