Five rules for choosing the right typeface

Typography is a powerful asset which helps your audience visualise the values and characteristics of your business.

If used correctly a typeface will immediately give a positive impression which will influence how people see your organisation.

A strong brand identity will emotionally capture the target audience through a typeface, colour palette and successful application across a range of print and digital media. However, a designer’s worst nightmare is seeing a font used which doesn’t reflect what the brand stands for, or if the choice of font shows mixed messaging.

Here are my five rules for picking the right typeface for your business:

1. Understand what the different types of font convey

There are many different font types. Serif fonts represent tradition and are frequently used to represent heritage and quality, though could be considered old-fashioned.

Sans serif fonts are bold, clean and timeless and are used widely across the corporate design sector. They are easy on the eye, therefore frequently used for body copy and bold headlines.

Modern fonts show sophistication and style and, hence, are used by many fashion brands. Examples may include Gotham and Futura. You can combine a modern font with a classy serif font to create contrast.

Script fonts can convey elegance and handcraft. However these need to be used with caution. Ideally, these script fonts may be used as a heading or statement. If used as a logo it may prove difficult to read.

Rounded fonts are regarded as quirky, playful and often applied to businesses that want to advertise themselves as low cost, for example like the budget airline EasyJet.

Slab fonts are great at communicating impact and many well-established businesses like Sony use a slab font to stand out in a competitive market.

2. Use a typeface that reflects your brand values

The typefaces you use as a business, especially those in or accompanying your logo, are at the very core of your brand. With incorrect application, your brand will be confusing and will fail to connect with your target audience. There’s a broad range of font families and choosing the right one may prove to be a daunting task, so it’s wise to seek expert guidance from branding and design professionals.

It may seem like common sense, but there’s a deep body of study that has gone into brand psychology, especially around logos and typefaces. Greeting card and gifts retailer Clintons is a good example of a business whose logo is appropriate to its brand values. Although you would normally use a script font with caution, in this instance it’s in context as it represents personal handwriting.

3. Remember the importance of typeface colour in appealing to your target market

It isn’t just the typeface that will represent the personality of your brand. Typeface colour is also an extremely important consideration. For example, if you’re running a children’s toy store you would likely choose a soft and friendly font with a vibrant colour palette. If you’re looking to position your business in the corporate market a sans serif font with a bold, yet conservative colour palette would be more effective in conveying trust and dependability.

A recent project Freshfield embarked on was a rebrand for a long-term client, Moore and Smalley Chartered Accountants. We introduced a warm and sensitive sans serif typeface called FS Albert. This font embeds the trustworthy and professional values the firm wants to be famous for.

Moore and Smalley logo sting from Freshfield on Vimeo.

4. Combine different fonts to create impact

Combining two contrasting fonts will communicate different emotions under one brand. For example, if you want your business to reflect a modern appeal with stability you may chose a traditional serif font like Baskerville with Myriad. Using italics is often an effective way of emphasising a strapline to work alongside a logo.

Although combining different fonts helps enhance a brand’s feel, if used incorrectly it may weaken the brand. Avoid using two similar fonts as it will deflate what the brand is trying to show. Contrast is the key.

5. Don’t forget about legibility and scalability

Keeping a logo or typeface legible is vital. A brand should look just as powerful on stationary as it does on an advertising board. Many businesses run into trouble when they try to scale up their logo for a specific marketing project. For example, a script font may look classy on a letterhead, but on the side of a bus it might look like graffiti.

Which ever typeface option you chose to represent your business, keep it clear, concise, relevant and in context to what you’re aiming to communicate.