One of the most critical mistakes business owners make is overlooking the importance of font styles to their business. However, having a good grasp of fonts can be helpful when it comes to creating visually appealing marketing materials.

Choosing the perfect brand fonts for your company is also important if you want to build a brand identity. The right font can tell a lot about your brand. But how to choose a font that speaks to your brand when there are thousands of fonts available?

Indeed, this is a tough question. But calm down. You will find all answers to your questions in this article.

In this handy guide, you will learn the most common types of font styles, how to use them, and how to choose a font style that communicates your brand the best.

Why are Fonts Important for Your Brand?

Before we dive into the main types of font styles, it is worth taking a look at some of the benefits of using the right fonts for your brand.

A proper font style is pivotal to any business’s success because it:

• Evokes emotions you want your audience to feel about your brand
• Sets the tone of your brand
• Helps your prospects to get the message your brand conveys
• Enables your brand to stand out from the competition
• Makes the text more visually appealing and readable

A font style you choose can either hurt your branding or help you leave a great impression on your audience. On the other hand, when you're working on personal branding by creating a modern resume template, posting online, and running a blog, it's also important to choose the right font and stay consistent with it.

Choosing a particular font style is not enough to succeed. You also need to learn how to use them appropriately. Below are some useful tips on how to use fonts for your brand in a smart way.

Follow a typographic hierarchy

Typographic hierarchy is about the visual organization of your text. Usually, large elements draw people’s attention. Therefore, you should choose the largest font size for the most important information.

Make sure the fonts you selected are easy to read

Choosing the right font can help you communicate your brand message in the best possible way. So, try to use simple but effective fonts that are readable enough.

Be creative, and don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of font styles

To stand out in the crowd, you need to take risks sometimes. Don’t be afraid of failure. They only help you keep growing and trying so many times until you eventually succeed. So, use various font styles before you find one that best suits your brand personality.

Split your text out into separate sections

Too much text can hardly grab one’s attention. People usually avoid long texts. Therefore, it would be best to break your text into smaller parts. This way, it will be much easier for people to read and get the message your brand aims to convey.

Experiment with letter spacing

As the name suggests, letter spacing is about the space between letters. Since the readability of your text should be the number one priority, you need to use letter spacing wisely. Make sure the space between letters is in balance and does not harm your text readability.

Keep your text short

As we have already mentioned, it is important to avoid writing long texts. If you can convey the same message using a few words, go for it. Additionally, you can use visual elements that will complement your message, and there won’t be a need to use too much text.

7 Types of Font Styles You Can Use to Build Your Brand

Now that you already know how important it is to choose a font style for your brand, it is high time to learn the most common types of font styles. Read on!

1. Serif Fonts

Serif fonts derive from the Latin alphabet. They began as words engraved in stone. Serif fonts got their name from the serif, which is a stroke or line linked to the letters.

Nowadays, they are one of the most widely used types of font styles.

Serif fonts are quite sophisticated and used by many famous brands. Examples of brands using serif fonts include Vogue, Burberry, Tiffany & Co., Gucci, and so on.

However, you can use Serif fonts in daily life too. Examples of serif fonts are Times New Roman, Garamond, and Georgia.

Serif fonts are usually used in more formal cases, including legal documents and wedding invitations.

These fonts have different subsets that all come with their own unique features:

Old-Style Serif

These Old-style types, also known as Garalde types, developed in the late 15th century. They are characterized by greater contrast between thin and thick strokes.

Transitional Serif

John Baskerville, a prominent English printer and typographer from the mid-18th century, was the first to introduce this type. Transitional Serif is a combination of Old Style types and baroque designs. However, it has its own distinct characteristics too.

Transitional serifs are characterized by vertical stress in rounded strokes. There is a huge contrast between thick and thin strokes.

Modern Serif

These developed in the late 18th century. They are characterized by a dramatic difference between thin and thick strokes, vertical stress, and thin serifs with little bracketing.

Modern Serif types are widely used in popular fashion magazines like Vogue because they look modern and elegant.

2. Sans Serif Fonts

Compared to other Serif fonts, Sans serif fonts became popular relatively later. They appeared in the mid-19th century.

