How To: Fonts


F
onts can be one of the most fun and creative aspects of the design process. But fonts can also be one of the most problematic areas of printing. Some type faces look fine on your screen, but look terrible on the final product. Here are a few ideas to help you ensure that your fonts look good in print.

Include All Fonts
Since there are so many different fonts available, we can't possibly have duplicates of all of them. In order for your job to print smoothly, please include a copy of all screen and printer fonts used in your artwork.

Font Selection
There are literally tens of thousands of type faces in use today. They range from old standards like Helvetica to outlandish designs like Chicken Scratch. Even though you may want to get really creative, the first rule of fonts is legibility. Don't let your message get lost because people can't read it.

In addition, be sure to choose the right font for the job. You may be itching to use your favorite artistic or fun font, but ask yourself if the font really fits what you are trying to say. In general, stick with Times, Helvetica or Arial (or similar) for your body copy. Art fonts should be used sparingly, and only on areas of emphasis like headlines or callouts.

With so many type faces to choose from, you may be tempted to use a wide variety on your project. As a rule, you should try to use as few fonts as possible. Your readers need consistency, and using a lot of different typefaces on a flyer or postcards can create confusion. Additionally, artwork that utilizes 15 different typefaces has a much greater chance of technical and printing problems than a file that uses only 3.

Font Colors
In general, body copy should be kept to black or white (on a dark background). If you are going to apply color to some text, experiment with different shades find a combination that is readable and visually appealing. Pay close attention to your font color as well as any background color or photo.

Safe Fonts:
Below is a list of fonts that we consider to be "safe." In other words, jobs that use these fonts generally print without many problems. Feel free to make use of other fonts that are not on this list, but be aware that this may increase your chances of problems.

Windows Safe Fonts: Mac Safe Fonts:
Adobe Garamond
Albertus
Arial
Arial Black
Arial Narrow
Brush Script
Eras
Frutiger
Futura
Helvetica
Helvetica Neue
Impact
Times New Roman
Verdana
 
Arial
Arial Black
Bookman Old Style
Brush Script
Eras
Futura
Garamond
Gill Sans
Helvetica
Helvetica Neue
Impact
Times
Times New Roman
Verdana
 

 

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