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Fonts play a huge role in how infographics are perceived.
If you’re not a designer, you probably don’t notice font designs or choices unless they’re particularly ghastly:
You probably don’t care about them, either, and honestly, I don’t blame you. We all have that one designer friend who won’t shut up about Comic Sans (if you aren’t aware of the universal hatred for Comic Sans, you can get caught up here).
But hear me out–I’m not here to bash Comic Sans, or to tell you that Helvetica will solve all of your problems. I’m here to tell you why you should care about fonts, and to teach you how to use them like a designer.
You could argue that as long as text is readable, font choice doesn’t matter. While this may be true to a point, consider the following:
A 2008 studyfound that by simply using a font that was considered more “appropriate” for a resume, job candidates seemed more mature, more trustworthy, and more professional than candidates who used less appropriate fonts.
Despite having identical qualifications, these candidates were also more likely to secure interviews.
On board yet? Let’s talk about how to choose fonts for your infographics.
Why fonts matter
Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of font choice, I’d like to review the role that fonts play in visual communication.
1password buy. Sure, we all want to use fonts that make our infographics “pretty”, but there are many other important things going on behind the scenes.
Don’t believe me? Check out these two versions of the same infographic–the same content, visuals, and color scheme, but different fonts:
Style aside, one of the infographics is much more effective because of the fonts that are used. It’s much easier to glean information from the first infographic than the second.
Why? Let’s look at the functions of fonts in infographic design.
1. Fonts impact readability and legibility
Legibility refers to how easy it is to make out any given letter on a page. Of the fonts below, one is clearly more legible.
Readability refers to how easy it is to read larger passages of text. As you can see in the example below, both fonts are fairly legible, but it takes much more concentration to read the sentence on the left. The font on the right makes for a more comfortable read.
Ideally, you don’t want to make your reader work too hard at reading your text.
Since there are clear winners and losers when it comes to font readability and legibility, choosing great fonts for infographics is often about striking a balance between style, readability, and legibility.
This infographic’s highly readable and legible text ensures that the message is forefront, while colour adds interest and style:
2. Fonts can be used to create a sense of visual hierarchy on the page
What does this mean? Take a look at the article below. How long does it take to figure out what it’s about?
Now take a look at the same article, but with the fonts modified to create a sense of visual hierarchy. At a glance, it’s much easier to figure out what the article is about:
That’s because the fonts are used to make the headings and main points stand out.
Whenever you look at some text on a page, your eye has to start somewhere. On a page like the one above, your eye will subconsciously jump to the text that is bigger, bolder, and more unique. The visual hierarchy established by the font choices helps us quickly make sense of text.
Hand Right Fonts
For more examples, take a look at these 10 Attention-Grabbing Event Poster Templates. How many of them take advantage of a strong visual hierarchy to draw attention to their title? (Answer: all of them).
3. Fonts evoke emotion and have personality
Which of these fonts seems happier?
More confident?
More trustworthy?
Whether or not we intend it, our font choices evoke emotional responses from our readers (this is known as font psychology). To communicate effectively, we need to manage those responses by choosing fonts that match the nature of the subject matter.
We can see that the way text is displayed on the page (or the screen) impacts the way we interact with, read, and understand it. If we care about our readers’ perception of our text, we need to be conscious of our font choices.
How to choose fonts for your infographics in 5 steps
With the theoretical stuff out of the way, let’s get practical. Here are five steps you can use to make well-informed font choices for your infographics.
1. Think about your content
Your font choices should always be driven by the nature of your content, namely:
The purpose of the infographic:
- Fonts in infographics that are made to educate, inform, or simplify (like reports, statistical infographics, training posters) should be more minimal, with a focus on readability and legibility.
- Fonts in infographics that are made to entertain, engage, or inspire (like promotional flyers, social media marketing) can be more playful, with a focus on style and uniqueness.
The length and structure of the text:
- Fonts for long form copy (like paragraphs or bullet points) should be highly readable
- Fonts for short copy that you want to stand out (like keywords, headers, subheaders) should be stylized and unique
- Fonts for text that must be read at a glance (like chart labels and captions) should be highly legible
The medium and setting in which it will be received:
- Fonts for print infographics should be easily readable at an arm’s length, at least 10 pt in size
- Fonts for infographics that will be read from greater distances (like posters and presentations) must be larger, highly readable, and highly legible
- Fonts for infographics that will be viewed on-screen should be at least 14 pt in size, ideally larger
This process of analyzing these characteristics of your content is about defining your focus for each piece of text–on style and engagement, or readability and legibility.
