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FONT FODDER
Whether designing a brochure, developing a Web site, or creating a corporate sales kit, choosing the right font should be a top priority.
The font—or typeface—you choose sets the tone for your piece. If you want a crisp, modern look but choose a "stuffy" font like Times Roman, you won't send the right message. Alternatively, if you're striving for a classic, elegant look, Arial won't do the trick.
Here's a brief primer on fonts:
To Serif ... or to Sans Serif?
There are two basic types of fonts: serif and sans serif.
Serif fonts are fancier, more formal fonts, with finishing strokes at the end of each letter. Times New Roman, Book Antiqua, and Century Schoolbook are examples of serif fonts. Considered easier on the eye and more classic than their sans serif counterparts, serif fonts are often used in printed materials, like books, magazines, and newspapers.
Sans serif fonts ("sans" means "without" in French, so these fonts lack the finishing strokes of serif type) have a cleaner, more contemporary style. Arial, Verdana, and Comic Sans are all sans serif fonts.
The trend online—and the Turtles' preference—is to go sans serif. Arial and Verdana are especially popular, and they translate well across most computer screens. If you choose an obscure font, you need to remember that not everyone will have the same font library you have, and your wild and crazy Desdemona font—while attractive on your monitor—will turn into something generic like Courier New (ick!) on the reader's end.
What Size Font?
Stick to 10- or 12-point font online. Any smaller, and your reader will be squinting, or worse yet, leaving your site. Headlines work well in 18 point, and subheads in 14 point.
Here's a cool Web site that features boatloads of fonts and helps you select the perfect typeface for any given project: www.identifont.com
Need help choosing a font that's right for
your brand and your message?
Contact the Turtles today.
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