How much thought do y'all put into the fonts y'all use for your visual content?

Information technology's worth taking a moment to consider which font volition best communicate your information. For case, most people know that Comic Sans is a faux pas for more than professional situations. Merely what fonts should y'all utilize?

Co-ordinate to a study we conducted over at Venngage looking at the well-nigh pop font types in America, it might be worth basing your font selection on where most of your audience is located.

We analyzed the 50+ fonts we offer to run across which font types people favor, and how their preferences vary depending on location. Our analysis focused in on the top 25 most populated cities in America, since they're the ones creating the near content. Download 195+ visual marketing design templates to use for social media posts,  infographics, and more. 

Nigh fonts can be cleaved down into 5 distinct types: serif, sans serif, decorative, headline and script.

This infographic summarizes our findings:

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Allow's go into what each font type is, and when you lot should use them in your visual content.

Serif Fonts

A "serif" is a small-scale line or embellishment added to the end of a stroke in a alphabetic character. A serif font has serifs! Pretty easy to remember, right?

There are a lot of dissimilar fonts that autumn into this category. Times New Roman is a archetype example. Merriweather and Playfair Display are other examples.

When should you use serif fonts?

Serif fonts have a more classic feel than sans serif fonts often practise. They're reminiscent of traditional impress. With that in heed, any situation where y'all want to invoke traditional impress would be an appropriate time to use a serif font.

For case, if you were to create a poster for an arts event, or a writing class, a serif font like Merriweather or Courier New would work well. Or if yous were to create an infographic virtually a historical subject, a font resembling traditional typeface would give your pattern a more historic feel.

Take this presentation slide that uses Playfair Brandish for the title:

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You might also want to employ a serif font when you're appealing to a primarily southern cities. Fort Worth, TX, Memphis, MS and El Paso, TX all used more serif fonts than the rest of the country. Nostalgia runs pretty deep in the South -- peradventure that influences their font preferences?

States that liked serif fonts the best on the whole are Delaware, Nebraska and Vermont. Delaware promotes itself equally the "First State", and that love of history might influence its residents' tastes in fonts.

Sans Serif Fonts

Y'all tin probably guess what sans serif fonts are. That's correct…they're fonts without serifs. Fonts similar Open Sans, Arial and Oxygen.

When Should Y'all Use Sans Serif Fonts?

Sans serif fonts accept a modern and efficient feel. They are also by and large thought to be easier to read than sans serif fonts, although legibility often really comes downward to characteristics similar weight and distinct letter of the alphabet forms.

Withal, nigh sans serif fonts will be a pretty safe bet for narrow and low-resolution screens. That's part of why most websites and mobile apps use sans serif fonts, particular for body text. Open Sans, Roboto and Oxygen are a few pop choices (we use Roboto and Open up Sans at Venngage).

What's more, the minimalist and efficient experience makes sans serif fonts makes them a prime number pick for visual content dealing with modern topics like tech, innovation, and productivity.

For example, this social media marketing infographic uses Raleway for the headers and Open Sans for the trunk text:

Interestingly enough, cities that favor sans serif fonts are pretty spread out. Sans serif fonts are most pop in San Francisco, CA, which makes sense when you consider how many tech companies are located there. They are are also very popular in Houston, TX (another tech hot spot) and Charlotte, NC.

On the state level, sans serif fonts are most pop in Arkansas and Utah. Considering how Salt Lake Urban center is emerging as a tech hub rivalling Silicon Valley, you tin see how this mountain w state would appreciate mod sans serif fonts.

Decorative Fonts

Decorative fonts characteristically have plenty of embellishments and quirky themes. They're generally used in small doses and sized large for headings, rather than used for trunk text. These are unlike from headline fonts, which are more basic fonts that are typically used for headers and titles.

Some examples of decorative fonts are Graduate, Bangers and Contrail One.

When should you use decorative fonts?

Because decorative fonts can be pretty out-at that place, they're by and large not the best choice for trunk text. Instead, they are perfect for using in attention-grabbing headers. Infographics, weblog headers, posters, and social media visuals are all perfect opportunities to apply a artistic decorative font.

