Choosing Fonts

Choosing fonts

Choosing fonts

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sans serif

How to choose fonts

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So many fonts

Your app menus have more fonts than you can count

How to choose

Font categories

Sans serif

Serif

Script

Display

A serif is a small line attached to the end of a larger stroke, often referred to as “feet" at the bottom of letters. Serif fonts have thick and thin strokes and are more formal and traditional. They’re often used in books and newspapers. One of the most well-known serif fonts is Times New Roman.

Serif

Which ones are serif fonts?

Serif

Serif

Serif

Serif

Sans serif

The French word "sans," means “without," so sans serif fonts don't have serifs. Sans serif fonts have a consistent thinkness which makes them simpler, more geometric and modern. They are great for web pages and eye-catching headlines. One of the most popular sans serif fonts is Arial.

Which ones are sans serif fonts?

Sans serif

Sans serif

Sans serif

Sans serif

Script fonts mimic handwriting. They can be very fromal cursive like calligraphy you see on awards or invitations, or casual handwriting like Comic Sans. Script fonts are great for small amounts of text like names and titles but they are hard to read when you have a lot of text, like this paragraph.

Script

A display font is very decorative. Display fonts are often elaborate serif, sans serif and script fonts. Display fonts are great for single letters or titles but they are very hard to read when you have more than a word or two, like this paragraph. Display fonts often have fun names, this is Pirata One

Display

Script versus Display

Script

Display

Display

Script

Which category is the font?

Spicy Rice

Strait

Spectral

Satisfy

Text fonts

Communication is more important than style

• Use fonts with conventionally shaped letters
• Serif fonts are easier to read on paper
• Sans serif fonts are easier to read on screens

Headings

Invite readers into the text

• Headings should grab attention.
• Headings need to stand out to help anchor the composition.
• Use a font that can both stand out as an attention grabber and complement the text font.

Now you know

about serif, sans serif, script, and display fonts. You appreciate text fonts and heading fonts but...

How to choose

Font pairings

Heading

Heading

Heading

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim minim.

Heading

Heading

Lorem ipsum dolor sit am, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam. Lorem ipsu dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam. Lorem ipsu dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam.

More creative font pairings

Headings can be script, or very narrow, or even very light to complement a traditional text font.

Want more?

Try the Monotype font pairing generator

Explore endless font pairings powered by the Monotype AI font pairing generator engine.

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Don’t forget to share your font pairs!

font pairings are like

a good marriage or wine and cheese

they complement each other

This is a serif font, it would be easy to read on printed documents. Since you are reading this on a screen, the sans serif font on the righthand side is going to be easier to read. If you print this page then this font will be easier to read

Serif

This is a sans serif font, sans serif fonts are easy to read on screens. Since you are reading this on a screen, the serif font on the lefthand side is going to be harder to read. If you print this page then taht font will be easier to read

Sans serif

VS

Fonts are vital for communication

Understanding the fundamentals of fonts and how to choose the best font pairings will improve your messages dramatically. This guide will make choosing fonts a breeze.

Heading

Heading

Heading

Bigger or bolder versions of a text font work well as headings

Heading

Heading

Heading

Display fonts or script fonts also work well as headings

VS