Choosing the perfect digital marketing font
The Importance of Fonts
In the digital age almost everything can be communicated through online mediums. Without tone and body language people now rely on visual cues to convey messages. These cues contain elements such as colour, imagery, and fonts.
Choosing the right digital marketing font is especially important as they assist in conveying tone and emotion digitally. This can contribute to solidifying brand identity and company values. Font also plays a large role in website readability. This contributes to how long a person’s attention span will last when reading text. Overall, fonts impact a variety of communication cues. But what should you consider when choosing the font for your needs?
Digital Marketing Font Types
Let us take it back to the basics. Different font types suggest different tones to the reader. To pick the perfect font for your message it is important to be aware of the four main font categories: serif, sans serif, scripts and decorative, and their meanings.
Serif
Serif fonts are fonts which have serifs or feet attached to the characters. Serif fonts evoke the perception of traditionalism, formality, and practicality. This font can be seen on the encyclopedia Britannica.
Serif fonts include:
Sans Serif
Sans serif fonts have no feet or serifs attached to the characters. Sans serif fonts are perceived as modern, sleek, minimalistic and digital. Examples can be seen with the logos of Facebook and Google.
Sans serif fonts include:
Scripts
Script fonts mimic fluid handwriting. Script fonts are associated with luxury, expense, quality, and sophistication. Examples can be seen with confectionary companies such as Coca-Cola and Cadbury in attempts to be perceived more decadent and indulgent than other brands.
Script fonts include:
Decorative
Decorative fonts are bold, creative fonts that are designed to stand out. Decorative fonts correspond with creativity, out of the box thinking, and bold personality. For example, a decorative lightning bolt font is used for the Harry Potter film titles.
Decorative fonts include:
A Guide to Font Pairing
Font pairing can seem daunting to those who are not artistically inclined. However, we have a few tips and tricks that can ease the process.
Don’t Use Two Fonts of the Same Type
Whilst it might seem intrinsic to play it safe by using two Serif fonts, this will actually make your typography look cluttered. Instead, try pairing a fancier heading with a plain text. As a rule of thumb, a sans serif font is always a good choice for body text.
Sustain Contrast but Avoid Conflict
Font pairing can be boiled down to the tricky balance of creating contrast without causing conflict. Instead of choosing two completely different fonts try playing with font size and weight to create a cohesive contrast.
Outsource your font pairing
If you don’t have a designer’s eye you can always rely on others to do the job for you. There are plenty of font pairing generators available on the internet. Or if you would prefer more in depth help you can always enlist a graphic designer.
Font Choices for Web Design
Remember! Crazy fonts can cause a webpage to load slowly which will cause viewers to click off your site. Try using these free resources to identify website-friendly fonts; Adobe fonts and Google fonts.
