How to Select the Right Fonts for Your Brand
Can’t decide on a font style for your brand? I don’t blame you. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone back and forth between different typefaces. There are literally hundreds of thousands of unique fonts to choose from, so finding the right one can be a tad overwhelming.
Your fonts are an important part of your brand identity and overall visual aesthetic. The fonts you select will likely be used across all your content and visual brand marks so you want to ensure you find a style that aligns with your vision and brand.
Here are 4 main typeface classifications to help guide your decision.
Serif Fonts – Classical, Traditional, Trustworthy
Sans Serif are the oldest typeface. You can distinguish Serif fonts by the small decorative line found at the end of the character’s stroke. The most common Serif font is Times New Roman. This is a font we’ve probably all used to write our college papers, as it is the default font in Microsoft Word. Serif is a good typeface choice for long written copy such as paragraphs, magazine editorials, blog posts, etc.
Is this the right choice for your brand?
Serif fonts are good for brands that are elegant, classic, timeless, sophisticated. These are great choice to use for headings, headlines, and also long-copy for print and digital. Serif pairs well with sans serif as it creates a balanced look.
Sans-serif - Modern, Minimal, Clean
Sans Serif are modern and easy-to-read fonts, best suited for websites and digital work. Unlike Serifs, these fonts do not have the extending line at the bottom of each character. They appear are more rounded and playful.
Is this the right choice for your brand?
Sans Serif fonts are a good choice for brands that are modern, minimal, sleek, clean, holistic, etc.
Slab serif - Bold, Quirky, Confident
Slab Serif are bold and outspoken fonts that are hard to miss. These are attention-grabbing fonts that are a good choice for big announcements such as posters and billboards. They have very thick serifs at the end of each characters. Serifs are good for big headlines rather than long written copy, because the extra boldness can be difficult to read in long paragraphs. IF you want a message to stand out, Slab Serif is the way to go.
Is this the right choice for your brand?
Slab Serif fonts are a good choice for printed posters, typography art, and brands that are playful, youthful, adventurous, and outgoing.
Script/Handwritten Fonts
Next, is one of my personal favorites: Script. Script fonts are distinctive fonts that mimic cursed handwriting. It is a typeface with a personal touch like calligraphy and handwriting fonts. Once upon a time, they were mostly used for formal work, but nowadays more and more designers are using it in casual works of art, including myself. I love to pair script with sans serif fonts, as it creates a good balance of creative and modern vibes. I like script because they are unique, memorable, and as I mentioned above, leave a personal touch. If you’re interested in script for your brand, here are 8 of my favorite script fonts with download links.
Is this the right choice for your brand?
Script or handwritten fonts are a good choice for personal brands, feminine brands, travel bloggers, lifestyle bloggers, etc.
Recap
All in all, fonts are a powerful visual tool that impact how your brand is perceived. Knowing your audience through and through is the best way to selecting a font that will leave a good impression! As noted, each font style conveys a different message and has different pros and cons.
