Typing Out Your Brand: How to Pick Your Font
Remember in school when all of your papers and essays had to be in a specific font (Times New Roman), an exact size (12), and double spaced? And all those guidelines basically got you to today, where you are in charge of whatever font you want, whatever size you desire…enter choosing your typography for your brand. It gets to be what you want and how you want to portray yourself and your business to the world. How cool is that? However, it isn’t as simple as choosing one you simply like, you must consider readability, what it voices, and how it will tie together with all of your other branding elements. Let’s get writing (if you will) on how you pick a font for your brand and what the different fonts say about your business, because yep, even down to the font it will express something about your business.
What is Brand Typography?
Brand typography is the specific fonts used for a brand. It’s not just about selecting a font that looks good; it’s about choosing one that speaks to the personality of your brand. It brings up different emotions and associations with your audience and affects how your brand is perceived by them. You should carefully consider the typography for your brand because:
First Impressions Matter (hello first date!): They can immediately set the tone and are ultimately a part of the first impression because humans are visual creatures! It all comes down to the experience you are creating with your brand. Are you modern and innovative, or traditional and trustworthy? Your choice of typography will communicate this instantly.
Consistency Across Platforms: Consistent typography across your website, social media, print materials, and any other platforms ensures a cohesive brand identity. It can however be difficult to do on social media, I recommend you try as you have to take into account that social platforms only have access to a specific set of fonts, you can find one similar to yours and I suggest sticking with it. Getting close and trying to stay consistent will help in building your brand recognition and trust.
Enhances Readability and User Experience: The right font can make your content more readable and engaging, improving the user experience on your website. You do not want something that is too hard for the user to read. Typically, you want sans serif on websites and serif on print material for legibility. Remember we are all about ease nowadays.
How to Pick a Font for Your Brand
Choosing the right font for your brand involves understanding your brand’s personality, values, and the message you want to convey. Here are some steps to help you make the right choice:
1. Define Your Brand Personality: Is your brand playful or serious? Modern or classic? Your font should reflect this personality. For instance, serif logo fonts often convey tradition and reliability, making them ideal for more conservative brands.
2. Consider Your Audience: Think about who your target audience is and what type of fonts will appeal to them. Younger audiences might prefer more modern, sans-serif fonts, while an older demographic might appreciate the timeless elegance of serif fonts.
3. Test for Versatility: The best fonts for business are versatile and look good in different sizes and formats. Test your chosen font in various scenarios – on your website, business cards, brochures, and social media. Also, test the various formats and sizes, you want it to maintain itself across multiple different applications. This is also a good point to make sure that your font is readable. Style here does not win over clarity.
4. Choose a Variation: You don’t want to leave your site without some flair and style, so try to choose different fonts for headings, subheadings and body text, it will offer a visual hierarchy aiding in the contrast and showcasing the different sections on your website or printed materials.
Fonts Options for Branding
When it comes to choosing your fonts for branding, there are several tried-and-true options. Here are some top recommendations:
Sans-Serif Fonts: These fonts are clean, modern, and versatile. They work well for brands that want to convey simplicity and clarity. Some popular sans-serif fonts include Helvetica, Arial, and Futura.
Serif Fonts: These are classic and elegant, often used by brands that want to convey tradition and reliability. Popular serif fonts include Times New Roman, Georgia, and Baskerville.
Script Fonts: These are more decorative and can add a touch of elegance and personality to your brand. They’re often used for luxury brands or creative businesses. Examples include Pacifico and Great Vibes.
Brand typography goes beyond design, it’s a design element that can shape how your brand is perceived and experienced. By carefully choosing your font for branding and considering factors like readability, versatility, and alignment with your brand’s personality, you can create a cohesive brand that resonates with your audience. Whether you are looking to up the game on your website, learn more about how the branding process works or do an overhaul on your branding, don’t forget that your typography is an important element to enhancing your brand’s visual impact.
Happy font hunting!
