Our guide to picking the best fonts for your print jobs
One of the most important parts of the design for any print job is the choice of font. There are a seemingly limitless number of fonts on the market and many are very similar, so when you’re designing your print job, how do you choose your fonts?
The best font for your job will depend on a number of factors, not least the sort of job you’re designing. At DigitalPrintingIreland.ie we print everything from business cards to 96 sheet outdoor posters for customers the length and breadth of Ireland. We know that the font you choose can be as important as any design element. Get it wrong and your marketing simply won’t work. With this in mind, we’ve put together a guide to help you choose the best fonts for your print job.
Fonts fall into a few main categories:
Serif fonts like Times or Century have small embellishments or serifs at the end of the strokes that make up the letters. Serif fonts are commonly used for text in books and newspapers. Sans serif fonts include the ever popular Helvetica along with a host of others like Arial and Frutiger. Sans serif simply means “without serif”. Common wisdom used to be that the more traditional, serif style fonts were easier to read.
However, today it is accepted that sans serif text is just as easily read and many publications use these fonts for both the main body text and for headlines. Script fonts are designed to look like calligraphy or very neat, classical handwriting. Some are easier to read than others and they rarely work for large amounts of text. Handwritten fonts are designed to look like normal handwriting and vary in neatness and legibility. Display and headline fonts are designed to be used primarily for headlines and not for body text.
What sort of print job are you designing?
If you’re designing a brochure or leaflet that has a lot of written content, your text font should be clear and easily read. You can be a little more creative with your headline or title font. If you’re designing a poster, PVC vinyl banner or anything that needs to grab the attention quickly, make sure you choose a font that can be read quickly and easily. The cleverest headline and strongest message will be lost if people can’t immediately read the marketing. Whatever you’re designing, don’t go overboard and use too many different fonts. Your job will just look cluttered and messy. Many good designs stick to one or two fonts.
Who’s the target of your print job?
Your choice of font will depend on both the company the marketing is promoting and the target audience. If your marketing is for a company with a quirky product or message you can often be more quirky in your choice of font. If your print job is aimed at a serious, corporate client base, use more traditional looking fonts. Modern san serif fonts often suit new and modern companies aimed at younger or forward-thinking customers.
At DigitalPrintingIreland.ie we supply printed products to all sorts of customers and businesses. Our website shows great examples of all types of print using a wide variety of fonts and styles, so have a look and get inspired! For more information on how to produce the perfect print job or to see out the range of products, visit www.DigitalPrintingIrelnad.ie or contact our team of experts today!
