So, Reader, in the last edition of The Friday Newsletter, we talked about how to use Hemingway App to write better. In this edition, I want to stress on the impact of right Font Type on your audience.
Just like most people, I used to think “What’s there in a font type? My strength is writing. I don’t need any glitter or tricks.”
I was soo wrong.
I will show you in a minute.
Whom would you call?
Imagine. You’re hiring a construction agency. For your office.
Your assistant brings two business visiting cards for you.
Look at the following cards. And in a split second, decide which one you would call first?
In this case, you are more likely to select the first visiting card to call.
It is not magic. There is an in-built judgment system in our brains. It judges things faster than we can think (System-1 Thinking as explained by Daniel Kahneman in his seminal book ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’).
The font type is a signal. If it sends the right signal to our brain, a favorable decision is made. Or else, the opposite. (I can’t tell you how much I love this topic! You too? We should catch-up)
Font Type Basics
You don’t need to be a designer to apply this.
Understand that, there are two types of fonts:
- Serif fonts have small decorative lines at the ends of their strokes. See those elongated extensions at the end of the font lines? Serif fonts are generally considered to be more legible than sans serif fonts and are often used for body copy. Some popular serif fonts include Times New Roman, Georgia, and Palatino.
- Sans serif fonts do not have serifs. Sans serif fonts are often considered to be more modern and clean and are often used for headlines and logos. Some popular sans serif fonts include Arial, Helvetica, and Tahoma.
Font Combinations
In any business writing: that’s any email, report, outline or presentation, only two font types should be used throughout.
One type for titles and another for the body text.
Headlines: Serif, Body text: Sans serif
Headlines: Sans serif, Body text: Serif
Websites such as fontpair.co can be helpful in finding your best pair.
Rules of Thumb
- Use no more than two fonts in a design.
- If your content is purely digital, use a serif font for body text and a sans serif font for headlines.
- Choose fonts that are appropriate for the tone of your document or website.
- Use different font sizes and weights to create visual interest.
- Use a consistent font family throughout your design.
By the way, which one would have been a better banner:
NOW YOU.
Which is your favourite font typeface?
Do you use font typefaces consciously?
Hit Reply to this email and share with me!
Reads of the week:
- Why write? I mean, the AI is here, why bother, right?
- The Power of Time Off Taking extended breaks from work.
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