Psychology of Fonts
Introduction. Different fonts and typefaces can achieve different moods, and make readers feel a certain way. Font psychology is the study of how different types of fonts impact thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Using the right type of fonts are important, but just as importantly, you will want to avoid the wrong ones. An example of this is if you were trying to advertise a a new financial company, a traditional serif font will not spark the excitement necessary to your audience, however, a super graphic font will make your company seem too laid back and casual. Here are some different types of fonts that can help better your writing.
1. Typeface vs. Font.
The difference between a font and a typeface is that fonts are part of typefaces. An example of this is a typeface is Roboto, but different fonts include Roboto Thin, Roboto Light, Roboto Bold, and more. Another example is if you were asked what typeface was used in a writing, you can say Helvetica, however, if you were asked what font was used, you could say Helvetica regular nine-point.
2. Serifs.
Until the 19th century, books and pamphlets were written in the serif font. The first sans serif typeface was seen in 1816, but serif fonts were still popular through to the early 20th century. Because of the history that serif fonts have, it gives people a sense of establishment. This is the reason that many banks, law firms, and newspapers use serif fonts. Publishing companies also use this font type, with many books are written in serif, to help to send a mood of intellect and authority to readers. We are used to seeing the serif font as symbols of heritage on historical artifacts and prints. We are also used to seeing serif fonts as symbols of formality on fancy invitations. This is because humans perceive serif fonts as trustworthy. Law firms, news channels, and luxury fashion brands also use the serifs fonts to seem more established. Examples of these include HSBC, Wikipedia, CBS News, Gap, and Rolex. Examples of serif fonts include Georgia, Times New Roman, and more. Serif usually pairs with sans serif, and script.
3. Slabs Serifs.
The slab serifs font is similar to the serifs font, except it is more bold and distinct. Slab serif fonts are more aggressive and distinct. Electronic companies and car manufacturers usually use slabs serifs to give a sense of power, however, if used wrongly, it can let off a more confrontational sense. Companies that are more centered on the bases of manufacturing seem stronger and more capable. Examples of these companies include Honda, Sony, IBM, and more. Pairs well with sans-serifs.
Sans serif typeface was invented in the early 19th century, but did not gain recognition until the 20th century. Sans serif fonts are emotional fonts, and are well known for advertising, and posters. These fonts represent a break from tradition, are seen as more friendly, and are seen as more up-to-date, cool, and modern, while being associated with cutting edge and tech-savvy. These fonts are typically viewed as clear, straightforward, and trustworthy. Sans serifs have been seen used in tech companies, and fashion brands, and are great to use for start-up businesses who want to look like a good value such as budget airlines. Examples include Microsoft, Spotify, and Nike. Sans-serifs usually pair wells with serif, script, or slab serif.
5. Scripts.
Script fonts are usually associated with creative, fun, amusing, childlike, and romantic. They look special, and more elegant. These fonts can be formal, or more informal, depending on the style used, and the context. Script fonts are supposed to look like traditional handwriting, and are used by luxury brands, or high-end restaurants in menus and branding. Most script fonts are informal, and are connected to the idea that there are many different styles of writing. Script fonts are usually used in wedding invitations because they give a sense of romance. Script fonts were popular in the 1950's, so companies such as Ray-Ban and Coca-Cola keep their original script font logo to create a nostalgic connection between the past and the present. Script fonts usually pair with fonts such as serifs, and sans-serifs.
6. Decorative.
Decorative fonts are mostly used for advertising, and they do not have an official categorization because they take elements from many different typefaces and fonts, to create a specific font for a specific solution. Decorative fonts are usually casual, unique, creative, and flexible. These fonts are typically used for titles or headlines. Decorative fonts can be made from a computer program, or hand-drawn and later manipulated in an editor. Decorative fonts are not usually used for paragraph style writing, because the small text can interfere with its legibility. When writing in a decorative font, you usually want to leave more space between lines because of decorative features such as ascenders and descenders, and you will want to leave a little bit of space between each character, also knows as kerning. You also may want to use decorative fonts for initial caps, such as drop caps, which is when the first character of the first paragraph is enlarged, and can help to add a touch of elegance.
7. Travel Magazines.
A common trend in travel magazines is using a serif font for the title and subheadings, and a sans serif font for the paragraphs in the spreads. Travel magazines use serif fonts for titles because they stand out more, and sans serif fonts for paragraphs because they fit the rest of the magazine and bring consistency, while also giving out a sense of trust, and formality. They also seem more friendly, and will persuade the reader to travel to a certain location.
All three of these magazines use a similar type of serif font for the title, and a similar sans serif font for the paragraphs. The magazines use this serif font for the titles because it symbolizes intellect and makes the reader feel like the writer knows what they are talking about. The sans serif font for the paragraphs create consistency between different pages, and issues of certain magazines. It makes the reader feel more welcome, and they are more likely to travel to a certain area.
8. My Magazine. For my magazine cover, I will use decorative and script fonts to help attract readers, and make my magazine look more elegant and visually pleasing. For my magazine spread, I will utilize the font psychology techniques, as well as use serifs and sans-serifs fonts. This will help me make a magazine that follows the conventions and rules of a traditional travel magazine. This will help my magazine look more formal, and more trustworthy, and will help persuade the reader to travel to a certain place.
9. Conclusion. The difference between fonts and typefaces are that fonts are part of typefaces. Different fonts include serifs, slabs serifs, sans-serifs, scripts, and decorative. All fonts do different things, but serif and sans-serif fonts are popular in travel magazines. This helps to sell the location, and persuade a reader to travel.
Works Cited:
Svaiko Gert is a professional copywriter, Gert. “Font Psychology: Here's Everything You Need to Know about Fonts.” Designmodo, 22 June 2021, https://designmodo.com/font-psychology/#serif.
Bear, Jacci Howard. “How Should Decorative Type Styles Be Used in Desktop Publishing?” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 17 Nov. 2019, https://www.thoughtco.com/kinds-of-decorative-typeography-1078016.
“What Different Types of Fonts Mean and How to Use Them.” Digital Synopsis, 31 July 2019, https://digitalsynopsis.com/design/font-psychology-emotions/.
Fussell, Grace. “The Psychology of Fonts (Fonts That Evoke Emotion).” Design & Illustration Envato Tuts+, Envato Tuts, 16 May 2020, https://design.tutsplus.com/articles/the-psychology-of-fonts--cms-34943.
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