So you are working on your design and are ready to select the typefaces. Unconsciously your cursor is already hovering above one of the top three most used fonts. Wait a minute get yourself a nice cup of coffee and continue reading.
Tough nut
Selecting typefaces can be a tough nut to crack. But since they are essentially the voice of the communication, it is one very important nut. Roughly you can keep these four things in mind to guide you through the selection process:
- Legibility
- Hierarchy
- Emotion
- Distinctiveness
Legibility
While the readability of a text is formed by elements like font size, line height, kerning, tracking, alignment and line length, legibility is a function incorporated in the typeface itself. The more distinguishable the letters are compared to each other, the higher the legibility. A quick and easy way to determine this is by setting ‘Il1’. Although this test is not comprehensive, it quickly reveals some of the characteristics of the typeface.
The x-height is the distance between the baseline and the mean line of lower-case letters in a typeface. Typically this is the height of the letter x in the font, hence the name. The x-height is a key element for a legible typeface. In general, a very large or very small x-height will decrease the legibility. But although the x-height is very important, all of the anatomical features of the typeface coherently determine the legibility.
Hierarchy
Just like people, some typefaces whisper while others shout. If the text needs to draw a lot of attention, you could set it in a big fat typeface. On the other hand a calmer, softer tone might be more appropriate for a big chunk of informative text. A simple trick is to initially set all type and other elements in black and white only. Only use the basic shapes and do not incorporate photos or illustrations yet. This way the focal points in the design can be recognized and shifted around easily. Play around with different typefaces and see how it affects the design as a whole.
Emotion
Not only colors and photography, but also typefaces evoke emotions. Rounded shapes and corners will make a typeface feel friendly and playful. Hard edges on the other hand obviously add to a harder, sharper character. But it might also be associated with terms like trustworthy, confident and authoritarian. A carefully chosen typeface not only conveys the message, but also amplifies it.
Distinctiveness
San Francisco, Helvetica, Roboto… Without any doubt beautiful and incredibly well crafted fonts. Anything set in those looks good, often even great, whether it is a heading, quote or plain text. But when you are looking for a way to make your design stand out, there are a lot of other options worth considering. While two typefaces both can be constructed sans-serifs, a few different details in the dots and curves can make the whole design look very different without compromising for example on legibility.
So next time when you find yourself browsing a font catalog, consider not ticking the ‘popular’ or ‘trending’ boxes. Instead make a conscious choice while keeping the guidelines as described above in mind.
