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The Psychology of Fonts in Logo Design

Written by
Jun 24,2019

Your logo is the visual representation of your brand to capture people’s attention and convert that into a client relationship. Whether you are trying to make yourself familiar as a startup, or establish yourself within a growing industry, your logo will play a huge role. While most of people are already familiar with the psychology of color in logo design, you might not be aware that fonts too affect the psychology of people.

 

By choosing the right font for your business, you can extend your brand’s visual identity and trigger powerful ideas and emotions. Choose a font with the right personality that can convey more than just words to your target audience. Your font should match with your customers’ expectations when they come in touch with your brand. It should be able to reinforce the message that you are a reliable and credible business through your logo. Fonts are key to effective brand recognition, communicating a company’s core values and brand personality. It’s important to understand the distinct characteristics of each of the fonts so that you can choose the fonts that best represents your business.

Let’s take a deeper look at the psychology of fonts in logo design and how a brand can use it to its own advantage in its logo.

  1. Serif fonts:

    Serif fonts are traditional, signifying respect and stability. They have a distinguished feeling of ancestry and heritage. Having a logo with serif fonts can instill the audience with a feeling of comfort that they are in the hands of someone who has stability. Many financial services, insurance companies, academics, etc. use this font.

    This font is best when you want your company to feel established. It is perfect for brands that revolve around authority and magnificence. Serif fonts are also great for premium brands conveying elegance. They are also best for formal situations and also when you want to showcase your trustworthy nature.

    Serif fonts include Times New Roman, Georgia, Book Antiqua, Garamond, etc.

    Brands that have used Serif fonts in their logos include:

  2. Sans-serif fonts:

    Sans-serif fonts are fonts without serifs, considered casual and playful. They make brands feel less traditional in comparison to Serif fonts. They have a modern, simple, and clean aesthetic, bringing stability to the logo. Sans-serif fonts give the best readability and flexibility, offering an intuitive reading experience.

    The fonts are engaging, useful for brands intending to show a straight-forward and forward-thinking attitude, displaying a sense of sensibility and honesty. They are apt for businesses having a casual work culture, evoking informality. They are widely used in websites, mostly in digital media. The font speaks for itself and shows that the brand isn’t hiding anything.

    Some of the Sans-serif fonts include Calibri, Arial, Century Gothic, Helvetica, Verdana, and Roboto.

    Brands that have used Sans-serif fonts in their logos include:


     
  3. Script fonts:

    Script fonts are carefree, a lot fancier than other fonts, best for attracting an audience that is elegance-seeking and sophisticated. They represent fluidity in writing. They are feminine having a cursive style or connecting letters. They look like fountain pen writings or old handwritten letters, giving a heartfelt feeling and showcasing genuineness, grace, and creativity.

    This font can help brands if they want to make themselves feel more personal. They inspire creative and emotional ideas. The font is apt for brands that want to show their creative side, specifically for visual brands and brands that want to convey feeling, experience, or history. It is, however, important to ensure that the fonts are readable and don’t appear that fancy.

    Some of the Script fonts include Lucida Script, Lobster, Comic Sans, Sofia, Zapfino, Pacifico, and Kristen.

    Brands that have used Script fonts in their logos include:


     
  4. Modern fonts:

    Modern fonts have thick and thin transitions in the strokes, sometimes even having thin horizontal serifs. They are trendy, bold, and futuristic in appearance. They are structured and eye-catchy. They give brands a cutting-edge look and feel. They are preferable for technical and engineering companies, showing that the brands using them are on the cutting edge.

    They convey the feelings of intelligence, style, and exclusivity. The fonts are easily readable, having a modern flair. They are attractive to millennials. With their progressive edge, they can easily capture the attention of people. They express elegance, smartness, forward-looking ideology, etc.

    Some of the Modern fonts include Agency, Matchbook, Impact, Politica, Bodoni, and Rockwell.

    Brands that have used Modern fonts in their logos include:

  5. Display fonts:

    Display fonts are bold, big, and distinctive, different from the norm. They are apt for companies in the entertainment business. They are meant to be noticed. They are quirky and unconventional. They are meant to be displayed at a larger size to attract the audience. They are little on the loud side and are amusing to grab the eyeballs of people.

    These fonts can be twisted and turned to give the logo any desired meaning. They represent a casual attitude and can be fun and unique, showcasing a strong personality and giving a more stylish look. It’s however important to consider the emotional response that your logo will have with Display fonts. The font size is to be kept not less than 14 pts.

    Some of the Display fonts include Jokerman, Gigi, Bebas Neue, Bigfish, Bombing, etc.

    Brands that have used Display fonts in their logos include:

  6. Decorative fonts:

    Decorative fonts are used to give a strong impact and evoke particular emotions. They give a distinctive and quirky feeling. They show fun and excitement, indicating the informal atmosphere of a brand. Fonts are categorized into the decorative category when they aren’t easy-to-read.

    They can be used to express youthfulness, westernization, etc. They should, however, be used sparingly, without overdoing which can create chaos, visual clutter, and make the logo unreadable.

    Some of the Decorative fonts include Chiller, Algerian, Fredericka, and Impact Label.


Conclusion

Designing a memorable logo that resonates with multiple audiences across various platforms is a difficult task. Choosing the right font is an amazing way to reward your clients with a feel-good visual experience and attract potential customers. Your font choice can have a major impact on the bottom line of your business, so you need to ensure that you choose it well.

 

You can communicate effectively with your target audience and create an emotional connection with them if you make thoughtful choices regarding fonts. Many brands prefer choosing a font that’s unique and fun, to differentiate themselves. It’s, however, better to select fonts strategically on the basis of readability and legibility. Also, think about how the fonts in your logo will look in different media platforms.

 

By understanding the psychology of fonts and the personality that different styles convey, you can instantly get a competitive advantage through your logo.

 

ProDesigns is a leading logo design company, crafting logos by understanding the fonts psychology and using them according to your brand personality. Contact us through [email protected] to get more details about our logo design services!

Nidhi Dave

Nidhi is working as a content and brand strategist at ProDesigns - a graphic design company, recommending strategies to meet customers’ goals and deliver a superior user experience. She provides content leadership, ensuring that a consistent brand message is delivered to the audience.
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