Fonts are an essential part of branding; it’s how we identify companies without even seeing an image of their products. Think of the iconic red Coca-Cola logo or the Avant-Garde font used for Adidas’ marketing. Each brand’s font makes an immediate impression on the customer, so it’s important to be consistent when it comes to building your brand.
But it’s not just the logo font that matters. Everything form your headlines to your body copy font matters. It’s common for new businesses just to default to whatever their website theme is set to, or pick whatever font they feel like that day for their copy or advertisements, but this can be a big mistake.
Why? Read on to find out.
Why limit the number of fonts you use?
In general, using more than three types of fonts will dilute any brand and make any blog post or website home page look unpolished and disorganized. The reader might not realize why the website isn’t pleasing to look at, but it’ll likely be because the various fonts will have to fight for attention.
While it may be tempting to select four or five fonts to mix it up, limit yourself to one “main” font, one secondary font, and a body font.
You want to create a clean and uncomplicated look for your brand, free of clutter and visual confusion. It might feel a little restrained to limit your font use, but you can still create contrast using typefaces within the same font family. Instead of using various fonts, focus on creating variety in the weights and sizes you choose.
Knowing the various types of font families (categories) can help when it comes to choosing the right ones. Each font category has its own traits, so it’s important to understand these categories when selecting the fonts that suit your brand personality. Knowing a little about font psychology will also help you hone in on the right font for your unique needs.
Limiting your fonts to just 3, or less, will help your brand gain clarity, look professional, and will help you create brand consistency across all channels – every web page and advertisement will look on-brand.
How do you choose the best fonts for your brand?
Building a brand isn’t easy – it’s not just about whether it looks “good”, but it also needs to attract the right customers, convey your values, and set the tone for everything you do.
The ideal brand fonts should:
- Be legible in general and on every platform
- Be memorable and unique (no copying your favorite companies – you’ll just remind customers of the other company, even if they’re in a different vertical)
- Reflect your brand personality
- Come from a font family so you have similar weights to choose from
- Align with your industry or how you are different if your aim is to stand out
- Attract your ideal customers
Your logo or headline font will often be the most artistic, but it still needs to be easy to read. Avoid using any font that takes people a moment or two to decipher, as this can turn people away. Your body font should be easy to read, so avoid cursive fonts. Remember to take your time to find the right fonts for your brand. Once you’ve found three that work for you, you can stick with them for years—or even decades—to come!
Feel unsure?
If you’re looking for a helping hand when it comes to font choice, web design, and overall branding, Pixel Parfait is here to help. We offer each new customer a design consultation to discuss current branding and services they’re looking for so we can evaluate the client’s style. We can help guide you through the process of choosing your fonts and ensure you choose fonts that align perfectly with your brand.
