Graphic profile - fonts

The graphic profile consists of three pillars: logo, colours and fonts. To create a complete graphic identity, you should choose how these should look and then use them consistently in all your communications.

Why is font important?

Isn't it the content itself that counts? Of course, but the visual impression, including the font, affects how your customers perceive you. A cohesive graphic identity gives a professional impression. It also makes it easier for your target audience to absorb information if it is presented in a clear and consistent manner.  

Professionals who work with typography use different fonts for different types of text – headlines, body text, digital text or physically printed text. This is of course very attractive, but also more difficult, as you then have to learn how to pair different fonts.

In this post, we therefore provide a kind of guide on how to choose a font for your graphic profile.

Let your font reflect your business

As with the other elements of your graphic profile (logo and colours), it is important that the font you choose reflects your company. A playful company should have a playful font, while a serious company should use a serious font.

Here are some suggestions on how to match fonts based on the impression you want to give:

1. Serif

Serifs are our oldest Western letters. They originated in the Roman Empire over 2,000 years ago. This gives text written with serifs a slightly more serious impression. A serif is suitable for those who want to convey seriousness and authority.

2. Sans serif

Sans serif fonts can be broadly described as “modern” typefaces. They appeared in the late 19th century and lack “feet” – “sans serif”. A sans serif font is perfect for those who want to convey modernity and progressiveness in their text.

3. Scripts/handwriting fonts

Scripts are fonts that mimic handwriting. They can look both casual and elegant. A script is suitable for those who want to convey personality in their text.

These are just a few suggestions with different appearances. Our best tip is to go to Google Fonts and search among the thousands of free fonts available. There you can also choose from different types of fonts (or different “font families”).

A simplified rule of thumb to stick to is that serif fonts are perceived as more serious, sans serif fonts as more modern, and handwritten fonts are generally perceived as more personal. However, it is important to note that handwritten fonts can be difficult to read in longer texts. They should therefore preferably only be used in the logo itself, headlines, or short pieces of text.

If you really want to use a handwritten font, you should choose another font to use in longer texts. For help choosing a font that goes well with the handwritten font you have chosen, you can visit websites such as Fontjoy, which automatically generates fonts that go well together.

Readability

In addition to the font reflecting your company's overall image, it is important that it is easy to read. The text is used to convey information, so a complicated font is directly counterproductive. Readability is also a reason to stick to one font, as multiple fonts can easily be perceived as cluttered. Clarity is more important than anything else here. As you can see in the examples below, an easy-to-read font wins out over stylish but difficult-to-read fonts, or combinations of several different fonts.

Once you have chosen a font, you should use it for all your texts, posts and all your written material. Consistency is one of the most important aspects of graphic design.

In brief

• Select a font that represents the impression you want your company to give.
• Try to choose an easy-to-read font
• Be consistent

Do you still find it difficult to choose fonts for your graphic profile? Contact us and we will help you further.