How Typeface Affects Content Perception
Every detail matters. We take in an enormous amount of information every day, so when we choose to focus, it better be good. We often neglect to think about how deeply the small details, like typeface or font, contribute to the end product.
A typeface is a set of glyphs that all share a set of characteristics such as line height, width, slant, or ornamentation. A specific font shares most of the aspects of a typeface but deviates slightly. Each typeface has cultural and historical associations, leading to different use cases. These can be grouped into typeface families based on significant differences in style. The most common typeface families are:
Serif:
These fonts include small lines on the ends of each character to help the reader distinguish between the characters and read the content more easily. These little ornamentations are called serifs. Studies have found serif fonts to be associated with things like tradition, formality, and stability.
Sans Serif:
These fonts remove the serifs from characters to make the typeface simpler and easier to read in smaller sizes. While serif fonts are more readable in print, they do not scale well. This scaling issue is the reason that the most effective digital body copy is often written in sans serif fonts. Sans serif fonts are seen as less formal, and more modern.
Monospaced:
These fonts have standardized spacing in between each letter. This is intended to make the font look like it was written on a typewriter. These fonts are often viewed as plain. However, when used for quotes or other short sections in writing, the contrast can help draw attention to the quote.
Script:
Script fonts are written to mimic the flow of more personal writing. These fonts are often associated with creativity, positivity, and informality. They are frequently used for titles and brands, but should never be used for the body.
These typefaces and their implications only make up a tiny portion of the impactful choices available to us. Options like line length, kerning, tracking, and font size. Far too many to cover in one blog post. For now, just take a moment next time you are choosing a font to think about the impact it will have on your content.