Await for a decorative font that reflects the theme or mood of your visual content. For case, if y'all're designing an infographic nigh the flick industry, writing the headers in Limelight tin can give your infographic a classic, retro feel.

Decorative fonts are likewise great for using in social media promotions where you want to get people excited about your brand.

For example, this social media flyer uses Quicksand and Monoton for a fun feel:

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Decorative fonts are most popular in cities like Indianapolis, IN, El Paso, TX and Boston, MA. On the state level, though, decorative fonts were past far most popular in Hawaii. That'southward interesting when you lot consider how much tourism Hawaii gets per year--perhaps advertising campaigns are taking advantage of flashy fonts?

Headline Fonts

Headline fonts are bold, like shooting fish in a barrel to read and full of character. They're like to decorative fonts but tend to be less embellished. They're designed to be middle-catching and impactful.

Archivo Blackness, Voltaire and Vino Ane are all examples of headline fonts.

When should yous utilize headline fonts?

Any state of affairs where you want to catch people's attending is a expert opportunity to utilize a headline font. Web log posts, reports and presentations are all places where you are likely to want attention-grabbing headlines.

Pair a bold headline font with body text in a sans serif font to ensure that your content is super legible (a lot of headline fonts happen to exist sans serif fonts for that reason!). While headline fonts don't tend to be as out-in that location are decorative fonts, they still allow you lot to add a bit of flare to your blueprint.

For case, you could create a slide deck that combines titles in Arvos with body text in Dosis for a modern, easy to read presentation design:

Headlines fonts are virtually popular in Philadelphia, PA, which is funny when you consider that Philly has a reputation for being in-your-face up. But Philly is also dwelling to Comcast, 1 of America's biggest telecommunications conglomerates. Plus, The Philadelphia Inquirer is i of America'south longest running newspapers. And then possibly Philly folks appreciate a assuming headline.

Interestingly, Due west Virginia likes headline fonts on the whole. Outside of that, western and midwestern states similar Idaho, Nebraska and Montana like headline fonts best. Continue that in mind side by side time you create content to entreatment to those regions!

Script Fonts

A lot of script fonts get a bad rep, just they deserve a place in your blueprint repertoire. Script fonts resemble handwritten text. That means that they are not as clean-cutting and piece of cake to read as basic serif and sans serif fonts, but they definitely bring personality to your designs.

Fonts like Lobster Two, Pacifico, and Yellowtail can all heighten your design when used sparingly. And maybe fifty-fifty ... Comic Sans (I'll get out that up to you).

When should you use script fonts?

The key to using script fonts in your designs is to use them scarcely. They should be used to emphasis your content -- and should definitely not be used for torso text.

One place where script fonts won't look out of place is on a greeting menu:

Similarly, you could apply a script font in an Instagram visual. Posters and infographics that focus on lifestyle topics like baking or home decor could also make good use of a playful script font.

Script fonts can give your design an inviting and personal feel. For example, you might want to use a script font for the headline in an pedagogy poster. Or take this nonprofit entrada affiche, which uses Unkempt for the header to make the bulletin inviting.

No one city outranked the rest in its utilise of script fonts. Nashville, TN topped the listing, followed closely by Dallas, TX. Perhaps a connection can be found in the frequent use of Gothic script fonts in typing out religious quotes, since southern states are by and large the near religious.

The tendency carries into the state level. Nevada tops the list, but information technology'due south followed closely by West Virginia, Vermont and South Carolina.

Option Fonts That Fit Your Brand

While information technology's good to have at to the lowest degree an idea of what your target audition likes, you volition have to detect what they respond to best through trial and fault.

Mayhap more than important than putting too much stock into what fonts your audience will like is picking fonts that fit your brand. Choice fonts that help embody your brand's personality and message and incorporate those into your visual content. Afterwards all, cohesive design is an important office of building make awareness!

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Originally published Nov 20, 2017 half dozen:00:00 AM, updated July 12 2019