How to Choose the Perfect Font for Logo Design

Finding the perfect font for logo design is not an easy task, but considering the number of brand communications that you send out, both in printed and digital formats, it is safe to say that your choice of font type is an important one. Along with your brand name and brand logo, your font type speaks volumes about the brand perception you want to have in your customer’s mind.

In a lot of ways, font types portray your brand personality. Our brains are wired to detect patterns and meanings in our everyday stimulus. We perceive different writing styles differently, thinking that the same words, written by a different hand, would have different messages. Confusing for our brains, but perfect for brands to send subliminal messages to their customers!

There are literally tens of thousands of fonts available today, and new ones are being created daily. All these fonts can be categorised into groups called font families, or typefaces, with fonts in each typeface sharing some common design features. There are four basic types of typefaces commonly used; Serif, Sans Serif, Script and Modern. Let’s look at each of them and see what they represent.

1. Serif Typeface
   Serif refers to the small stroke-like line at the end of each character. Serif fonts are classy, traditional and conservative as they are one of the oldest typefaces. Most of us might recognise what might be the most well-known Serif font of our generation; Times New Roman. Serif fonts are legible, has a high-end look and makes the audience feel comfortable since it is widely used and familiar.

   If you look at the older Google logo (from 1998 to 2015), HSBC, Volvo and Boustead logos, you will observe the serif typeface in action.

2. Sans Serif Typeface
   ‘Sans’ comes from the French word that means ‘without’. So Sans Serif refers to the absence of the stroke or line at the end of the character. The letters would also have the same thickness throughout its character. You most likely know of Arial, Helvetica, Verdana and Tahoma fonts, these are the most commonly used Sans Serif fonts globally. Sans Serif fonts like these are simple, minimalistic and modern, making it ideal for most modern reading materials, especially websites, as they bring clarity and a clean look to the audience.

   Brands using Sans Serif typeface include the new Google logo, Media Prima, Nike, even our logo, Brand360. You are currently reading a Sans Serif font called Raleway.

3. Script Typeface
   Script fonts are used mainly in titles, logos and headings instead of the whole paragraph. Although less legible than other typefaces, Script fonts are used because they are prettier and more interesting. Some Script fonts are cursive and calligraphic such as Brush Script and Monotype Corsiva, while some imitate a real handwriting such as Papyrus and Comic Sans.

   Coca-Cola, Cadillac, Disney, Kellogg’s and Claytan Signature brands use the Script typeface in their brand logos.

4. Modern Typeface
   Also known as Monospace typeface, Modern typeface is characterised by the proportional width of the letter and spacing between the letters. Modern fonts include Menlo, Courier, Monaco and Consolas. This typeface is seen as progressive, sleek and functional. Many computer programming softwares use Modern fonts since they are straight-forward, compatible with a lot of languages and legible in large and long paragraphs.

   Brands such as eBay, Cartoon Network, Pepsi and Perodua use Modern fonts in their logo.

Some brands actually have a mix of these fonts e.g: Wonda Coffee, while some brands use different fonts in different times or places, to better fit into different context and applications. Other brands meanwhile, especially ones using wordmark logos, use a consistent font with very minimal differences throughout the years, like Coca-Cola. Customers have years of the brand logo imprinted in their minds through advertising and branding, so changing these brand logos would be disaster for the brand.

Choosing a font for your logo is like choosing an attire to wear. It is contextual to your values, personality and how you position yourself. Like clothes, there are primary fonts that you use for the important occasions and secondary ones for when you need need to be versatile. And if all else fails, design your very own font type!