We see millions of fonts each day, but we will only remember the successful ones. A good, successful font comes in the form of font psychology - meaning you connect the emotional and visual action to the font you choose to represent you. The digital age has strengthened that connection and is why brands and businesses should carefully consider what fonts are most successful.

A good successful font

Font psychology is the visual and emotional response you have to fonts. The Kolenda Font Model explains step-by-step how we perceive fonts and what we associate with them. For example, bold font for a fitness brand will be perceived as thick and bulky. The perception will also be associated with the fitness brand.

Font psychology

<ul><li>Typography is the art of creating a message that looks visually pleasing. For example, if you want to evoke thoughts of tallness or slimness, adjust the spacing or decide if the upper or lower case will impact people's perception.</li><li>Shape psychology focuses on the geometric form and creates emotion and feeling. For example, a font with more roundness creates a relaxing wave.</li><li>Colour psychology plays a role in changing mood. The right shape and colour can be used to create the mood you want to embody.</li></ul>

Typography, shape and colour psychology

Font psychology has the power to drive your decisions and goals. Understanding how people react to fonts can influence how your target audience perceives your design and business. Your design font should inspire and empower your message. For example, using the proper signage fonts when designing for a flash sale will help prompt consumers to buy instead of browsing. Likewise, the right combination of fonts for social media posts increases consumers' likeliness to return and engage with your content.

Why you should use font psychology

Serif fonts are the most traditional font option and are often used to create a classic, traditional and stable look and feel. This font is great for brands and businesses that feel established, or to evoke a feeling of trust and respectability, for example, law firms, insurance companies and consultants. The most popular serif fonts are Times New Roman, Georgia and Garamond.

Serif fonts

The slab serif fonts are in the same family as serif fonts, but with more bold confidence and youth. Slab serif fonts are squared off giving a chunkier look and feel. Slab serif fonts are excellent for businesses that want to leave a lasting impact. Popular slab serif fonts include Courier, Rockwell and Museo.

Slab serif fonts

Sans serif fonts are clean, crisp and modern. They are minimal and engaging. These fonts convey a no-nonsense attitude but also feel open and progressive. Tech companies prefer these fonts as well as forward-thinking and modern brands. Classic examples of this font are Arial, Century Gothic and Helvetica.

San serif fonts

Script fonts have a feeling of femininity and elegance. They are fun and romantic and mimick forms of handwriting and doodling. Script fonts inspire other creative ideas and feel rich in emotion and history. They're great for visual brands but should be used with caution as they can leave text feeling illegible. Familiar examples include Lucida Script, Lobster and Zapfino.

Script fonts

Modern fonts take on a futuristic look, but it's found in 18th-century history. Modern fonts combine practicality and playfulness. It varies thick and thin strokes. These fonts create a sense of exclusivity and intellect. It is great for announcing your brand, particularly for attracting the millennial demographic.  Examples include Matchbook, Politica and Klavika.

Modern fonts

Display fonts are used for large-format mediums such as billboards, headings, and book covers. They can be serif, slab serif, or sans serif. They can also be unique and can have a pictorial element to them. Display fonts can create a more casual, fun, or unique look. The font can be changed to suit your personality and is ideal for any business.  Examples include Bombing, Gigi and Jokerman.