Right Angled Fonts
Let’s work through a few examples.
Scenario 1:
The executive of a small nonprofit organization is creating an event poster for an elegant fundraiser gala.
- Purpose: To foster awareness of the event and encourage people to attend.
- Text: Title, date and venue information in bullet points, a few sentences about the purpose of the event.
- Medium: Poster, to be displayed on walls in public spaces.
For an event poster with very little text, designed to catch the reader’s attention and provide some basic information about an event, the focus of the font choice can be on style, personality, and emotion.
The primary goal should be to find a heading font that evokes elegance, sophistication, and warmth. For the rest of the text, the focus should be readability; you don’t want to lose potential donors because they can’t figure out where or when to attend the event!
Scenario 2:
Font Management For Mac
A financial analyst is creating a slide deck to present a quarterly account review
- Purpose: To communicate trends and highlight key statistics.
- Text: Chart titles and labels, brief point form summaries.
- Medium: Slide deck, to be used in a presentation.
The entire focus here is communication and education for a professional audience, so the fonts should be minimal, professional, and highly readable. The text should all but fade into the background, leaving space for the data to shine.
Key statistics can be highlighted in the text by increasing the size and weight (i.e. bolding) of the font.
To sum up–content is key!
Use the purpose, length, and medium of your content to determine whether your focus should be on readability or style. Use that focus to guide your font choices, ensuring that your text communicates effectively.
2. Choose a body font that is readable
Keeping your content in mind, pick a font to use for the majority of your body text (i.e. paragraphs, bullet points, summaries). This is what your readers will be getting most of their information from, so it should always take priority.
Body fonts should:
- Be highly readable and legible at small sizes
- Be less stylized than header fonts
- Have multiple weights (i.e. regular and bold)
- Never be all caps
To make things a little easier on you, I’ve compiled a list of the best professional, modern and more fonts that are great for body copy:
If you’ve put some thought into the content and purpose of your infographic, picking a font from this list should be easy! When in doubt, pick something simple and minimal–it’ll be easier to work with, and you can add more style in the next step.
3. Choose a few header font pairs that add some style
Once you’ve established a body font, it’s time to move on to headers. Eventually, you’ll have to consider how the header font pairs with the body font but for now, just focus on finding header fonts that fit your content.
Header fonts can generally have a little more character than body fonts, and can be used to catch a reader’s eye, drawing them into the graphic and encouraging them to read further.
Think of the header as a way to establish the style and feel of the piece. It should look great at large sizes and can be less legible than body text, if necessary.
Choose three or four fonts that you think might suit your content as headers. The idea here isn’t to find one perfect font, but pick a few that you want to try out. You can improve your chances of finding one that works by picking a variety of styles.
Use the graphic below for some inspiration, and don’t be afraid to use these body fonts as headers too. You can also check out these popular bold fonts to get some ideas.
4. Find the header font that pairs best with your body font
By now you should have one perfect body font and three or four possible header fonts. It’s time to find the single header font that pairs best with your body font.
Font pairings should be high contrast or low contrast
It’s much easier to pair fonts that are either very different, or very similar in overall style.
You could pair a serif header font with a sans-serif body font:
Or a dramatic header font with a minimal body font:
Or even use a single font for a whole infographic. Create contrast with BOLD or italics versions of your font:
Try matching up your chosen body font with each one of your header options. Are any of them high contrast? Low contrast? If there’s a high or low contrast match that looks great to you, go with it. If not, and you want some inspiration, check out this collection of font pairings:
Don’t see anything you like? Check out some Google Font combinations, look for inspiration in books, or challenge yourself to use a single font for an entire infographic! I think you’ll find it easier than you’d expect.
5. Create visual hierarchy by varying size and weight
Once you have a pairing that works well with your content, it’s time to use your fonts to establish a clear visual structure. Play with size and weight to emphasize some text and de-emphasize other text.
Size
The easiest way to create visual hierarchy is to vary the size of your text. As always, it’s best to pick a size for your body font first.
Make sure it’s large enough to read easily at an arm’s length, but not too large – you don’t want it to overwhelm the page. A good rule of thumb or body font size is 10-14 pt for print, 14-18 pt for screen.
Don’t forget about your content; if you expect your infographic to be read from further away (a poster or presentation, for example), increase the font size.
With your body font size chosen, the rest is pretty easy!
