Knowing Your Type: A Guide for Beginners

Let’s talk about “finding the right type.” How do you find your perfect type? Everyone has a type, right? Right. Now you’re wondering what does my type have to do with anything? You’re right it doesn’t. I’m talking about the types of font, people. This isn’t a dating website.

Generally, everyone is familiar with typefaces, fonts, typography, lettering, whatever you want to call it, but not all typefaces are for everyone. The type of font a computer software company chooses to represent them is going to be a lot different than the font someone picks for, let’s say, writing a book. Now what most people don’t realize is that there is an almost infinite selection of font styles. For those who are not familiar with font categories, I’ll give you a very basic overview. Or you could just Google fonts and you’ll be surprised with the millions of different fonts that come up, but that can be overwhelming. If that doesn’t fit your needs, it may just be time to connect with a branding agency!

Type 1: Serif

Imagine the font you used to write every single paper in school. Times New Roman. This font is a Serif font. This means it has the little feet, or ridges, that come off the tops and bottoms of each letter kind-of like an edge or finishing a stroke of a letter. This font style has been around for decades and was the first style of font printed by a typewriter.

Type 2: Sans-Serif

Now imagine Times New Roman without all those little feet and ridges. Sans-serif just means “without serif.” This font type is more modern and can be seen commonly in magazines and on billboards.

Fun Fact: One of the most popular fonts in the world is the Sans-Serif font Helvetica. It is used by Jeep, Target, Panasonic, Skype, Harley-Davidson, Oral B, the list goes on. It is so highly recognized, there’s even an hour-long film about it.

If you’re familiar with typography at all, you know where this is going. If you’re not, hopefully, you’ll understand the importance of type more sooner than later. Typography is so vital to brand image, catching someone’s attention, spreading a message, and making sure it fits that image, or message you’re trying to convey. There are a lot of factors that go into creating new typefaces and fonts that a lot of people don’t realize. Another thing people don’t realize is the power of type. The font you end up picking for whatever it is you’re making can determine the outcome of its success. If you want to understand further about choosing the right font, here are 3 things to consider when making a decision.

1. What is the message?

If the message you are expressing is fun, informal, personal, or something like a blog post, the typeface can totally be up to you. Based on personal preference and making sure the font is legible and pleasing to the eye, decisions like this are more easy-going and friendly. If the message is for a professional company, or an important document, always stick to a clean, easy to read font. These are just some basic ways to differentiate the message and consider who might be reading it, which leads to the next point.

2. Who is reading this?

No future employer wants to read your resume if the font is Comic Sans. If it is something that other people are going to read, it is important to get feedback from others first. Having someone else proofread or look at what you’ve come up with is not only helpful for grammar and spelling, but also design, layout, and legibility.

3. Does it line up with your own brand image or the brand you’re representing?

A basic guideline for picking fonts for a brand is to consider the following. If the brand is contemporary, modern, or new, they will more than likely be drawn to a sans-serif font. If the brand is very professional, bold, and has been around longer, consider trying a serif font. I’m not saying new companies only use modern fonts and old companies use old fonts, I’m just saying it’s better to play safe than sorry, but also have options. Depending on the brand, it might be fitting for either style to work.

Everyone has their own type… or types if you’re indecisive. It takes a while to figure it out, but once you find it, you’ll know. Not all types are suitable for everything or everyone, but with a little trial and error and more research, it can be a walk in the park. If you are looking for help on your brand development, contact our Brand Advertising Agency today!