What does it take to choose a font for a print project? What kinds of things do you need to consider before you commit a font to print? Today we present a few quick tips to consider as you make a decision.
If you’re like us, you love fonts. You scour the web looking for new fonts all the time. You play with fonts constantly, typing your name out just to see what it would look like in a great new script. You send memos in the font of your favorite movie’s titles just because you can.
Fonts are a lot of fun. Having too much fun however can lead to problems when you choose a font. There are a few serious things to consider that will help things from getting out of hand. Think of them as knee pads for your font skateboarding.
Er… okay, lets just think of them as
6 Tips to help choose a font
1. Audience
Everything starts with your intended audience. Are you designing a business report or a poster? Will this be read by a group of teenagers or retirees? Every time you choose a font you have to consider who will be seeing it. This will affect everything from the font face, to the size, color, and weight (weight can makes things easier to read).
2. Feeling
Right along with audience is the feeling you want to convey. Are you designing a poster to generate excitement for an upcoming event, or are you trying to make your audience understand and learn rules for safety or conduct. Both of these might require bold and strong font choices, but the feeling would obviously be different.
Once you know your audience, you have to consider what you want them to feel about your design. Fonts like Impact can increase the intensity of a phrase, while something like Copperplate Gothic can add an air of measured seriousness. It can be a good idea at times to think of the exact opposite of the feeling you are trying to portray. Once you know the opposite, it can help make the feeling you do want more clear.
3. Do a Little Research
It’s important to remember that fonts are design objects that have a history. Certain fonts speak to specific times and cultures. Do a little research about the font you want to use and why. Know the feeling you want to express to your audience and how a given font will aid that effect.
Another way to think about this tip is: don’t just use Papyrus because you are creating a title for something old. Or, don’t use a Star Trek font because you are designing something about space. Do some research and have a plan.
4. Choose an Actual Font
What we mean by this tip is that you should not use Control+B to get a bold font, or Control+I to get an italic font (This also includes clicking the function in the toolbar). If you are designing something you are going to have printed then use the correct fonts in a font family to get the results you need.
So if you are working with Garamond, use Garamond Bold and Garamond Italic when you need to add emphasis.
5. Plan for Numbers and Glyph
This can seem basic, but if you are laying out something and you are going to need to add a lot of numbers, then make sure that the numbers in the font match your expectations and needs. You don’t want to get to a section of phone numbers or some other number and then be unhappy with how the numbers appear in the font.
In the same way you should consider any other glyph or ligatures you might need. It pays to plan ahead and know what you are getting into with a given font. Keep this in mind particularly if you downloaded a free font from the web – something you need may be missing.
6. Have Fun
It’s always nice to have a few guidelines and tips for a print project. Ideas to fall back on whether you are laying out a complex project, choosing colors, or need to choose a font. But beyond that we fully support your desire to break rules, mess with things, and try something completely new.
And when you run into trouble, or need a little help, we are happy to offer it. Feel free to contact us anytime.
cutpasteandprint Printing, graphic design, binding, and promotional product specialists in Huntingdon Valley, PA. We proudly serve the Bucks and Montgomery County areas with superior quality, great customer service, and a commitment to getting you and your the best possible printed materials. Our services include: Digital Printing, Offset Printing, Graphic Design, Promotional Items, Bindery, and Copying.
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