Type highlights design errors. Whether you are not using the right typography for your brand or you have sizing and spacing issues, how you use fonts can make your design look more blah than ah-ha!
Keep It Simple!
Here’s where most people make their first mistake – too many fonts. You only need one to three signature fonts for your brand. You should use them consistently in your blog post graphics. Determine what font you’ll use for your main heading and what font you will use for your subheading/paragraphs. It doesn’t need to be more than that!
People tend to change up fonts depending on their content! Your content is enough of a differential that changing fonts will make the graphic stick out like a sore thumb! Instead, you want to use fonts to connect the graphic with your overall brand!
Select Fonts That Align With Your Brand
Typography conveys a message both in style and use. If you are a food blogger specializing in more modern dishes, a classic typeface might not be the best solution for you. Research what the font means. Does it align with your target audience? Will your target audience be attracted to those fonts?
Take Note
Research sites that have your favorite fonts. You can use Pocket or a Google Doc to keep track of those links. I keep a running log of typography inspiration in my notes folder. I tend to prefer to save live URLS rather than use Pinterest.
Want to know a font? What the Font can help you determine the fonts. Lately, I have received quite a few inquiries about fonts I use on specific projects. I’m not sharing that information with random people. The battle to protect my work for my clients and me has been incredibly frustrating as of late. I don’t trust some random person NOT to copy my work. If you like a font, do your research.
Free Fonts Won’t Cut It
I hate free fonts; nothing looks quite DIY, unprofessional like a free font. If you are selecting brand fonts, it’s worth it to do the research and invest in the right font for your brand. Places like My Fonts offer special discounts or free options. Some of my favorite places to purchase fonts include:
Typekit (Free fonts with Creative Cloud Membership)
My Fonts
Hoefler & Co
Lately, I avoid Creative Market at all costs. I find that certain fonts tend to go “viral,” and then they lose their effectiveness,i.e. Madina is a great example. These fonts also lack the variety and complexity of fonts sold at the places listed above.
My Favorite Font Resources
If you are a history buff, then the study of typography and fonts is definitely up your alley! I’ve included a few of my favorite books on typography below, but there are a few websites/newsletters that I subscribe to that are awesome!
The League of Moveable Type
Typewolf
Font Friday Series
Do you have any recommendations on effectively selecting fonts for your brand?