Display fonts

<img src="https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/b33f9d6d4ad2de96e84aece8cda2a690?s=128" alt="Guest Blogger" width="48" height="48">We see millions of fonts every single day, from the news we read to the adverts we pass on the way to work. The successful ones will stick with us, while those that miss the mark mean something isn’t doing the job it needs to.<figure><img src="https://99designs-blog.imgix.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/99771649.jpeg?auto=format&amp;q=60&amp;fit=max&amp;w=930" alt="font psychology" width="725" height="425"><figcaption dir="ltr">Illustration by <a href="https://99designs.com/profiles/1193222" data-track-click="" data-track-hover="" dir="ltr">OrangeCrush</a></figcaption></figure>But what makes a good, successful font? The answer comes in the form of font psychology, meaning there’s a connected emotional and visual reaction to whichever font you may choose to represent yourself. Especially in the digital age, a connection is more important than ever, and an important reason why brands and businesses should carefully consider what font truly gets the job done.Let’s take a closer look at what font psychology means, what it says about you and your business and which styles best represent you.<h2 dir="ltr">What is font psychology? 
—</h2>In essence, font psychology is the visual and emotional reaction you have to the font you’re seeing. According to <a href="https://bombbomb.com/blog/93-percent-of-communication-nonverbal-video-albert-mehrabian-study/" dir="ltr">Albert Mehrabian’s Rule of Personal Communication</a>, 93% of personal connection is non-verbal, meaning ideas and values need to get across in the simplest way possible. Depending on what we’re looking at, we’ll have our thoughts, feelings and actions impacted in different ways.One theory that is used in psychology to explain how a font is perceived by other people is the <a href="https://www.nickkolenda.com/font-psychology/" dir="ltr">Kolenda Font Model</a>. It’s a step-by-step guide dissecting how we perceive fonts and what we associate with them. When an individual sees a font, they make an association between the font and a trait. For example, if someone sees a fitness brand that is about gaining strength using a bold font, the customers will see that font and think: thick, bulky and heavy. This perception will then also be associated with the fitness brand.<figure><img src="https://99designs-blog.imgix.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/fdc602f4-5393-4554-a18c-195cce286439.png?auto=format&amp;q=60&amp;fit=max&amp;w=930" alt="green poster with pink and white font" width="450" height="450"><figcaption dir="ltr">Lettering design by <a href="https://99designs.com/profiles/mky" data-track-click="" data-track-hover="" dir="ltr">Mky</a></figcaption></figure><h3>Typography</h3>Before we delve further into fonts and their possible meanings, the basic rules and terms of typography need to be applied and considered too. In brief, typography is the art of constructing a message in a way that will be visually pleasing. This also has an effect on font psychology, if you wanted to evoke thoughts of tallness or slimness, adjusting the spacing or deciding whether to use uppercase or lowercase will have an impact on an individual’s perception and thoughts of the font and brand.<h4><a href="https://99designs.com/blog/tips/typography-design/">Learn more about the rules, terms and such in our guide to typography design &gt;&gt;&nbsp;</a></h4><h3>Shape and color psychology</h3>It’s also worth bearing in mind the rules of shape and color psychology, too. In <a href="https://99designs.com/blog/tips/meaning-of-shapes/" dir="ltr">shape psychology</a>, we’d be looking at its geometric form and how that elicits an emotion or feeling from the viewer. This would impact fonts too since they have elements in geometric forms. A font could have more roundness to create a relaxing, soothing wave, or rigid lines, soliciting a completely different look and feel from its viewer. <a href="https://99designs.com/blog/tips/how-color-impacts-emotions-and-behaviors/" dir="ltr">Color psychology</a> also plays an enormous role in changing human mood, fluctuating through different hues and shades. With the right cultural context and knowledge, shape and color can be deployed to successfully create the mood you want your font to embody.<h2 dir="ltr">Why you should use font psychology 
