Selecting a typeface to complement your logo, to use on your website,
\nor to print company materials is not as easy as it used to be. Today’s
\nmarketer has a wide array of choices when it comes to fonts. While there
\nare script fonts that simulate handwriting, display fonts to evoke
\ncertain time periods and symbol fonts that feature no letters at sifall,
\nserif and sans-serif remain the two most common typefaces when
\nreadability is key. <\/p>\n
A serif is the small stroke or embellishment added to the end or
\nwithin a portion of a letter. They appear as the feet on a letter ‘A’,
\nor the head on a capitalized ‘C’. Fonts that use these embellishments
\nare called serifs. Fonts that do not are called sans-serif or
\nwithout-serifs.<\/p>\n
Serif and sans-serif fonts are the two most commonly used typefaces,
\nboth on the Web and in print. Serif typefaces were developed in the
\nancient Roman times, while sans-serif fonts are fairly new to the game.
\nEach is suited for its own unique purpose and comes with its own set of
\nadvantages and disadvantages. You will want to determine your specific
\ncompany goals before selecting what kind of typeface is best for you.<\/p>\n
Designers should keep a close eye on those tiny embellishments
\nbecause most users have strong opinions on which they find easier to
\nread. Some users find serif typefaces easier to read in long passages
\nbecause they believe the serif makes letters easier to distinguish.
\nOthers believe sans-serifs are easier to read because many sans-serif
\nfonts have very rounded geometric-looking shapes, making them appear
\nclearer.<\/p>\n
Serif fonts are standard for companies looking for a more ‘official’
\nlooking font. Printed materials like newspapers and magazines tend to
\nfavor the serif fonts; as a result, users are more accustomed to them
\nand often find them easier to read.<\/p>\n
Serif fonts can be classified into four subgroups:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
In print, sans-serif fonts are typically, but not exclusively, used
\nin signs, headings, and other situations where continuous reading is not
\nrequired. However, on the Web, sans-serif fonts are considered the king
\nof text because serifs often make small letters less readable on a
\ncomputer monitor.<\/p>\n
Sans-serif typefaces are classified into four subgroups: <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
When it comes to fonts, serif and sans serif aren’t your only options
\nbut they are your only options if you want your text to be readable.
\nWhile the fonts below may be used as accents or for banners, they are
\nnot recommended for lengthy body text.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Today’s site designers have an enormous advantage over the designers
\nthat came before them. They are able to specify typefaces online and
\ncontrol the visual aspect of their site. This was not always the case.
\nDesigners were once solely at the mercy of the default fonts
\nincorporated into a user’s browser. Luckily, as people became more web
\nsavvy, page tags were created with the sole purpose of specifying
\ntypefaces for Web documents. Although the tags enabled designers to
\ncreate professional-looking pages, they also created cumbersome HTML
\ncode that was often difficult to maintain and maneuver.<\/p>\n
That’s where Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) come in. Style sheets are
\nan alternative to page tags and are found in most desktop publishing
\nprograms, like Quark, PageMaker or Adobe InDesign. They enable sites to
\nmaintain consistency, making sure that common elements remain the same
\nfrom page to page. They also help save valuable time by allowing
\ndesigners to control the design of a page with a single edit.<\/p>\n
Style sheets can format your text in the following areas:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
It’s important to note that even if you specify what typeface you
\nwant to appear, the font will not show up if the user does not have that
\ntypeface installed on their computer. For this reason, it is wise to
\nspecify multiple fonts or to end your font command with a generic
\ncommand, such as ‘serif’. This way, if a user’s browser cannot find the
\nexact font you called for, it will at least select a font in the same
\nfamily.<\/p>\n
Some typefaces are more legible on screen than others. While Times
\nRoman may be considered one of the most legible on paper, when you put
\nit on screen, it often appears too small or too irregular looking.
\nScreen legibility is greatly influenced by what designers call
\n‘x-height’ (the height of a lowercase “x”) and the overall size of the
\ntypeface.<\/p>\n
Most readers prefer long blocks of text to use a serif font. You may
\nuse either a variation of the serif font or a contrasting sans serif
\nface for the display type. We suggest using a single typographic family
\nand varying size for headlines or bylines because it produces a more
\nconsistent line of text. If you do mix serif and sans serif faces, make
\nsure to select compatible fonts and try not to use more than one serif
\nand one sans serif (two fonts total) on a page. In our experience,
\nVerdana, Georgia and Comic Sans are the easiest fonts to read on a
\ncomputer screen. Their exaggerated x-heights offer excellent legibility
\nfor long text meant to be read via a computer.<\/p>\n
Is your text going to be placed in columns? Is it important for you
\nto have all of your text line up evenly? If so, you’ll need to pay
\nspecial attention to proportionality when selecting a typeface. The
\nproportionality of your font will greatly affect how it appears on your
\nsite. There are two kinds of fonts: proportional and non-proportional. A
\nfont that uses varying widths is a proportional font, while those that
\nuse fixed widths are known as non-proportional fonts.<\/p>\n
Proportional fonts are considered more professional-looking
\nand are easier to read, however, non-proportional fonts allow their
\ncharacters to line up in nice, neat columns. The layout of your site
\nwill help you determine which is best for you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Selecting a typeface to complement your logo, to use on your website, or to print company materials is not as easy as it used to be. Today’s marketer has a wide array of choices when it comes to fonts. While there are script fonts that simulate handwriting, display fonts to evoke certain time periods and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":101022,"featured_media":0,"parent":62554,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"tags":[],"class_list":["post-62636","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"