What Type of Font Should You Use
When writing content for your own business or website, one aspect you may not have considered is the type of font you should use. A good (or bad) font can be the difference between a visitor who stays on your website – and if you’re a business, becomes a future customer – and someone who clicks away from your website.
The font you choose for your website can say as much about your business as the words themselves. For example, you wouldn’t want to use Comic Sans if you are representing a law firm. A font like Gigi can make it difficult for readers to read quickly.
Fonts add character to your words.
Consider this phrase in different fonts: I will always find you. In Chiller font, the meaning is far different than an elegant script such as Edwardian. The right font style can help you efficiently communicate information about your business.
To Serif or Not to Serif
As you begin considering which font to write your content in, the best place to start is choosing between a serif or sans serif typeface. If you’re unfamiliar with these terms, a “serif” refers to the smaller lines coming off then ends of letters for a decorative effect. A serif font features these lines while a sans serif font does not. Here are two different fonts — one serif and the other sans serif:
Serif: Georgia
Sans Serif: Latha
While every individual font has its own identity, there are shared advantages and implications for all serif fonts and a different set of shared characteristics for all sans serif fonts.
The use of a serif font like Georgia gives readers a sense of formality and reliability. Used most often by newspapers, law firms, and other professional businesses, serif fonts can imply a sense of establishment. Using a serif font is like dressing up your writing, which can lend it some credibility and professionalism.
On the other hand, sans serif fonts like Helvetica create a feeling of modernity. Often employed by younger companies, sans serif fonts feel a bit more casual. Using a sans serif font is like taking the suit jacket off your writing. Sans serif fonts can imply that your business is approachable and informal.
Narrowing down your font choice between a serif or sans serif font comes down to the nature of your company. Do you feel your business requires a more buttoned-up image that a serif font provides? Or do you want your business to seem a bit more laidback by using a sans serif font?
Serif and Sans Serif Fonts You Could Use
When creating content for your website that will be easily readable, some good serif fonts to choose from are Georgia, Sentinel, Adobe Caslon Pro, Guardian, Harriet, and Savoy. If you’re looking for a sans serif font, try out Monserrat, Lato, Gotham, Avenir, Brandon Grotesque, and Roboto.
Choosing a specific font style is important but crafting content that is easy to read goes beyond just a typeface. Readability also comes from the size of your type and the color it is in.
(Font) Size Matters
“If you’re reading this, you’re too close”.
With only a 4-point reduction in font size, the previous sentence became difficult to read. If most of the traffic to your website comes from readers on their phones, it will be extremely difficult for them to read itty-bitty text on a screen the size of their hand.
Nobody wants to read type that is too big, either.
Another 4-point font size change, this time in the other direction, resulted in a substantial size difference in the previous sentence. If this entire blog post was written in that font size, you would be scrolling on your phone for a while. Ideally, you want to find a proper font size that creates text that is both large enough to be legible and small enough that it does not require your reader to scroll endlessly to read what you have written.
You can differentiate information on your website by using font size to your advantage. Making section titles large or picture captions smaller can help your readers navigate your content and find what they are looking for more quickly.
Keep in mind that font sizes aren’t all transferrable. 12-point size in Times New Roman won’t be the same as 12-point size even in another serif font like Sentinel. If you want to scale titles and body text in relation to each other, it might require a bit of experimentation.
Color is Key
The color of your font is another important aspect of readability. For example, yellow does not show up well at all on a white background while a blue font color appears much better. Different colors will be more legible on different color backgrounds. What works on a white background might not work for a tan or black background. For instance, while red is discernible on a black background, red text on black can be harsh on a reader’s eyes after a while.
While your safest bet is always black text on a white background, font colors can also be used to convey information about your brand. A font color might match your business logo colors, or it can convey a specific emotion. Just as you can – and should – use font size to delineate between titles, body text, and captions on your website, these pieces of information can be color-coded to better communicate information to your readers. As you have seen in this blog post, the use of bold and italicized words and phrases can also be used to aid in the readability of your writing.
Considering the style, size, and color of the font you write in for your business can ensure that you are maximizing your communication abilities. Font can influence the presentation of your business and the ease and efficiency your clients will hope to enjoy when they visit your website.
Quality Content For Your Website
Expressly Written can refresh existing content or write all new content. If you hate to write or simply don’t have time, email us today to provide you a free, no-obligation, 15-minute evaluation of your website or other written content at [email protected].
Kim Ruiz has been writing professionally for over 25 years. This guest post was written by Logan M. Cole to highlight the passion behind good writing for our Expressly Written clients.