Every day we use our tone of voice and body language to express the “feeling” of what we say. Telling someone “Nice shirt!” can be either a compliment or a criticism, depending on how you say it. So how can you express your tone in marketing materials? Typography! Typography is the art of arranging type to make written language readable and appealing. The use of good typography supports the message conveyed through the text and any accompanying image. Of course, much like shoes, bikinis and baseball caps – one typographic style does not fit all.
One of the main components of typography is font. With hundreds of thousands of options out there, the combinations are limitless, but there are rules. For example, prettier isn’t always better. Sometimes legibility needs to take precedence. Highway signs are a great example. They need to be quickly and easily read from long distances under variable lighting and weather conditions. For example, could you read a script font while you’re going 75 mph at 10:00 pm in a rainstorm?
The War of the Words – Display versus Body
Designers often categorize copy into the display and the body. Display copy is usually the largest type on a page, kept short and succinct, in headers, call-outs and titles. It’s meant to grab your attention and tends to have more interesting typeface. Using unique, handwritten or softer fonts for headers can make your piece – and your business – seem more approachable. Body copy is the meat and potatoes of the piece and has to maintain easy legibility for readers. Fonts used in body copy tend to be fairly simple, without the more extravagant flourishes of headers.
The Foreign-Language Words – Serif and Sans-Serif
There are a number of categories for typefaces, and pairing fonts can be complicated and takes time, experience and an understanding of design. To better understand what goes into your designer’s strategy, let’s discuss the main difference in fonts. (Just click each link below to view an example of each font.)
- Serif fonts are typefaces composed of lines with their ends embellished with small marks or strokes, making them easy to read. Serifs originated in the Latin alphabet. Examples of classic serif fonts are Times Roman and New Century Schoolbook.
- Sans-serif fonts are composed of simple lines. They do not have the small embellishments that the serif fonts do. The term comes from the French word “sans,” meaning “without,” and “serif,” from the Dutch word for “line.” Some popular sans-serif fonts are Helvetica, Avant Garde and Geneva.
- Display type, also known as headline type, is meant to draw and hold a viewer’s attention. It tends to appear on billboards, posters, book jackets and packaging.
- Hand drawn fonts are a great way to add a little character and charm. Some are created completely by hand, while others are sketched and scanned. Some are very clean and easy to read, while others may have a natural sketchy flow, giving a piece a particular personality or mood.
- Script fonts come in many styles from casual to elegant. They are based on the fluid strokes that are created by handwriting. Script fonts are popularly used for formal invitations, such as for weddings or concerts.
2016 Typography Trends
While a number of 2015 typography trends continue to hold their own in 2016, such as script fonts, hand drawn styles and a fledgling mix of the two known as watercolor fonts, there are a couple emerging styles that are stealing some of the print spotlight.
- Contrast is huge…and small! Mixing overly large headers with surprisingly small subheads grabs attention without being obnoxious or obscure.
- Retro – what was out is in and then out and then in…again! It’s always been common to look to the past for inspiration, and retro manages to modernize the old to give it a unique combination of past and future.
With all these unique options available, your image.works team can create a design with the ideal typography that grabs eyes and creates a mood! We invite you to browse our Design Center to find inspiration among hundreds of original designs created specifically for banks and credit unions. And feel free to suggest your favorite fonts – the ones you feel best portray the culture of your financial institution – when you work with your designer.
Sources:
https://www.elegantthemes.com/blog/resources/20-typography-trends-to-pay-attention-to-in-2016
http://practicaltypography.com/one-space-between-sentences.html
http://bonfx.com/types-of-fonts/
http://angiemakes.com/10-brush-lettered-fonts-youll-love/
http://www.imageworksdirect.com/design-center