Use a typographic scale tool to determine the rest of your font sizes. Choose a ratio (I like 2:3) and increment your font sizes by that ratio. Besides taking a lot of the decision-making out of the mix, this will give your type an important sense of rhythm and structure.
A typographic scale with a 2:3 ratio.
The 2:3 scale applied to create visual hierarchy.
Weight
While size alone can be enough to create a visual hierarchy within your text, weight and emphasis can be used to add some extra oomph.
As you can see, varying the font size and weight of a single font creates visual hierarchy. When combined with great font pairing, these tools will help you create the visual structure you need to make a clear, communicative infographic.
That’s it! You’ve learned that basics of choosing fonts.
Let’s review the key steps:
Want to learn more? Check out our analysis of America’s most popular font types, or test your skills by creating an infographic!
Welcome to a scientific resource on fonts.
Do you spend WAY too long looking for fonts? Do you have trouble finding fonts that “feel right” for your context?
Well, this article is for you.
I read 75+ academic articles on typefaces. And I compiled the actionable findings into this article. By the end, you’ll know how to decipher the “personality” of any font, so that you can choose the best font in any context.
PDF Bonus: This article is 3,104 words. Click to download the PDF so that you can reference it moving forward.
Table of Contents
Part 1: How We Subconsciously Evaluate Fonts
In this part, you’ll learn the step-by-step cognitive process. You’ll learn why people associate personality traits with fonts (and how to identify those traits).
- STEP 1:We perceive a font
- STEP 2:We activate PERCEPTUAL associations
- STEP 3:We activate DIRECT associations
- STEP 4:Activation spreads to related nodes
- STEP 5:We combine the activation into a collective meaning
- STEP 6:We compare the collective meaning to the context
- STEP 7:We form our evaluation based on the degree of fluency
Part 2: Which Font Traits Should You Choose?
In this part, you’ll learn specific findings from research. You’ll learn which font traits (e.g., serif vs. sans-serif) are more more effective in certain contexts.
PART 1: How We Subconsciously Evaluate Fonts
Let’s play a game. Prodigy hegelian dialectic download.
Among the fonts above, which is better for:
- Fitness Class
- Board Game
- Makeup
Like most people, you probably chose C, A, then B.
But why?
They felt right? Seemed fitting? Looked good?
Sure. But WHY did those fonts feel right? Most people can’t articulate the reason because the mechanism occurs subconsciously.
So here’s the answer…
If you follow my content, you’ve heard me explain your brain’s associative network.
If you’re a newb here, then watch my quirky video about spreading activation:
Your associative network plays a role in font perception. How? I summarized the steps in the following model:
Let’s look at each step… Apple mojave update.
STEP 1: We perceive a font
You see a font…and that’s it. Pretty straightforward. If you want a deeper understanding, Koch (2011) explains the biological components of font perception (see pgs 17-27).
STEP 2: We activate PERCEPTUAL associations
Fonts contain various components (e.g., line, weight, size, orientation). When you see a font, your brain disentangles those perceptual components:
Big whoop, right?
Well…yeah. It IS a big deal. To appreciate the importance, you need to understand a crucial concept.
Look at the traits from the previous image:
- Heavy
- Thin
- Small
- Large
- Loose
- Tight
Notice something? Those traits are general adjectives. They describe stimuli outside of the font world. And that’s crucial.
Fonts share visual characteristics from the real world. If you want to choose an appropriate font, then choose a font that visually resembles your context:
Here’s an example.
Kang and Choi (2013) created ads for a cell phone. When ads emphasized the “slim” nature of the phone, condensed typefaces performed better:
However, some ads referenced the elegant nature of the phone. In those cases, the opposing font performed better:
In both cases, the font matched the visual qualities of the product.
However, font traits can also be metaphorical. Suppose the ad emphasized the phone’s speed. Even though technological speed is intangible, we associate visual traits with general speed — such as a forward tilt: Money pro personal finance budget bills 1 8 2.
“What artistic conventions are used to convey the motion of animate and inanimate items in still images, such as drawings and photographs? One graphic convention involves depicting items leaning forward into their movement, with greater leaning conveying greater speed.” (Walker, 2015, pp. 111)
Need to convey technological speed? Then tilt your font forward. Maybe add a slight blur. Incorporate traits that are visually related to speed.
It might sound far-fetched, but Lewis and Walker (1989) found that people identify “fast” related words more easily in slanted fonts.
