What Makes a Good Font?<\/h2>\n
A good font combines everything we\u2019ve discussed\u2014the audience, their personality, and the business\u2019s personality, and it clearly states those things. On top of those two ideas, a good font is easy to read while still looking stylish. There are some beautiful fonts that look stunning but are so detailed that no one can read them well. They have their place, but you want a font that looks good and is easily and quickly legible; if not, customers might move on to the next card. There are a few technical ideas that lend to a good or bad font:<\/p>\n
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- – Serifs<\/strong>: In certain typefaces, there are strokes that come off of the lines of each character. Those are called serifs. As a rule, serif fonts are tougher to read (though often elegant) than those without. Still, it\u2019s a general rule, and we sometimes find a serif that happily breaks the rules.<\/li>\n
- – Spacing<\/strong>: In every font, the characters have space between them, but some more than others. This is called leading, kerning, or tracking. Often, when the space is quite close between characters, the font is tougher to read. In that case, it\u2019s probably not the font to go with.<\/li>\n
- – Size<\/strong>: Size matters in a font choice. A font size of 10 makes a difference in the ease of readability when compared to a 12. Sometimes, we\u2019re left with little choice when a lot of information must go on the business card. Still, it\u2019s best to make it as large as possible while still getting your point across.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Readable Fonts<\/h2>\n
We\u2019ve put together a list of fonts that are considered easy to read on print to help when you\u2019re struggling to choose a font yourself. Here are a few of the best contenders:<\/p>\n
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- – Georgia<\/strong>: Created for Microsoft, Georgia is actually a serif font with a small line attached to each character for embellishment. Even as a serif, Georgia is very readable.<\/li>\n
- – Helvetica<\/strong>: Very popular all over the world and considered a classic, Helvetica is considered a sans-serif.<\/li>\n
- – Myriad Pro<\/strong>: Apple chose Myriad Pro for their user manuals and was the corporation\u2019s go-to from 2002-2017. It\u2019s simple and never distracts from the other elements on a business card.<\/li>\n
- – Leyton<\/strong>: This font says \u201celegance and luxury\u201d while still being readable.<\/li>\n
- – Quicksand<\/strong>: Quicksand is designed with geometric shapes in mind and is said to feel friendly.<\/li>\n
- – Times New Roman<\/strong>: Considered simple yet sophisticated, Times New Roman has been around in print since 1931 and has always been extremely popular. Use this one for a classic, clean look.<\/li>\n
- – Baskerville<\/strong>: This font is experienced. Baskerville was created in 1757, so as you can imagine, it\u2019s elegant and a bit old-fashioned (in a good way). Turn to Baskerville font for a bygone era effect.<\/li>\n
- – Futura<\/strong>: A sans serif that is also patterned after geometric shapes, Futura has a modern and efficient air about it.<\/li>\n
- – Black Caviar<\/strong>: Sometimes a handwritten effect is needed and that\u2019s where black caviar steps in. It has a homemade look to it, yet it\u2019s very readable, which is what makes it unique.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
There are hundreds of fonts to choose from, and every business has its own style and needs. The above are simply fonts that are commonly considered easily readable on print. Keep in mind that some fonts that are easy to read on a screen may not read as well in print, and vice versa.<\/p>\n
- – Helvetica<\/strong>: Very popular all over the world and considered a classic, Helvetica is considered a sans-serif.<\/li>\n
- – Spacing<\/strong>: In every font, the characters have space between them, but some more than others. This is called leading, kerning, or tracking. Often, when the space is quite close between characters, the font is tougher to read. In that case, it\u2019s probably not the font to go with.<\/li>\n
![\"Design](\"\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/SilkCards-105694-Fonts-Read-Print-infographic1.png\")