Font choice is, unfortunately one of the most overlooked elements of branding, but it plays a huge role in shaping how a brand is perceived.
Just like colors or logos, the fonts you use in your branding create a big impression on your audience. Whether we’re talking about a book, a logo, or a website, the right font can make you seem professional, creative, trustworthy… Or the opposite of all that. One wrong font can send mixed signals and make your brand look disjointed.
Every detail counts, so let’s explore why you need to choose the right font to build a strong brand identity.
Let’s do some branding!
How Fonts Influence Brand Identity and Perception
In short, fonts send a message about your brand’s personality.
For example, serif fonts have a more classic look, so the brand that uses them will seem more traditional and reliable, which is why luxury brands tend to use them. On the other hand, sans-serif fonts are more modern and clean, and they’re popular with tech companies that want to look fresh and innovative.
According to a study by MIT Sloan, 90% of consumers say that typography plays a pivotal role in creating a brand’s first impression and grabbing one’s attention. This data suggests that fonts can impact how readers perceive the professionalism and the tone of the content they see/read.
When you look at some of the typesetting examples and compare the serif font of a luxury brand with a sans-serif a startup may use, you’ll clearly see how the choice of font aligns with the image a brand is trying to portray.
Apart from using the right font, another important factor is consistency. You should use the same font across all your materials – websites, logos, ads, etc. This builds a sense of recognition and trust with the audience.
If you’re constantly switching fonts, your brand will come across as disorganized.
How to Choose the Right Font: 5 Tips
The right font will strengthen your brand’s message, but the wrong one will confuse your audience. Below, you’ll find five suggestions on what to do when considering which font to pick.
1.   Don’t Overdo It!
This is the most simple one, the most important one, and the most difficult to master. If you take any designer, or a front-end developer, or a writer, they’ll likely tell you that they spend hours (or days) choosing fonts. Or if they aren’t doing it now, they’ve done so at one point in their careers.
The rules are simple: pick one font family, and stick with it. Read the other four suggestions so that the choice is made easier for you. But that’s it. Keep it simple, and go with one.
Sometimes, you can even opt for two font families, but that usually isn’t recommended. Let’s go to the next one.
2.   Know Your Audience
First off, think about the kind of audience you’re trying to reach. Different demographics have different expectations and preferences, so your font choice should be adjusted accordingly.
For example, a brand whose target demographic is younger should go for a bold, quirky font that feels fun and energetic because this creates a more playful, informal vibe. On the other hand, a financial institution would do better with a more conservative and sleek font because they want to appear professional, stable, and trustworthy.
Data from Google suggests that users can form an impression of a brand’s or website’s credibility within 50 milliseconds. The measuring factors are typography choice and font readability.
Your goal is to match the style of the font with your audience so that they can feel more connected to the brand.
3.   Match Font with Brand Values
A brand’s font should reflect its core values. This means that if, say, reliability and professionalism are key to your brand’s identity, you would want to avoid fonts that are too decorative and playful because they’ll give off the wrong impression.
Instead, go for something sleek and classic that will make your brand seem more serious. But if your brand is built around creativity and innovation, then you don’t necessarily want something classic and simple, and you’d do better to choose a more artistic, experimental font to reflect what your brand is about.
The font needs to make your audience understand what you stand for.
4.   Consider the Industry Standard
Industry norms’ is another factor to consider. You want your brand to stand out, of course, but it’s important to understand what’s expected within your field.
For instance, tech companies usually use modern, sans-serif fonts to project innovation, and fashion brands opt for something more elegant that suggests sophistication. You shouldn’t stick too closely to the expected norm because your brand will come off as generic, but if you go too far against it, it will make you feel out of place.
There’s a thin line between these two extremes, so what do you do? Well, you find a font that is in line with industry standards and add a unique twist to it.
5.   Focus on Readability
Your font has to look nice, but more importantly, it has to be readable. Readability always comes first because you won’t benefit from a weird-looking jumble your audience can’t read.
A font that’s difficult to read, no matter how fancy it is, will turn potential customers away. This is particularly important for brands that rely on digital platforms where text needs to be clear on all screen sizes.
Dr. Kevin Larson conducted a study in 2016 that showed that well-designed typography can boost reading comprehension and increase feelings of trust and professionalism by 12%.
Go for a font that looks interesting, and that’s easy to read in all formats – logo, website, or in print.
Conclusion
Everything matters in branding, down to the last little dot. The font you choose helps tell your brand’s story, and it can set the vibe for your brand.
A font creates the mood before a single word is read, so if you choose a font that reflects your brand’s personality and use it consistently across all platforms, you build a stronger connection with your audience.
Fonts are the voice of your brand that tells its story, even when you’re not.