How Different Fonts Make People Perceive Different Things in 2024

Different Perspective, an ad agency, has recently published a study about the importance of font choice and how it affects a brand’s success.

According to the said study, every element of the font, including its depth, thickness, shape, and size, tell an important story.

The style of font also gives brands a voice and purpose. Of course, if a brand has already established its personality and voice via other channels, the font has to match that. The lack of consistency can leave the targeted demographic confused.

For instance, if a brand is loud about environmental issues, it is natural to assume that it will use bold and loud fonts, not cursive or comical ones. On the other hand, if you have an Instagram page posting funny memes, then Comic-Sans font is to be expected.

Different Fonts and What They Represent

Decorative, handwritten, Sans-Serif and Serif are 4 major font categories, each representing different personalities aimed at different targeted audiences.

If you are uncertain whether you should use an X or Y font, treat the information below as a reference.

• Decorative Fonts

  Decorative fonts are unique because they are often associated with a specific brand. In other words, a font was created to represent a name. Think of the likes of Lego, Coca-Cola, and Ford. Looking at the logo and the font used is enough to immediately recognize the brand’s name.

  That is not to say that you need to come up with a completely unique decorative font if you plan to incorporate it for yourself. No, you can make use of the already available fonts, though be sure that they are in theme with your brand and are not copyright infringement.

  A good example of a Decorative font is the Saira Stencil One.

• Handwritten Fonts

  Cursive writing feels personal, and it is not surprising to see more and more brands trying their luck with handwritten fonts. Even if an audience understands that the text was not actually written by hand (if it was, kudos to the brand for going the extra mile), it still looks quirky and more relatable.

  A good example of a Handwritten font is the Dancing Script.

• Serif and Sans-Serif Fonts

  Considering how similar Serif and Sans-Serif fonts are, it is only fair to put them under the same category.

  The difference between the two is that Sans-Serif lacks small lines protruding off the ends of the characters.

  Serif is considered a classic, while Sans-Serif is treated as a more modern font. It is common to see both fonts in large pieces of text, such as books or online articles, thanks to how welcoming and readable the fonts feel.

  A good example of a Serif font is the Times New Roman.

  A good example of a Sans-Serif font is the Calibri.

General Rules of Thumb for Font Usage

Generally, there are a few rules of thumb to follow when using fonts, particularly if we are talking about graphics, such as social media content.

For one, you want to limit yourself to 2 fonts at most. Three or more different fonts add chaos to the overall design and distract the reader, not to mention the unpleasant look that one then starts to associate with the brand.

Consistency is another key factor. Brands that publish social media content or bloggers that write regular posts need to use consistent fonts so that there is a connection tying past, current, and future content.

Finally, remember that first impressions matter. If a brand plans to create a new campaign with a specific audience in mind, it should choose the font accordingly and start with the correct option right off the bat. Otherwise, it can be difficult to shift the mood of the targeted audience when you need to change the font after the introductory phase is over.

Going Beyond Major Font Groups

Having established and recognized fonts is all well and good, but you might be thinking about finding a font or a group of symbols that go beyond the mainstream.

Luckily, there are custom font and symbol generators for your social media needs. You can make the text look like 𝙩̳̎𝙝̳̎𝙞̳̎𝙨̳̎, ⦏𝚝⦎⦏𝚑⦎⦏𝚒⦎⦏𝚜⦎, 𝖙𝒽𝖎𝓈, or t͛h͛i͛s͛ if you want.

Simply copy and paste symbols or a text you generated and insert it in the document, publishing tab, or image.