—</h2>Behind font psychology lies the power to drive your decisions and goals. Opening yourself up to understanding how people react to fonts means you have influence over how your design and business are perceived by who you’d like to target.When we design something, there’s an end goal in mind. One of the key tools in the design toolkit is the knack of picking fonts that will inspire and empower your message, enabling you to achieve the goals you set out to. If you’re designing for a flash sale, the right signage fonts will help prompt consumers to buy instead of browsing. The perfect combination of fonts for social media posts makes it more likely that consumers will continue to return and engage with your content. Generating these feelings of excitement, trust and anticipation mean people will be excited to engage and buy from you.<figure><img src="https://99designs-blog.imgix.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/attachment_116377617.jpeg?auto=format&amp;q=60&amp;fit=max&amp;w=930" alt="packaging design for lavender oil" width="348" height="348"></figure>Of course, it’s just as important to make sure you’re not choosing the wrong fonts. This can have a catastrophic outcome, with lots of hard work not hitting the right notes.Let’s say, as an example, you’re looking to sell gifts in a Mother’s Day campaign. You’ve got a killer commercial filmed that will pull at our heartstrings and your products are gift-wrapped and ready to go. And you use Georgia as the font in your adverts. Instead of feeling nostalgia, love and joy, your target consumers are left with a feeling of authority and grandeur that doesn’t sit in line with the rest of your campaign. If one cog is slightly loose, the whole wheel falls apart. Ensuring your logo, colors, shapes and fonts all work together in harmony is what will set apart the font psychology do’s and don’ts.<figure><img src="https://99designs-blog.imgix.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/00a-georgia.jpeg?auto=format&amp;q=60&amp;fit=max&amp;w=930" alt="black font on a white background" width="348" height="214"></figure><figcaption dir="ltr">Is Georgia feeling the love? Not quite. Via <a href="https://cmm312spring2016.wordpress.com/2016/05/22/blog-8-13/" data-track-click="" data-track-hover="" dir="ltr">CMM312</a>
</figcaption><figure><img src="https://99designs-blog.imgix.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/happy-mothers-day-greeting-card-advert-celebration-square-design-template-54d0399ccc2d25e3ea1e92798295cc5c_screen-e1634682700905.jpeg?auto=format&amp;q=60&amp;fit=max&amp;w=930" alt="pink text with colorful wreath" width="348" height="213"></figure><figcaption dir="ltr">Swerves and curves in the font convey a soft and cute look and feel. Via <a href="https://www.postermywall.com/index.php/art/template/54d0399ccc2d25e3ea1e92798295cc5c/happy-mother%27s-day-greeting-card-advert-celebration-square-design-template#.YQqDK1MzY-R" data-track-click="" data-track-hover="" dir="ltr">Poster My Wall </a></figcaption>Overall unity and consistency in design play a big part in reinforcing a strong relationship between your brand and potential customers. A way to do this is through <a href="https://www.wordtracker.com/academy/social/visual/how-to-use-the-picture-superiority-effect-to-your-advantage" dir="ltr">Picture Superiority Effect</a>, a theory that says people remember pictures more than words. This is why understanding font psychology is so important, as we’re looking to enhance aesthetic appeal to our target audience, alongside color and shape. Similar to the many parts of the business, each part of a design needs to work together as a unified whole to achieve its goal.<h2 dir="ltr">Types of fonts and their meaning 