These fonts are characterized by decorative tails and strokes. There is also a low contrast between the thin and thick strokes. They are also quite simple. Examples of fonts are Arial, Helvetica, and Futura.

Many brands have started choosing Sans Serif fonts for a clean and neat look. So, it should be no surprise that the most famous font style used by 179 largest global companies was Sans Serif (71․6%) in 2022. Google, for instance, uses Sans Serif font for its signature.

Sans serif fonts are also quite universal. Along with formal instances, you can use them in social media graphics, infographics, posters, and so on.

3. Slab Serif Fonts

These block-like, bold, and huge serifs stand out in any sentence. They are also easy to read.

Slab Serif fonts can immediately grab viewers’ attention. This is why they are typically used in advertisements like billboards. They are also used in presentations and headers too.

Slab serif fonts are used by many famous companies like Honda and Volvo. Some examples of slab serif fonts are Rockwell and Claredon.

4. Script Fonts

These fonts utilize the cursive handwriting style. They can be used in both formal and informal instances. Examples of script fonts are Broadley, Monarda, and Pacifico.

Script fonts are one of the famous font styles used by many brands due to their unique, memorable, and elegant style. Some examples of famous brands that used script fonts are Cadillac, Instagram, and Ford.

Script fonts also have their own subsets.

Calligraphic Scripts

Calligraphic scripts can be found in religious books and ancient historical writings. Today, they are again popular. Some of the famous types of this font family are Bell Trap and Vivaldi.

There are three types of calligraphic scripts

Formal Scripts

Formal scripts are elegant and are usually used in invitations or diplomas. These fonts are inspired by letter forms from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Some of the famous formal script types are Helinda Rook, Snell Roundhand, Young Baroque, Elegy, and Bickham Script.

Script fonts are less formal, so if you have a more creative brand, you’ll want to use these for marketing collateral and other purposes.

Make sure to use them in headers. Since they can sometimes be less readable, it is advised to put them in the largest font.

5. Handwritten Fonts

Handwritten fonts are not the same as script fonts. Their style of writing is more natural. There are various handwriting styles, and some examples are Sacramento, Buffalo, Kalam, and so much more.

If your brand personality is playful, you can definitely use handwritten fonts as they are more artistic, fun, and casual. If you have a cozy coffee shop, you can use this font for your logo, tagline, and other branding assets as well.

6. Decorative Fonts

Decorative fonts are a blend of different styles and graphics. Decorative fonts were used by famous brands like Lego and Disney.

However, using this type of font comes with a risk of copyright infringement. You might end up using an existing font. If done right, decorative fonts can make a difference for your brand.

Below are some examples of decorative fonts

Stencil

These typefaces are characterized by capital letters with curved edges and thick strokes with slits. You can use them in headlines, labels, logos, and so on.

Grunge

As the name suggests, these fonts have a dirty and filthy look. If you're searching for an urban-style font, these are designed for you.

Due to its unique style, it can be used in various ways. More specifically, you can use them in posters, signboards, social media posts, and so on.

7. Monospaced Fonts

A monospaced typeface is one that has the same horizontal spacing between all of the individual characters or letters of a word. In other words, as we type, each letter takes up the same amount of space, emphasizing the individual characters rather than the entire word.

Below you can find two examples of monospaced fonts:

Courier

This style is similar to one that many typewriters used before. It is usually used for formal instances, including writing technical documentation.

Alma Mono

These fonts have rounded ends and a more friendly vibe. You can use it for informal instances.

Summary

There are plenty of fonts available nowadays. However, if you learn the main characteristics of the seven main types of font styles, it will be much easier for you to explore the world of fonts. There are a lot of ways to use them. Depending on whether you are using a font style for a logo or packaging, the choice of font may vary too.

The key thing here is to have a good understanding of your own brand and business and be able to identify your brand personality and identity. Finding your brand’s voice will enable you then to easily select a font that best suits your business.

As you can see, choosing the right font for your brand is not as challenging as it seems. Choosing a font style does not happen overnight. It might take time before you find the right font style. So, don’t be afraid to experiment with a variety of fonts before deciding on one.