-Originally used in bodies of text, but not as accessible as sans serif fonts

           -Now typically used for headlines

       -Examples of serif fonts: Times New Roman, Georgia, Baskerville Old Face, and Rockwell

Serif fonts are named for the little serifs on the font, these are like little feet that the letters rest on.  These fonts were originally used in bodies of text, but now are typically used for headlines.  Some common examples of serif fonts are Times New Roman, Georgia, Baskerville Old Face and Rockwell.

     -Used for bodies of text and captions

      -Examples of sans serif fonts: Arial, Calibri, Century Gothic and Tahoma

Sans Serif fonts are named essentially “no” serif, since they do not have serifs on the letters.  These fonts are typically used for bodies of text and captions because of their high legibility and accessibility. Some common sans serif fonts are Arial, Calibri, Century Gothic, and Tahoma.

     -Used for wedding invitations or for formal functions to show elegance

        -Examples of script fonts: Edwardian Script, Bradley Hand, Lucida Calligraphy and Freestyle Script

Script fonts are typically used for wedding invitations or for formal functions to show elegance.  Some common script fonts are Edwardian Script, Bradley Hand, Lucida Calligraphy, and Freestyle Script.

It is not wise to use script fonts for bodies of text or throughout an entire design.  The old adage “less is more” applies here in more ways than one.  Common misconceptions of script fonts are they give a design elegance or the designer wants the flyer to "look pretty." 

But if you use these fonts in bodies of text it actually makes it much more difficult for the viewer to read, it can make the design look too busy, and can frustrate some viewers, especially those who might have visual problems. Let’s look at an example. 

Here we have two Instagram posts. The example on top uses a flowy script for the quote and the tagline.  The quote is difficult but mostly legible, the tagline is almost illegible.  In our example on the bottom though, there is only a script font on the quote in a heavier script which makes it much easier to read, and the tagline is script-free, making it easier to read as well.

     -A font with multiple type styles

      -Create variety, but maintain unity

      -Examples:

>Arial: Black, Narrow, etc.

Font families are when a font has multiple type styles within it.

Using font families is a good way to have variety in your design, yet maintain a cohesive piece.

Some examples of font families are Arial, Franklin Gothic, Gill Sans and Lucida.

For our example of font families, we have two flyers, one is successful and one is not.  The flyer on top is not a successful flyer.  It is not accessible, and uses multiple fonts unsuccessfully. The flyer on the bottom uses the font family Gluten, using Gluten Medium, Gluten SemiBold, and Gluten Bold.  This creates a more cohesive flyer that is more accessible and easier to read.

Common misconceptions…

     -More fonts=more interest

     -Variety is the spice of life

     -Sparingly

     -When using different typefaces within a family

Using multiple fonts is usually not a good thing.  Common misconceptions about using multiple fonts is that with the more fonts you use, the more interest you create in your design.  Others follow the adage that variety is the spice of life.  While have a little spice is good, too much can be overwhelming.

Multiple fonts should only be used sparingly.  Most of the time when you use multiple fonts it will be when you are using different typefaces within a font family.

Here we have two business card designs using multiple fonts. In the top design, you can see it uses different fonts for each section of text.  The fonts chosen do not go together, are not accessible, and because of these factors make the card hard to read.  There is also color issues at play here. The design on the bottom uses three fonts, (magic number), for the design as well, but the difference is the choice of the fonts.  In the bottom business card, the fonts chosen are accessible, easy to read and flow well together.  The color issues have also been corrected in the bottom card.

Here is an article from Canva on selecting the perfect font palette for your design.

Fonts can cause a design to be eye-catching, explain a brand precisely, and get the theme to spring out of the design, especially when utilized with purpose, style and attention. Design success is not achieved without the understanding of the art of fonts.