—</h2>There are six different font styles, each equipped with different characteristics—ranging from respectable heritage to boldly confident. Let’s take a look at each type of font to understand how and what they communicate differently.<h3>Serif fonts</h3>We’ve all used a serif font at one point or another. They are considered one of the most traditional font options of the bunch. They’re most often used to create a classic, traditional and stable look and feel. This font is a great match for brands and businesses that feel established, or want to evoke a sense of trust and respectability.Businesses that are most likely to use serif fonts include law firms, insurance companies and consultants. It can also work for a business that wants to convey knowledge and authority of a subject or a design for more formal situations.<figure><img src="https://99designs-blog.imgix.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/attachment_72459359-e1634682911766.jpeg?auto=format&amp;q=60&amp;fit=max&amp;w=930" alt="logo design for a law firm" width="348" height="348"></figure>After a serif font to try out? Times New Roman, Georgia and Garamond are amongst the most popular choices.<h3>Slab serif fonts</h3>Think of slab serif as the little brother of serif fonts—the same family, but with the bold confidence of youth. The two categories may look similar, but with slab serif fonts the serif is squared off giving a chunkier look and feel. They still have that same heir of tradition but are a lot bolder, distinctive and more confident.Slab serif fonts are perfect for those businesses that want to pack a punch and leave a lasting impact. Coupled with new innovation and intuitive products, slab serif fonts can help to convey that energy. Popular picks for slab serif fonts include Courier, Rockwell and Museo.<figure><img src="https://99designs-blog.imgix.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/attachment_85832809-e1634683178986.jpeg?auto=format&amp;q=60&amp;fit=max&amp;w=930" alt="slab serif font for coffee roasters logo" width="725" height="279"></figure><figcaption dir="ltr">Logo design by <a href="https://99designs.com/profiles/1782353" data-track-click="" data-track-hover="" dir="ltr">Veksy</a>
</figcaption><figure><img src="https://99designs-blog.imgix.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/attachment_127148203-e1634683159791.jpeg?auto=format&amp;q=60&amp;fit=max&amp;w=930" alt="slab serif for a book publisher logo" width="725" height="279"></figure><figcaption dir="ltr">Logo design by a <a href="https://99designs.com/profiles/4009176" data-track-click="" data-track-hover="" dir="ltr">Kai Nakatani</a>
</figcaption><h3>San serif fonts</h3>Clean, crisp and modern, sans serif fonts are both minimal and engaging. These fonts are straightforward and embody a no-nonsense attitude, but also feel progressive and open. There aren’t any extra flourishes that might distract the eye—san serif takes a simple yet effective approach.There’s a clear break with tradition here, with psychological associations of adventure and modernity. This clean and simple look is often found in fonts used by tech companies (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_logo" dir="ltr">think of how the Google logo has changed from serif to sans serif in 2015</a>) and brands that may consider themselves as forward-thinking and modern. Look to Arial, Century Gothic and Helvetica as classic examples.<figure><img src="https://99designs-blog.imgix.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/fddbfbee-2191-4510-a5e1-13c423c515f5-scaled-e1634683441837.jpeg?auto=format&amp;q=60&amp;fit=max&amp;w=930" alt="simple logo design using sans serif font" width="725" height="725"><figcaption dir="ltr">Logo design by <a href="https://99designs.com/profiles/austinminded" data-track-click="" data-track-hover="" dir="ltr">austinminded </a></figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://99designs-blog.imgix.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/65ca51e7-3c6a-4fba-a060-3d9541c28d9d-e1634683384489.png?auto=format&amp;q=60&amp;fit=max&amp;w=930" alt="black and white spaced logo design" width="348" height="287"></figure><figcaption dir="ltr">Simple, clean and modern sans serif font. Logo design by <a href="https://99designs.com/profiles/zdralemilos" data-track-click="" data-track-hover="" dir="ltr">Milos Zdrale</a>
</figcaption><figure><img src="https://99designs-blog.imgix.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/attachment_117488910-scaled-e1634683364226.jpeg?auto=format&amp;q=60&amp;fit=max&amp;w=930" alt="hip beer company logo" width="348" height="287"></figure><figcaption dir="ltr">By <a href="https://99designs.com/profiles/calamografico" data-track-click="" data-track-hover="" dir="ltr">CalamoGrafico</a>