STEP 3: We activate DIRECT associations
Conversely, direct associations refer to the aggregate combination of font traits — usually the font family.
“…[direct] associations refer to the influence of historical precedence on affective response to typography. The typeface Fraktur has many associations with Nazi Germany, and Helvetica is commonly associated with the U.S. government since it is used by the IRS on tax forms.” (Shaikh, 2007, pp. 21)
Those fonts acquire meaning through your semantic network. Whenever you see a font (e.g., Fraktur), you associate meaning — based on the context. That includes semantic meaning (e.g., Nazi Germany) and emotional meaning (e.g., disgust).
Whenever you encounter that font in a future context, you modify the original connections in your network:
- If the context is SIMILAR, you’ll STRENGTHEN the connections
- If the context is DISSIMILAR, you’ll WEAKEN the connections
- If the context is NEW, you’ll ADD new connections
That’s how fonts acquire meaning (see Shaikh, 2007). It’s a never-ending process that we’ve been performing our entire lives.
STEP 4: Activation spreads to related nodes
When you encounter a font, you activate the perceptual and direct associations in your network. In turn, the activation spreads to related nodes.
Suppose you see the logo for Avon — a women’s beauty company:
You’ll activate the node for that overall typeface and logo. Thanks to spreading activation, you’ll activate direct associations:
- Where have you seen it?
- Which topics do you associate with it?
- How was your experience — good or bad?
In addition, you’ll disaggregate the perceptual font traits. Since the typeface is tall and thin, for example, you’ll activate those nodes in your network.
But wait…tall and thin? Aren’t those traits usually associated with beauty? Aha! Yes they are. When you see those perceptual traits, you’ll trigger an extra wave of activation toward the node for beauty.
Good job, Avon.
However, don’t jump the gun. At this point, you might be thinking: Well, if their node for beauty is activated, then people will perceive the font — or product — to be more beautiful.
It’s tempting. And I used to believe that explanation. When I published my article on advertising, I said:
“Activation spreads toward your node for beauty. That activation gives you a new temporary lens. With your concept of beauty more prevalent, you perceive stimuli in the immediate environment to be more beautiful.”
But that’s wrong. My bad. I deserve a punch in the face.
Font evaluation is more nuanced. In a few steps, you’ll see why that explanation is wrong.
Step 5: We combine the activation into a collective meaning
In the previous step, the font activated related nodes in your network. At this point, you combine those activated concepts into a collective meaning for the font.
The collective meaning is a combination of semantic concepts (e.g., beauty) and emotional feelings (e.g., pleasantness). Because of the concoction of meaning, you often can’t articulate it. The font just “feels right” or it doesn’t…which is the next step.
STEP 6: We compare the collective meaning to the context
Let’s revisit the explanation from my advertising article.
I explained that we associate beauty with tall and thin traits. Because of that connection, tall and thin fonts activate the concept of beauty (which will cause you to perceive stimuli to be more beautiful).
So…why is that explanation wrong? Well, consider the font, Fraktur — which was used for Nazi propaganda:
With the previous explanation, you should NEVER use Fraktur. Since people associate it with Nazi Germany, spreading activation would trigger negative emotions. And those negative emotions would transfer to the immediate stimuli.
But it doesn’t work that way. When you evaluate fonts, you consider the appropriateness of the font (see Doyle & Bottomley, 2004).
Once we generate the collective meaning, we compare that meaning to the context:
- If the meaning is CONGRUENT, we develop a POSITIVE EVALUATION
- If the meaning is INCONGRUENT, we develop a NEGATIVE EVALUATION
That’s why you can use Fraktur in certain contexts (e.g., documentaries). It doesn’t matter if people associate negative emotions with it. Those negative emotions won’t tarnish their evaluation, as long as the font is appropriate for the context.
It sounds like common sense. And it is. But I needed to verbalize that step because the underlying mechanism is important.
So…what’s the mechanism? Why does appropriateness lead to a positive or negative evaluation? That’s our final step…
STEP 7: We form our evaluation based on the degree of fluency
We evaluate fonts —positively or negatively — through processing fluency.
When you process stimuli quickly and easily, it feels good. And you misattribute those positive emotions to the stimulus. And that’s the answer.
Suppose that you see the logo for Avon. That exposure will activate beauty-related concepts in your network (due to the perceptual and direct associations).
You’ll then compare that collective meaning to the context. Aha! Here, the context is beauty products. It’s congruent with the activated nodes. Because the concept of beauty is already activated, you’ll experience higher fluency:
In turn, that higher fluency will trigger positive emotions that you’ll misattribute to the context. The font will “feel right.”
Now, in that example, you processed the font and THEN the context. But the mechanism also works in reverse.
If you’re watching a documentary on World War II, Nazi-related concepts are activated in your network. If you THEN see the font Fraktur, you’ll process the font more easily because of the overlapping connections. That ease will make the font feel right.
And that’s it. That’s how we evaluate fonts. Still with me? Good.
Now that you understand the cognitive process, let’s apply it…
PART 2: Which Font Traits Should You Choose?
Fonts differ in their perceptual traits. For example:
This section explains which traits perform better in certain contexts. If you want more detail, Henderson et al. (2004) and Li (2009) are helpful references.
Serif vs. Sans-Serif
Serifs are slight projections at the end of typefaces.
Designers love debating serifs vs. sans-serif fonts. Based on the research, though, it seems counterproductive. Other traits play a bigger role.
Nonetheless, here are some findings:
Serif Fonts Are More Readable Via Print
Well…supposedly. Some designers claim that serifs help guide the eye flow:
“Roman typefaces are more legible because the theory states that serifs assist in the horizontal flow of reading and eye movements.” (De Lange et al., 1993, pp. 246)
But I’m not convinced. We don’t read text in smooth patterns. Our eyes jump across lines of text— in movements called saccades (see Becker & Fuchs, 1969).
Since the movement is jerky, the “eye flow” claim seems like a myth.
Sans-Serif Fonts Are More Readable Via Screens
This finding seems more plausible.
Computer screens display information through a pixelated grid. Due to that box-like structure, a serif may be less identifiable.
With today’s technology, it shouldn’t be an issue. But it might play a role if you’re working with very small fonts.
Serif Fonts Convey Elegance and Rationale
Generally, serif fonts are more effective for formal or scientific contexts.
In one study, people evaluated scientific text more favorably when the font contained serifs (Kaspar et al., 2015). Other research suggests that serif fonts seem more elegant and beautiful (Tantillo, Lorenzo-Aiss, & Mathisen, 1995).
Sans-Serif Fonts Convey Informality and Innovation
Conversely, people perceive sans-serif fonts to be more informal and innovative (Tantillo, Lorenzo-Aiss, & Mathisen, 1995).
![Logo Logo](https://betterthansuccess.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/font-example-1440x720.jpg)
Light vs. Bold
Light Fonts Convey Beauty and Femininity
I explained the reason in this section.
Medium Weight Fonts Are Most Readable
Luckiesh and Moss (1940) researched the optimal weight for readability. They displayed “Memphis” in different weights, and they found that medium weights were most readable:
Bold Fonts Convey Power and Masculinity
Researchers argue that bold fonts convey an extreme connotation:
“Bold can be made to mean ‘daring’, ‘assertive’, or ‘solid’ and ‘substantial’, for instance, and its opposite can be made to mean ‘timid’, or ‘insubstantial’. But the values may also be reversed. Boldness may have a more negative meaning. It may be made to mean ‘domineering’, ‘overbearing’.” (Van Leeuwen, 2006, pp. 148)
Lieven et al. (2015) also explain a connection between heavy typefaces and masculinity. Since people associate a bulky stature with men, bold fonts match that visual trait.
Rounded vs. Angular
Rounded Fonts Convey Comfort, Softness, & Femininity
Bar and Neta (2006) published a paper called, “Humans Prefer Visual Curved Objects.” They found that…well…humans prefer visual curved objects. Angular shapes trigger an evolutionary threat:
“…sharp transitions in contour might convey a sense of threat, and therefore trigger a negative bias…” (Bar & Neta, 2006, pp. 645)
Now, if context were irrelevant, then people would prefer rounded fonts over angular fonts. However, context DOES matter. As I explained, appropriateness is important.
That said, rounded fonts are more effective for domains related to:
- Softness or comfort (Jiang et al., 2016)
- Femininity or beauty (Lieven et al., 2015)
- Sweet foods (Velasco et al., 2015)
Angular Fonts Convey Formality, Durability, & Masculinity
Conversely, angular fonts perform better for:
- Formal or official contexts (Brumberger, 2003)
- Masculinity and durability (Lieven et al., 2015)
- Bitter, salty, or sour foods (Velasco et al., 2015)
Simple vs. Complex
Simple Fonts Convey Directness
If your message is direct and straightforward, use a rigid typeface without any ornaments (Li, 2009). The simplistic font will match the simplistic nature of the context — thus increasing fluency.
Complex Fonts Convey Uniqueness
Processing fluency conveys abundance and familiarity. Usually, those traits are beneficial. But not always.
With unique products, familiarity is detrimental. You want some disfluency because it’ll reinforce the distinctiveness of your product.
In one study, people perceived more value in a gourmet cheese when the font was difficult to read (Pocheptsova, Labroo, & Dhar, 2010). The complex font became a signal for uniqueness — which was congruent and appropriate with the context.
Slanted vs. Straight
Slanted Fonts Convey Movement
Earlier, I explained why slanted fonts convey movement and speed (see Walker, 2015).
Straight Fonts Convey Stability
Likewise, straight fonts — with their rigid structure — convey stability and durability.
Lowercase vs. Uppercase
Lowercase Conveys Compassion and Innovation
Oosterhout (2013) examined branding and perceptual characteristics. She found that lowercase letters are particularly effective for “caregiver” brands that promote compassion and altruism. She also found that thin lowercase letters are congruent with “creator” brands that emphasize innovation.
Uppercase Conveys Power and Strength
Oosterhout (2013) also found that uppercase letters are effective for “hero” brands that convey qualities related to energy, courageousness, and focus:
“BWM, Diesel, Duracell, Nike and Sony are also using capitals in their word marks, to express their power and strength.” (pp. 39)
Mixed Case Letters Are Most Readable
Garvey, Pietucha, and Meeker (1997) studied legibility in road signs. They found that mixed case letters are most readable.
They proposed two reasons:
- EXPECTATION CONGRUENCE: People expect to see road signs in mixed case. Thus, they process words more easily when the format is congruent with their expectations.
- GREATER DISTINCTION: Uppercase letters share the same height, thus creating a rectangular block of text. Because mixed case letters are different heights, people perceive more distinction between letters.
Right Font For Logo
Separated vs. Connected
Separated Fonts Convey Fragmentation and Individuality
When letters are separated, fonts convey the perception of individuality:
“[connectivity] has its own metaphoric potential. External disconnection can suggest ‘atomisation’, or ‘fragmentation’, and external connection ‘wholeness’, or ‘integration.” (Van Leeuwen, 2006, pp. 149)
Connected Fonts Convey Unity and Collectivism
Likewise, connected letters portray the perception of closeness
Connected fonts aren’t necessarily cursive. The letters simply need to touch.
Condensed vs. Extended
Condensed Fonts Convey Tightness and Precision
Earlier, I mentioned that a condensed font performed better for an ad promoting a “slim” cell phone (Kang & Choi, 2013). That’s because of the perceptual overlap:
“Maximally condensed typefaces make maximal use of limited space. They are precise, economical, packing the page with content. Wide typefaces, by contrast, spread themselves around, using space as if it is in unlimited supply.” (pp. 148)
Extended Fonts Convey Spaciousness and Relaxation
Conversely:
“Wide typefaces may also be seen in a positive light, as providing room to breathe, room to move, while condensed typefaces may, by contrast, be seen as cramped, overcrowded, restrictive of movement.” (Kang & Choi, 2013, pp. 148)
Short vs. Tall
Short Fonts Convey Heaviness and Stability
Font height resembles our metaphorical conception of gravity: Pdf expert 2 2 1 download free.
“The meaning potential of horizontality and verticality is ultimately based on our experience of gravity, and of walking upright. Horizontal orientation, for instance, could suggest ‘heaviness’, ‘solidity’, but also ‘inertia’, ‘self-satisfaction’” (Kang & Choi, 2013, pp. 149)
If you need to portray something as durable or immovable, a short font might work well.
Tall Fonts Convey Lightness and Luxury
Likewise, tall fonts convey lightness and quickness. The meaning can also extend to metaphorical associations of aspiration and ambition (Kang & Choi, 2013).
Other research has linked verticality with luxury (Van Rompay et al. 2012). If you need to portray a luxurious product, a tall font might be a good choice.
Right Font For Resume
PART 3: Putting It All Together
I threw a ton of info at you. But you can use this article as a reference guide. Feel free to download the PDF so that you can reference it moving forward.
Or if you need to choose a font quickly, then use the table below (which I adapted from Henderson, Giese, & Cote, 2004). Just look for a group of traits that describe your context. Then choose a font with similar visual characteristics.
Want some more content? My other articles expand on the cognitive aspects of design and linguistics. You might enjoy: