Everywhere you look there are fonts, and despite the fact that many popular fonts turn up time and time again such as Times New Roman, Arial and Calibri, graphic designers and marketers understand the importance of choosing the right font to convey the right tone and effect.
First impressions go a long way when it comes to the presentation of information. Whether on an advertising poster, website, the television or in a magazine, the choice of font could spell the difference between keeping your readers’ attention or losing it to your competition.
All fonts essentially fall into two different categories: serif and sans serif. Serif means ‘tail’ and fonts in this category will have a tail on the end of some of the letters such as Cambria, Georgia and MS Serif. Serif fonts are popular in publications such as newspapers and reports as they tend to look more official. Sans serif fonts are more simple as they do not have tails and are more appropriate for reading on a website etc.
More than anything, fonts can convey a mood such as casual and fun, or formal and sombre. This is where the choice of font is so important. If you’re attempting to provide serious information, the choice of a font such as Comic Sans would be an absolute nightmare, as it is known for its lack of credibility. Equally, presenting something lighthearted in a formal font such as Times New Roman will take away some of its intended impact.
Whichever medium you’re using, select the right font to fully convey your message in the tone you need.