</figcaption><h3>Script fonts</h3>Feeling fancy? Try a script font. They have a feeling of femininity and elegance, their hand-written element provoking creativity. They’re fun and romantic, mimicking forms of handwriting and doodling.Script fonts are the most likely to inspire other creative ideas, rich in both emotion and history. They’re a perfect match for visual brands, though their artful nature means they should be used fleetingly and with caution, as too much usage can leave text feeling illegible. Lucida Script, Lobster and Zapfino are popular fonts you may be familiar with.<figure><img src="https://99designs-blog.imgix.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/a.gif?auto=format&amp;q=60&amp;fit=max&amp;w=930" alt="fun travel logo" width="348" height="225"></figure><figcaption dir="ltr">A fun, playful and creative logo using a script font by <a href="https://99designs.com/profiles/flavia2767" data-track-click="" data-track-hover="" dir="ltr">Flavia²⁷⁶⁷</a></figcaption><figure><img src="https://99designs-blog.imgix.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/b-scaled-e1634683859395.jpeg?auto=format&amp;q=60&amp;fit=max&amp;w=930" alt="chocolate logo" width="348" height="225"></figure><figcaption dir="ltr">By <a href="https://99designs.com/profiles/1168243" data-track-click="" data-track-hover="" dir="ltr">:: A7 ::</a></figcaption><h3>Modern fonts</h3>Modern fonts are styles that are, well, modern, of our present time, new, different from past fonts. They take on a more futuristic look, though it’s actually rooted in 18th-century history, first appearing in print in 1784 thanks to the typographer Firmin Didot. Modern fonts combine practicality and playfulness, their legibility transitioned between thick and thin strokes.<figure><img src="https://99designs-blog.imgix.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/attachment_90651302.png?auto=format&amp;q=60&amp;fit=max&amp;w=930" alt="logo for wine brand" width="348" height="348"></figure><figcaption dir="ltr">Modern type for wine brand. Design by <a href="https://99designs.com/profiles/itsadogslife" data-track-click="" data-track-hover="" dir="ltr">it’s a DOG’s life</a>
</figcaption><figure><img src="https://99designs-blog.imgix.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/attachment_127804455.jpeg?auto=format&amp;q=60&amp;fit=max&amp;w=930" alt="Logo design on milk powder" width="348" height="348"></figure><figcaption dir="ltr">Future meets dynamic creativity in this modern font logo. Design by <a href="https://99designs.com/profiles/4275764" data-track-click="" data-track-hover="" dir="ltr">LABELL.</a></figcaption>These fonts each create a sense of exclusivity and intellect. It’s a great way to announce your brand by showcasing it with a modern font, particularly attracting the interest of the millennial demographic. Discover Matchbook, Politica and Klavika to put this psychology into practice.<h3>Display fonts</h3><figure><img src="https://99designs-blog.imgix.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ff-1-scaled-e1634684287801.jpeg?auto=format&amp;q=60&amp;fit=max&amp;w=930" alt="cover of the foundr, the creativity issue" width="450" height="450"><figcaption dir="ltr">Cover design by <a href="https://99designs.com/profiles/mky" data-track-click="" data-track-hover="" dir="ltr">Mky</a></figcaption></figure>Often display fonts are used for large-format mediums like billboards, headings, or book covers. They can be serif, slab serif, or sans serif, and so on. They can also be a unique, decorative style. Novel and trail-blazing, there can be a pictorial element to these fonts, though these are used solely for eye-catching headlines.When using a display font the style will affect what your audience will associate with the font. In general, display fonts can evoke a more casual, fun, or unique look and feel. The biggest plus is being able to adapt a font to exactly suit your personality, which can be ideal for any kind of business. Look out for Bombing, Gigi and Jokerman as examples of this.<h2 dir="ltr">Now time to apply font psychology 
—</h2>With this new knowledge on the psychology behind font types, it’s now time to apply it. The perfect font will resonate with the brand identity you’re looking to create while finding the inspiration for it is key. If you just can’t decide on a font for your business, don’t fret. You can always seek out some professional help. 
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Understanding how fonts influence our decisions can help in picking the right font for your business. This article lists the different types of fonts and the feelings they evoke. 

