Look, we get it—you probably already know that you shouldn’t use wacky, difficult to read fonts in your print marketing materials. Nobody here is accusing you of thinking it’s a good idea for your next brochure to be written in Wingdings.
But did you know that subtle changes in your font style can make a big difference in how your print marketing is received, retained, or even whether or not the viewer believes what you have to say?
It’s true.
In this post we’ll explore why fonts matter, what kinds of fonts you should choose from to generate a certain effect in the reader, and how colors can change everything.
Let’s begin with the basics:
Why Fonts Matter So Much (And How to Use Perception to Your Advantage)
Why do fonts matter so much if what’s really important is the information you want to convey?
If you needed information about a topic, you might insist that the font used to present the information didn’t matter to you. As long as the font was readable and not absurd, i.e., a fairly standard typeface, it shouldn’t matter, right?
Interestingly, research has rather conclusively indicated that there are measurable positive or negative cognitive effects associated with “good” typography. Fonts are so much more than just an aesthetic choice we have to make.
For example, check out this study from Kevin Larson of Microsoft and Rosalind Picard of MIT. In this study, the researchers determined that people exposed to well designed layouts using readable fonts had more positive emotions and better focus.
The information might be the same on two different presentations, but the well designed one will actually convey that information more easily to the reader. When we’re talking about print marketing, that’s huge.
The key takeaways from that study and the many similar studies like it are as follows:
- Use readable, professional fonts (more detail on this in the following section)
- Don’t cramp everything together—e.g., there needs to be a decent margin between headings, subheadings, and images
- Use whitespace intelligently to draw attention to important page elements
- Contrasting colors can draw the eye, but use complimentary colors in the foreground and background. (Tip: here’s a really neat tool to generate eye-pleasing color schemes)
Let’s dig into a little more detail on the two primary font types you’re likely to be choosing between, Sans-Serif or Serif fonts.
What is Serif? What is Sans-Serif? Does it Matter?
Serif fonts, sometimes called Roman fonts (common ones include Times New Roman, Courier, or Palatino) are highly readable fonts that convey professionalism, academic credibility, and “tried and true” reliability.
Lawyers, dentists, real estate agents, or anyone else in a “professional” field are likely to benefit from using Serif fonts. This is why you’re unlikely to see advertisements for energy drinks or monster truck rallies using a Serif font on their flyers or other print advertisements.
And now that you’re thinking about it, it would be weird if they did, right? Because that’s not the feeling they’re trying to convey.
Sans-Serif fonts, sometimes called Gothic fonts (Helvetica, Arial, Geneva) have clean, modern looks. If you’re trying to convey long-form information to your readers, these fonts have been shown to be more easily read for longer durations. These fonts are also sometimes considered more “friendly” and thus less professional than a straight up Serif font—a good example of this is Maiandras GD.
What you choose ultimately depends on the feeling you want your readers to experience.
Small Changes Lead to Big Things. Is it Time to Upgrade Your Office Equipment?
We’ve learned that even seemingly-subtle changes in font style can have a big impact on the results of your print marketing efforts. Having the right office equipment is more than just a small thing—in fact, the added efficiency, cost savings, and enhanced employee collaboration are all pretty huge benefits.
If it’s time to upgrade your office equipment, the team here at QDoxs is happily available to provide you with the expert guidance you need to grow your business. Give us a call at (562) 435-2769 or visit us at our convenient Seal Beach location. You can also send us an email or request a free quote.
