by Vanessa Cowley

Created on: December 05, 2008   Last Updated: May 04, 2012

Selecting a font is an often overlooked part of designing a document. If you are 'just' typing a letter, you may not think you are designing a document, which would explain why this task is so frequently overlooked. The truth is that the choice of fonts is a key part of laying out a document and needs to be done with a certain amount of care.

First, begin with a few questions: Who is the audience? Will this document be read in print or on screen? What mood do you want to create? When you take a minute or two to clearly define your task, then making your design decisions becomes much easier.

For any project, you need to clearly define your audience. If you are addressing friends, a casual font, something in a friendly script perhaps, will convey a familiarity. If the document is for children, you may want something fun, but make sure it is easy to read. If this is a business document, then you need to select a typical business letter font.

Readability is usually an important consideration when selecting fonts. Many of the more decorative fonts are fun and attractive, but can be very difficult to read. If the content of your message is important, then you need to be sure that your audience will be able to read it.

When producing documents for print versus on screen, there is an important difference in how these two formats are read. A font like Times New Roman is called a serif font, and serif fonts have been shown to aid in reading on print documents. A serif is the little tail you see at the bottom of the "t" or the "f" that creates an imaginary line under the text, better allowing the eye to follow the words across the page. A sans serif font, like Helvetica or Arial, is better for reading on screen. A screen is lower resolution than a print document, and so more difficult to read. Serif fonts have been shown to create a "cluttered" look on screen, so you will find almost all websites use sans serif fonts.

Another consideration for fonts is to limit the number of fonts you use on the page. A common mistake made by the novice is to clutter up the page with too many fonts and too many pictures. Keep your visuals simple and clean in order to allow the reader to focus on what your text is saying. Don't distract them with several different fonts. A good guideline to work with is two fonts in a document, one for headings, and one for content. If it is a formal document, ensure they are either both serif or both sans serif fonts. Something more fun, like a flyer or a poster gives you more leeway in your choice of fonts, but still restrict the number of different fonts you use.

There are many, many different fonts available for you to use on all your different projects, but that doesn't mean you have to use all of them at once! By putting in a little bit of time and consideration, your projects will come out looking attractive and professional.

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