5 Things Your Website’s Font Says about You

The best graphic designers will have extensive collections of fonts, all of which fall into a handful of ‘families’. But what are some of the most popular fonts, and what do they say about you?

Serif Fonts

These types of fonts are most commonly used in magazines and books. They are easy to recognise by the various flicks that appear at the ends of each letter. These are not just for decorative effect; there is a psychology behind this specific style of font. Each little embellishment compliments the reading of the entire word. This typeface allows for large blocks of text to be easily read.  The classic here is Times New Roman, the only serif font found on all word processors.

What does it say about you? It immediately shows your reader that you are about to engage in some deep and sensible discussion. It’s the respectable style of the newspapers, use this font, you’ll be received accordingly.

Sans Serif Fonts

Sans Serif (or without Serif) – This typeface drops them all together. It makes for a more flexible font, simple letters that can be arranged as needed. It’s the most commonly associated with its design potential, and as a result, you’ll find it all across the web. Common Sans Serif fonts are the classy Helvetica (so popular with designers that a graphic design documentary takes its name from the font) and the more popular Arial font.

What does it say about you? These fonts are recognised as both simple and modern, hence their popularity. They are among the most aesthetically pleasing – you’ll be taken seriously with these fonts.

Warning: The following fonts are less aesthetically pleasing, and you may want to avoid them. Here’s what they could be saying about you:

Monospace Fonts

Basically, this font mimics the old typewriter style. Courier is the big player here. Great if you are working on a history project, not so much for the website.

What does it say about you? Unfortunately, this font often feels rigid and awkward. Not the kind of feeling you want to communicate. Leave this one for the screenwriters.

Comic Sans

A font that almost appeared out of nowhere, inspired by comic books and described on Microsoft’s website as ‘the groovy script font.’ It has steer clear written all over it.

What does it say about you? While it’s a great novelty font and easily readable, it’s openly and negatively associated with making a website look like a child’s school project – not recommendable if you want to be taken seriously.

Handwritten Fonts

These fonts are pretty to look like. They appear as the handwriting we all wish we had.

What does it say about you? Unfortunately, it can often come across as illegible or pretentious. In small doses this font maybe useful, but like most of these strange typefaces, best left in the hands of the professionals.

In short, there are many horrible font styles that will turn off your readership immediately. Some of them are simply misused; some simply should never be used. The key to a pleasing website aesthetic is a simple, clean font. All it takes is good judgment for what’s appropriate, and a little knowledge as to what can go where.