Switching a font out in your brand fonts can make a huge impact on what your brand communicates to your audience. The typography that you use with your brand and website will create an emotional impact with your audience and you want to make sure it’s creating the kind of emotion and connection that you want it to. For example, if you saw a banking business with a logo written in comic sans, you probably would comment on how unprofessional the brand appeared. But if you saw it written in a traditional serif font like Times New Roman, you would place more trust in this banking business.
So, do you see how important your brand font choices are? That’s why I want to introduce to you font psychology.
But, before you start picking the colors and typography for your brand it’s important to first have a solid idea of WHO your brand is. You’ll want to do a little bit of business soul searching to figure out what your brand’s values are, it’s voice, personality, and style.
It would be a shame to spend so much time crafting a beautiful brand to realize it isn’t communicating the key things that your brand stands for and that attract your dream clients.
Serif fonts are the most traditional font option. A serif is classified as the small extra stroke found at the end of the main vertical and horizontal strokes of some letters. Serif fonts are traditionally used for large bodies of text in magazines and newspapers because it is an easy to read font. Some popular serif fonts are Times New Roman, Bodoni, and Garamond.
This font has the unique ability to show a ton of different character and personality through the smallest details in the font.
Serifs can be used by themselves paired with other typeface styled (bold, italic) to create an interesting brand fonts system. They can also be paired with a san-serif font to create a modern feel or with a script font to add a more feminine or hand-touched feel to the brand. It is not recommended to pair this font with a slab-serif or with other fonts that are too similar in style to them.
Brand Adjectives: class, heritage, trust, respectability, authority, grandeur, classic, established, formal, trustworthy, sophisticated, stylish, traditional, high-end, mature, luxurious
Pairs well with: San serifs, scripts, and display fonts
Used For: Logo, Body copy, titles
Sans serif fonts have a consistent thickness and no feet like their serif counterpart. They are the most simplified of the fonts and feel modern and clean. These fonts are often used for large bodies of text online. You’ll notice that most apps and websites use a san serif font for readability. Brands who want to demonstrate a straightforward, simple, and no-nonsense attitude gravitate towards using a sans serif with their brand fonts.
Brand Adjectives: clean, modern, engaging, chic, honest, clarity, geometric, humanist, universal
Pairs well with: serif, script, slab serif
Used For: Logo, body copy, titles, small text
Often regarded as a subset of the serif family, they look like serifs but have specific slab sections as the serifs. The slabs can be either blunt and angular or rounded. Slab serifs were invented in and most popular during the nineteenth century. They’re frequently used by car and technology brands who want to install confidence in their customers while showing off some modern creativity. Slab serifs can be used within your brand fonts to create a stamp-like feel or to add a sense of boldness to the brand.
Brand Adjectives: confidence, solidity, boldness, innovative, modern, creative, contemporary, friendly, solid
Pairs well with: San Serif
Used For: Logos and titles
Script fonts are generally much fancier than their serif counterparts and often resemble handwriting or cursive. They are classified as letters that are connected and flow together in a fluid motion. Script fonts can be hard to read and should be used with care. Don’t use script fonts for body copy or long sentences. Do use script fonts for short call-outs or as an accent font used sparingly within your brand fonts system.
Brand Adjectives: femininity, elegance, creativity, personal, history, and experience
Pairs well with: San Serif and Serif
Used For: Logos and accent fonts
Display and decorative fonts are usually reserved for logo design and occasionally for headings or accent fonts. These are creative fonts that are highly unique and generally don’t fit into any category. These fonts quickly convey emotion and the brand’s personality.
Brand Adjectives: Determined by the font
Pairs well with: San Serif and Serif
Used For: Logos and accent fonts
Now that you have a good understanding of all of the different types of fonts,it’s time to think about how you can use them to align with your brand and audience. Download my Brand Discovery Workbook to get to the heart of your brand. In it, we’ll discover how you want people to feel when they see your branding and what you want your brand to be known for. After you have done some business soul searching than you can pick your brand fonts that align with your brand’s big picture.