Font psychology is the connected emotional and visual reaction to fonts. That's why it's important for brands and businesses to pick a font carefully. Let’s take a closer look at what font psychology means, what it says about you and your business, and which styles best represent you.

Stashed ideas

We see millions of fonts every single day, from the news we read to the adverts we pass on the way to work. The successful ones will stick with us, while those that miss the mark mean something isn’t doing the job it needs to.

But what makes a good, successful font? The answer comes in the form of font psychology, meaning there’s a connected emotional and visual reaction to whichever font you may choose to represent yourself. Especially in the digital age, a connection is more important than ever, and an important reason why brands and businesses should carefully consider what font truly gets the job done.

Let’s take a closer look at what font psychology means, what it says about you and your business and which styles best represent you.

In essence, font psychology is the visual and emotional reaction you have to the font you’re seeing. According to <a href="https://bombbomb.com/blog/93-percent-of-communication-nonverbal-video-albert-mehrabian-study/">Albert Mehrabian’s Rule of Personal Communication </a>, 93% of personal connection is non-verbal, meaning ideas and values need to get across in the simplest way possible. Depending on what we’re looking at, we’ll have our thoughts, feelings and actions impacted in different ways.

One theory that is used in psychology to explain how a font is perceived by other people is the <a href="https://www.nickkolenda.com/font-psychology/">Kolenda Font Model </a>. It’s a step-by-step guide dissecting how we perceive fonts and what we associate with them. When an individual sees a font, they make an association between the font and a trait. For example, if someone sees a fitness brand that is about gaining strength using a bold font, the customers will see that font and think: thick, bulky and heavy. This perception will then also be associated with the fitness brand.

Before we delve further into fonts and their possible meanings, the basic rules and terms of typography need to be applied and considered too. In brief, typography is the art of constructing a message in a way that will be visually pleasing. This also has an effect on font psychology, if you wanted to evoke thoughts of tallness or slimness, adjusting the spacing or deciding whether to use uppercase or lowercase will have an impact on an individual’s perception and thoughts of the font and brand.

Learn more about the rules, terms and such in our guide to typography design >>

It’s also worth bearing in mind the rules of shape and color psychology, too. In <a href="https://99designs.com/blog/tips/meaning-of-shapes/">shape psychology </a>, we’d be looking at its geometric form and how that elicits an emotion or feeling from the viewer. This would impact fonts too since they have elements in geometric forms. A font could have more roundness to create a relaxing, soothing wave, or rigid lines, soliciting a completely different look and feel from its viewer. <a href="https://99designs.com/blog/tips/how-color-impacts-emotions-and-behaviors/">Color psychology </a>also plays an enormous role in changing human mood, fluctuating through different hues and shades. With the right cultural context and knowledge, shape and color can be deployed to successfully create the mood you want your font to embody.

Behind font psychology lies the power to drive your decisions and goals. Opening yourself up to understanding how people react to fonts means you have influence over how your design and business are perceived by who you’d like to target.

When we design something, there’s an end goal in mind. One of the key tools in the design toolkit is the knack of picking fonts that will inspire and empower your message, enabling you to achieve the goals you set out to. If you’re designing for a flash sale, the right signage fonts will help prompt consumers to buy instead of browsing. The perfect combination of fonts for social media posts makes it more likely that consumers will continue to return and engage with your content. Generating these feelings of excitement, trust and anticipation mean people will be excited to engage and buy from you.

Of course, it’s just as important to make sure you’re not choosing the wrong fonts. This can have a catastrophic outcome, with lots of hard work not hitting the right notes.

Let’s say, as an example, you’re looking to sell gifts in a Mother’s Day campaign. You’ve got a killer commercial filmed that will pull at our heartstrings and your products are gift-wrapped and ready to go. And you use Georgia as the font in your adverts. Instead of feeling nostalgia, love and joy, your target consumers are left with a feeling of authority and grandeur that doesn’t sit in line with the rest of your campaign. If one cog is slightly loose, the whole wheel falls apart. Ensuring your logo, colors, shapes and fonts all work together in harmony is what will set apart the font psychology do’s and don’ts.

Overall unity and consistency in design play a big part in reinforcing a strong relationship between your brand and potential customers. A way to do this is through <a href="https://www.wordtracker.com/academy/social/visual/how-to-use-the-picture-superiority-effect-to-your-advantage">Picture Superiority Effect </a>, a theory that says people remember pictures more than words. This is why understanding font psychology is so important, as we’re looking to enhance aesthetic appeal to our target audience, alongside color and shape. Similar to the many parts of the business, each part of a design needs to work together as a unified whole to achieve its goal.

There are six different font styles, each equipped with different characteristics—ranging from respectable heritage to boldly confident. Let’s take a look at each type of font to understand how and what they communicate differently.

We’ve all used a serif font at one point or another. They are considered one of the most traditional font options of the bunch. They’re most often used to create a classic, traditional and stable look and feel. This font is a great match for brands and businesses that feel established, or want to evoke a sense of trust and respectability.

Businesses that are most likely to use serif fonts include law firms, insurance companies and consultants. It can also work for a business that wants to convey knowledge and authority of a subject or a design for more formal situations.

