You may not have given them much thought, but fonts and typefaces say a lot about your business and its brand personality.

It’s not as easy as browsing through the font menu and selecting one (or a few!) that catches your eye –– when you get down to it, there's a lot of design rules to follow too.

The world of fonts and typefaces can seem a bit daunting, with words like kerning, serif, alignment, and tracking thrown around with reckless abandon. So let’s get you up to speed on fonts and typefaces, and how to get it right for your brand.

What are fonts and typefaces?

We all use fonts on a daily basis, but do you know what actually constitutes a font? And what separates it from a typeface? While the two words are often used interchangeably, there’s a technical difference we need to set straight:

Typeface refers to a typographic design, such as Helvetica or Times New Roman.
Font refers to the specific style that's being used from the typeface family, e.g. Helvetica Light, 12 point. A font exists as part of a typeface.

Because most of us just install fonts on our computer and use them in projects, it makes sense that ‘font’ has become the catchall word. But if a designer asks you for font details, they probably want more information than just the typeface family.

Knowing an exact font is more critical than you may think, whether you’re creating a brand, adhering to packaging regulations, or coding software for a specific platform.

Typeface and font consistency is essential

It's important to know both the typeface and the font that your brand is using –– and make that your default. Rolling out the same typeface across all your content will provide consistency and help reinforce your brand message.

Though typeface choice may seem arbitrary, think about it: a brand that uses Chalkboard will give off a very different vibe to Times New Roman!

And once you’ve selected your signature typeface, you'll want to choose the font wisely too. Different mediums require different fonts. For example, you might choose a bold size 14 for your webpage, a light size 10 for your hanger tags, and a regular, more readable size 12 for online advertising.

Serif versus sans serif — what's the difference?

Typefaces either have serifs, or they don’t.

A serif is like a little tail or flourish at the end of a letter’s stroke, seen in fonts like Times New Roman. Serifs are believed to date back to Roman times when words would be painted on a stone before being chiseled in. Neat, huh?

In this picture, the typeface on the left has its serifs circled in red.

Types of typeface serif vs sans serif.png

Sans serif typefaces, like Helvetica and Arial, don’t have these embellishments, and are the dominant typeface styles you’ll see online. Meanwhile, most printed works use serif typefaces.

Really, it’s just a matter of choice — which do you want to represent your brand?

Typographic rules for your growing business

This is where things can get murky. There’s no ‘one perfect choice’ when it comes to choosing a typeface for your brand. It all comes down to your product, demographic, visual style and messaging.

That being said, there are a couple of golden rules to follow that will lead you to the best choice.

Limit your fonts

Don’t get carried away when choosing fonts and typefaces. Yes, there are endless options available, but you only need two or three — max! With branding, it's important to have a clear and distinct style that is present and consistent in all of your content.

Understand kerning and the impact it has

Kerning is the process of adjusting the spaces between individual letters. It seems like a small change, but can have a huge impact on the way your text and logo looks. If you’ve ever seen those ‘letter spacing fails’ compilations peppered around the internet, you’ll know why.

Get your alignment right

Most people just select ‘center’ or ‘left’ alignment, but designers know the importance of aligning their text just right. While left alignment is easy on the eyes, center can look more ordered. Both of these can lead to ragged edges, though –– for which ‘justified’ is the solution.

Again, it's all about tailoring the look to your specific vibe.

Consider visual hierarchy

If you look at a range of brand websites, packaging and social content, you’ll see that most vary their font size throughout a single piece of work. A designer can stress certain lines of type by pushing up its size, so as to guide the reader’s eye and change the order in which they receive the information.

It’s an easy and elegant way to highlight important segments, known in the industry as ‘hierarchy of information’.

Looking to get your fonts and typefaces in line?

There’s a lot to know in the world of fonts and typefaces –– we don’t blame you if you’re feeling a little overwhelmed. And as not all business owners are creatively inclined, that’s where designers, like me, step in instead.

If designing your brand and selecting your typefaces sounds like an inefficient use of your time, we can help you out. At Street Designed, we work with small business owners to develop sparkling branding and websites that’ll help you stand out. Book your free consultation today.