Fonts come in a variety of styles, each with its own personality and feel. Serif fonts, characterised by the small lines or “serifs” at the ends of the letters, have a sense of tradition and formality. They’re often chosen for printed materials such as books and newspapers because of their legibility. On the other hand, “sans-serif” (sans=without) fonts are sleek and modern, without these decorative serifs. They are often used in digital media and branding because of their clean and straightforward appearance.
Script fonts mimic handwriting, adding a touch of elegance and personalisation to designs.
Display fonts are all about grabbing attention with their bold and unique designs, often used for headlines or logos.
And monospaced fonts have uniform spacing between characters, making them great for coding or creating a retro vibe.
You already know that almost everyone has a unique writing style. In fact, it is usually different every time you write a letter. It is like fingerprints or shades of colour. So you have your own style. But the thing is, there are a lot of fonts out there. When you think about it, creating a new one seems like such a tedious task. How much can you change a font to give it a new look and feel?
Font designers draw inspiration from a variety of sources, including calligraphy, historical manuscripts, and even everyday objects. The design process balances aesthetics, legibility and functionality.
Modern technology has also revolutionised type design. Software tools allow designers to refine curves, adjust spacing, and preview how the type will look at different sizes and in different contexts.
Photo by Behnam Norouzi on Unsplash
I would also like to look at the psychological part from the top. Fonts are so pleasant that each one has the power to evoke emotions and set the tone of the message it conveys. Times New Roman, for example, can evoke formal documents, while Comic Sans can evoke a playful, informal mood. The choice of font can influence how readers perceive the credibility, seriousness or even urgency of the content.
Meanwhile, some other typefaces have achieved iconic status due to their widespread use and cultural impact. For example, Helvetica, known for its neutrality and clarity, is often referred to as the “king of fonts”. It’s favoured for signage, corporate branding and minimalist design. The Medium website uses Helvetica among many other fonts. Apparently, fonts called Charter and Kievit are the ones we usually see on Medium. Arial, which is similar to Helvetica, is also widely used as a default font, especially in digital interfaces.
In explaining all this, I think it is important to have a personal font. I remember reading once that your choice of font reflects some aspect of your character. When I was younger, Comic Sans was my favourite because it looked silly and funny to me. Now it has a down-voted popularity on the internet. Also, because I write my stories and articles digitally, it has to be clean and understandable (as a cliché choice, Georgia is one of my favourites) every time I check my writing. Things became more practical than fun for me.
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