Your brand is composed of three core elements: logo, color palette, and typography. It may seem like your logo will be the most important piece of your brand, however, each element plays an important role on how your brand is perceived. You have to understand why you are doing certain elements and how it will be perceived by your audience. When deciding on a typeface for your brand, there are a few things to keep in mind. A good brand font should be: legible, unique, memorable, multi-platform oriented, and able to communicate brand personality.
At Succeeding Small, we understand just how important typography is for each brand. That being said, we also know typography isn’t always planned out to its full potential. To begin, you need to understand what brand typography is, the different types of typography and how to choose your brand’s typography.
What Is Brand Typography?
What is typography? Don’t you mean font? No, typography is the art and technique of arranging typeface elements to make written language legible, readable and appealing when displayed. Your font is individual elements that constitute one typeface, such as weights, widths, and styles. So when designing your brand, you want to focus on the typeface, which is the family of related fonts. For example, Montserrat is a typeface, however Montserrat Bold is a font and Montserrat Classic is a different font. For your brand, you want to pick 2-3 typefaces to represent your brand.
But why? And what does typography matter in your brand? Well, Brand Typography is how your typography aligns with your brand’s message, values and tone. It is one of the first impressions your customers will have with your business’ name and your company as a whole. Typography is important to your brand for three reasons: 1) typography is everywhere, 2) typography gives the brand meaning, and 3) typography impacts your consumers’ experience with your brand.
Categories of Typefaces
Like in color psychology, where each color can represent different meanings, so too can typefaces. In this case, there are different categories of typefaces that help you to narrow down how you want your brand to be perceived. There are a variety of ways to classify them, however, we will be discussing the 5 basic classifications of typefaces: Serif, Sans Serif, Script, Monospaced, and Display.
Serif typefaces
are the most classic, original characters. They are named for the little feet at the top and bottom of the letterforms. This style is for brands wanting to appear trustworthy, traditional, and classic.
Sans Serif typeface
do not have the little feet on the top and bottom, and are known to create a more modern look. This style is for brands wanting to appear modern, clean, and sleek.
Script typefaces
mimic cursive handwriting. These typefaces are subcategorized into either formal or causal. Formal script is the fancy calligraphy, while casual resembles more of sign painters. This style can give a more original and authentic look to your brand image.
Monospaced typefaces
refer to the same amount of space between each character, meaning that despite how much room the letter takes up, the space between each character will be the same. This style can give off a classic, clean, and visually pleasing look, especially if you love typewriters.
Display typefaces
are a broad category of heading typefaces. These typefaces are fun to use but should be used wisely. This style includes highly decorative typefaces that stand-out, and can create a variety of feelings depending on the typefaces in this category. For example, Jeepers is a display typeface that creates a spooky feel, while Brim Narrow Com gives off a carnival marquis feel.
*Important to know: Serif and Sans Serif typefaces are used for either body copy or headlines (including titles, logos, etc.), while script and display are used only for headlines. Monospaced typefaces were originally used on typewriters and can be used in a variety of locations.
How to Choose Your Brand’s Typeface(s)
Deciding a brand typography is no easy task, this decision will impact how your customers perceive your brand and can be the deciding factor on whether or not they choose your brand. To find and apply the right font for your brand, you should:
- Define and understand your brand’s personality
- Understand the traits and personality of each type of typeface and find the match for your business
- Make sure the fonts you choose are legible, flexible, complementary with your brand elements
Find the Perfect Typography for Your Brand | Succeeding Small
Still feel stuck or confused? Our experts at Succeeding Small are here to help make your branding experience simple. We will help communicate your message to your consumers through a visually pleasing logo, color palette and typography, that will make you stand out from your competitors. Contact us today to find out more.