After a serif font to try out? Times New Roman, Georgia and Garamond are amongst the most popular choices.

Think of slab serif as the little brother of serif fonts—the same family, but with the bold confidence of youth. The two categories may look similar, but with slab serif fonts the serif is squared off giving a chunkier look and feel. They still have that same heir of tradition but are a lot bolder, distinctive and more confident.

Slab serif fonts are perfect for those businesses that want to pack a punch and leave a lasting impact. Coupled with new innovation and intuitive products, slab serif fonts can help to convey that energy. Popular picks for slab serif fonts include Courier, Rockwell and Museo.

Clean, crisp and modern, sans serif fonts are both minimal and engaging. These fonts are straightforward and embody a no-nonsense attitude, but also feel progressive and open. There aren’t any extra flourishes that might distract the eye—san serif takes a simple yet effective approach.

There’s a clear break with tradition here, with psychological associations of adventure and modernity. This clean and simple look is often found in fonts used by tech companies (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_logo">think of how the Google logo has changed from serif to sans serif in 2015 </a>) and brands that may consider themselves as forward-thinking and modern. Look to Arial, Century Gothic and Helvetica as classic examples.

Feeling fancy? Try a script font. They have a feeling of femininity and elegance, their hand-written element provoking creativity. They’re fun and romantic, mimicking forms of handwriting and doodling.

Script fonts are the most likely to inspire other creative ideas, rich in both emotion and history. They’re a perfect match for visual brands, though their artful nature means they should be used fleetingly and with caution, as too much usage can leave text feeling illegible. Lucida Script, Lobster and Zapfino are popular fonts you may be familiar with.

Modern fonts are styles that are, well, modern, of our present time, new, different from past fonts. They take on a more futuristic look, though it’s actually rooted in 18th-century history, first appearing in print in 1784 thanks to the typographer Firmin Didot. Modern fonts combine practicality and playfulness, their legibility transitioned between thick and thin strokes.

These fonts each create a sense of exclusivity and intellect. It’s a great way to announce your brand by showcasing it with a modern font, particularly attracting the interest of the millennial demographic. Discover Matchbook, Politica and Klavika to put this psychology into practice.

Often display fonts are used for large-format mediums like billboards, headings, or book covers. They can be serif, slab serif, or sans serif, and so on. They can also be a unique, decorative style. Novel and trail-blazing, there can be a pictorial element to these fonts, though these are used solely for eye-catching headlines.

When using a display font the style will affect what your audience will associate with the font. In general, display fonts can evoke a more casual, fun, or unique look and feel. The biggest plus is being able to adapt a font to exactly suit your personality, which can be ideal for any kind of business. Look out for Bombing, Gigi and Jokerman as examples of this.

With this new knowledge on the psychology behind font types, it’s now time to apply it. The perfect font will resonate with the brand identity you’re looking to create while finding the inspiration for it is key. If you just can’t decide on a font for your business, don’t fret. You can always seek out some professional help.

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The fundamentals of font psychology - 99designs

A good successful font

Font psychology

Typography, shape and colour psychology

Why you should use font psychology

Serif fonts

Slab serif fonts

San serif fonts

Script fonts

Modern fonts

Display fonts

IDEAS ABOUT

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Visual identity: everything you need to know about this essential aspect of branding - 99designs

The Psychology of Fonts

How Seinfeld changed TV - Insider

It's time to

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A PRO!

Bite-sized knowledgeto upgradeyour career

The fundamentals of font psychology - 99designs

A good successful font

Font psychology

Typography, shape and colour psychology

Why you should use font psychology

Serif fonts

Slab serif fonts

San serif fonts

Script fonts

Modern fonts

Display fonts

IDEAS ABOUT

MORE LIKE THIS

Visual identity: everything you need to know about this essential aspect of branding - 99designs

The Psychology of Fonts

How Seinfeld changed TV - Insider

It's time to

READ

LIKE

A PRO!

Bite-sized knowledge
to upgrade
your career