Whether you’re a company that has existed for decades or a new player on the scene, establishing your brand is essential to attracting and retaining customers. Choosing a font says a lot more about your company and your brand than you might think, so it’s a choice you should make carefully. Remember, this font will be on your logo, label artwork, signage, letterhead, storefronts, and wherever else your company brand is represented. Changing or launching your brand twice in quick succession doesn’t inspire consumer confidence, so you want to ensure you’re happy with the choice before you commit.
Choosing a font is an important task, but it doesn’t have to be a daunting one. Here’s what you need to consider when making your decision.
Readability
As important as aesthetics are, practicality needs to take precedence. If your customers can’t read your company name, it doesn’t matter how pretty or cool your font is. Script or handwritten fonts can often be difficult to read, especially from a distance, but that doesn’t rule out the style. Those are not the only fonts that can be hard to read, either. Some decorative fonts or even serif or sans serif fonts without adequate spacing can also fail the readability test.
Impression
Before you can assess the readability of the fonts you like, you have to choose some possible fonts. Different types of fonts convey different messages and impressions to your customers, so it’s helpful to try out various styles to see how they look on your logo or label artwork.
Let’s look at the different font styles you can choose from:
- Serif: Serifs are the most traditional fonts, with little flourishes projecting from each letter (the serifs). They give the impression of history, heritage, respectability, and trust, making them ideal for brands trying to create an impression of reliability and authority. There are also slab serif fonts, which are big and bold, projecting confidence and creativity.
- Sans serif: Sans serif fonts are clean, sleek, and modern. No serifs means no frills. For brands wanting to highlight simplicity and clarity, sans serif fonts are the way to go.
- Script: Script fonts imitate handwriting and show off your brand’s artsy and creative side. They should be used sparingly, however, because they can be difficult to read from a distance or over large blocks of text.
- Decorative: Decorative fonts show off a brand’s personality and connect with your audience. Many major brands have developed their own decorative fonts (think Disney, Star Wars, LEGO, or McDonald’s) so that a single letter is instantly recognizable.
Label Artwork and Graphic Design | Northeast Silk Screen
At Northeast Silk Screen, we can help you establish your brand across your products and materials. Our in-house team of graphic designers can help you design label artwork that reflects your brand and connects with your customer base.