How to Master Fonts

Different types of fonts are used for assisting and aiding the clear communication of ideas. This process of choosing font and letter designs, called typography, is a key aspect for effective marketing as well as communicating other information, whether it is through the use of a slide show, website, brochure, poster-board or any other type of medium. Learning about the different types of fonts and experimenting with their use will help you to master using the fonts effectively.

• 1

  Write down the message and values that you want to communicate to your audience. The message and values should be central to whichever media that you are planning to utilize. The values should also have an impact upon the design of your media, which includes the fonts that you are going to use. For example, if you are planning an advertisement for a little kid's birthday party, using a font that resembles large, bubbly writing -- such as Comic Sans -- communicates the message that you are intending to have fun and that other people should join the fun at your party. However, if you were to do the same advertisement with a fancy, cursive font, that might send a confusing message to your readers.

• 2

  Pick the style, or category, of font that you want for each component of your media. There are three basic categories of fonts:

  Serif fonts typically have a serif or a tail on the end of each letter. Serif fonts take the reader longer to read and process the writing due to all of the extra tails and fancier components of each letter. Using a serif as a title font can help readers to remember your title better. A serif font can communicate one or more of qualities such as being personal, stately, traditional, warmth or artistic. Examples include Times Roman, Bookman, Century and Garamond.

  Sans-serif fonts are more plain and do not have tails on each letter. This font is easier to read and allows the reader to process information quickly. Sans-serif fonts can best be used for the main text or body part of a media. A sans-serif font can communicate one or more of qualities such as being technical, clean, youthful, modern or uncluttered. Examples include Arial, Helvetica and Verdana.

  Script fonts usually emulate handwriting in some way. Script fonts are often the hardest to read, however can add lots of style to certain parts of your media. Examples include Vivaldi, Papyrus and Freestyle Script.

• 3

  Use no more than three different fonts for your media, regardless of whether it is a website, brochure or a poster. Having a wide variety of fonts on your media sends signals to readers and potential customers that you are erratic and full of inconsistencies, which means bad news for potential customers. Narrowing down your font choices will help you to present a clearly designed message that reads smoothly and is able to keep the reader's attention throughout the entirety of the medium.