A font of all knowledge?
Recently several clients have asked us which fonts they should be using for corporate literature and websites.
Online, there are very few fonts that are safe to use because fonts can distort online and end up looking absolutely dreadful – not the good impression you wished to create. So the choice online is really just between Arial (this font) and Verdana (for an example of a site built in Verdana see www.nkuk.co.uk)
Online it is vital that the treatment of the font does not reduce readability – for example, reversed out text (e.g. black on white) can be disastrous for reading blocks of text and equally difficult to read online is coloured text which should be reserved for highlighting, headings or short, sharp sales messaging. There are legal guidelines which you should be following to improve accessibility with limited visual ability and most of these guidelines are equally important when dealing with your general customer base, for example, don’t use a very small font size. Why make it more difficult for your customers to read your messages? Online, short, pithy sentences in clear, legible font is the key to success.
In printed literature, the choice is far greater and there are a number of factors to take into consideration.
Traditionally, the use of a serif font (one with tails on the end of the letters e.g. Times Roman) is considered easier to read so tend to be used where there is a block of text to be read (e.g. Novels, magazines etc). The theory behind this is that the tails actually aid the eye to make a smooth connection between letters, which makes blocks of text easier to read. Where the traditional rules are broken and blocks of text are produced in a sans serif font, it tends to go down better in Europe than in North America generally. However, in recent times, there has been a trend towards use of sans serif fonts (e.g. Arial) because in printed materials it gives a far more contemporary feel. But does this impact on readability?
We asked Matt Barrett, MAXX's creative director for his opinion:
“It is vital that the font chosen reflects the brand or message that it is promoting. A sans serif font projects a more contemporary, fresher feel and these fonts are generally available in a more versatile range of weights. Whereas a serif font looks more “stately” and because serif fonts have been with us since Roman times, they have a more traditional feel. Both have their merits and a good designer will choose the style best suited to the project; sometimes using both styles together to create an individual look and feel.”
There have been academic studies on this very matter for well over 100 years, with strong advocates on both sides, however, a recent paper concluded:
“We should accept that most reasonably designed typefaces in mainstream use will be equally legible, and that it makes much more sense to argue in favour of serif or sans serif typefaces on aesthetic grounds than on the question of legibility.”
Alex Poole
So it seems that the choice of font is still a matter of subjectivity to some degree. However, whether you choose a serif or a sans serif font, if your text is not well-written, it won't make sense to the reader – so it may be time to pull in some help!
The best people we know for the job are Resonates – read more about them at http://www.resonates.com
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