Ever wonder what each type of font is for or what each one actually looks like?

Sometimes as designers we get a bit too enthusiastic about our work and start throwing in words or terminology that most people don’t need to know. Specially when it comes to font or typography types. So if you’ve worked with a designer before you’ve probably been asked what types of font you like, or what type of font you think is best suited for your brand personality. These questions are common because choosing the right font for your branding is key to developing a brand that is true to your vision and values and speaks to your target audience AND will help you stand out from your competition if it’s used strategically.

So here are the three types of fonts I most commonly use when developing brands and the values they convey so you can better understand which one is best for your brand:

1. Serif

This is my personal favorite and I’m going to tell you why. Serif fonts can be both modern and timeless. They’re also highly associated to culture, fine arts, fashion and academics.

Depending on how you choose to use them, the letter spacing, if all in caps, using it adds a touch of boldness and sophistication to your design and positions you as a brand that knows what they’re doing and aren’t afraid to show it.

Examples:

2. Sans Serif

The counterpart of Serif fonts are of course: Sans Serif or Without Serif fonts. Without Serif means without the finishing lines in the ends of each letter. Although these types of fonts are without something, they’re truly not missing anything. Their geometric lines and clean finishes denote minimalism, purity and efficiency.

They are absolutely perfect for digital environments and have an approachability and friendliness to them that will add that pinch of you your brand needs.

What I usually do to balance typography styles out is to pair a Serif font Logo with a Sans-Serif Tagline.

Examples:

3. Script

When I first started designing, Script font Logos were everywhere and there is a strong reason behind that trend: we want to consume brands that are human, conscious and organic.

This type of font can be playful and feminine and add an extra layer of hand-made to your brand. But I would definitely use them with care: always making sure that what you are writing is easily readable is key.

Examples: