So Many Fonts . . . Which Is the Right One?
Unless you are coding your own web pages, most social media applications will give you little control of typefaces. The what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WSIWYG) editor that you use to create content may allow you to add bold or italics. Sometimes you can change the font size. Rarely will you be able to specify the font.
However, if you are coding your own web pages and have the option of choosing different fonts, start by first considering your rhetorical situation: Who is the audience? What is your purpose for designing? What is the context? Do you want to be humorous? Serious? Are you announcing an event? There are a million things to take into consideration, but the most important thing to consider is readability. Don’t use overly-fancy fonts just because they’re cool. At the same time, don’t use plain fonts when you’re trying to generate some excitement or interest. For example, if you have a Halloween theme going, you can find fonts that appear to be dripping with a liquid (like blood—boo!). Half the fun of fonts is searching for new and interesting ones.
Choosing a Font: Serif vs. Sans Serif
Ok, my blogging program lets me pick a font. Now what?
Your most important typographic decision is what will be the main font you use on your pages as this font will set a visual tone for your pages. While there are a variety of decorative fonts that look good as headlines, for this main font, you should pick between a serif or a sans serif body text font.
Serif: A serif is the extra little stroke, those little curves, at the ends of letters:
Figure 17. Examples of serif fonts.
Sans Serif: “Sans” literally means “without,” so a sans serif font does not include any extra stroke at the ends of the letters:
Figure 18. Examples of sans serif fonts.
Many people feel that sans serif fonts look “cleaner” and more “modern,” while serif fonts look more traditional, more book-like.
The conventional wisdom has been that serif fonts are more readable—particularly in print—while sans serif fonts are more legible. If you have to read large blocks of text, the serifs at the ends of letters makes them easier to identify and easier to read. On the other hand, the simplicity of Sans Serif fonts are thought to make these fonts more legible and easier to read in small sizes or on coarse screens. For these reason, you see lots and lots of sans serif fonts on web pages.
Which should you use? We are not convinced that the serif vs. sans serif argument really matters anymore. Pick a font you like that fits the tone and the message of your site. Pick a font that you think will appeal to the sorts of people that you want to read your stuff. If you have a more traditional site, you may want a more traditional serif font. If you want a more hip, modern look, you may want a sans serif font.
WEB WRITING STYLE GUIDE
Version 1.0, June 2011
Edited by Matt Barton, James Kalmbach, and Charles Lowe
