Web Design Tip #3 (of 10)
The use of fonts on your website is very important and can ultimately affect whether your customer stays to read the website content. Here’s a couple things to think about when exploring the world of typography:
- Font needs to work well on most computers
- Font needs to match the design of your website
- Font needs to work well with the color scheme and be easy to read
- Font throughout your site needs to have a hierarchy
- Font size may vary depending on your readers
Font needs to work on most computers
Websites fonts are limited to the fonts available on most computers. “Web Safe Fonts” are typeface fonts installed on a significant proportion of computers used to access the web. All other fonts need to be designed as “images” so they’ll be readable on all computers. Note: this trend may be ending soon – there are several sites out there that work around this general rule, however, I’ll save that for another blog.
Here’s a list of some of web safe fonts:
Most Common Serif Fonts: Bookman Old Style, Cambria, Constantia, Garamond, Georgia Palatino Linotype, Times New Roman
Most Common Sans Serif Fonts: Arial, Arial Black, Calibri, Candara, Century Gothic, Corbel Helvetica, Impact, MS Sans Serif, Tahoma, Trebuchet MS, Verdana
Most Common Monospaced Fonts: Consolas, Courier New, Courier
For a more detailed list, click here.
Font needs to match the design of your website
When developing the design of your website, spending time choosing the right font that fits into your web design is critical. The font must match the general “look and feel” and work well with your site. When evaluating the overall design, don’t overlook the font – it just might make a difference in the amount of time a reader spends on your website.
Font needs to work well with the color scheme and be easy to read
Once you choose the font that works with your website design, don’t overlook the use of the font with color, bold, italics, etc. The font should be easy to read – for example if your background color on your website is red, choosing a paragraph font that’s easy to read against this background may be challenging. If you’re concerned that your readers may be discouraged and have difficulty reading your words, you may need to evaluate your web layout design. In addition, looking for font colors that contrast with your background or other colors on your website is important. If your website is difficult to read, think twice!
Font throughout your site needs to have a hierarchy
Your reader should easily be able to distinguish a title or heading on your website from the rest of the body copy. Varying type size is one of the best ways to differentiate content. Readers should be able to easily navigate through your text and “pick and choose” what they want to read.
Font size may vary depending on your readers
Know your target audience. If your blog is mostly 20-something readers, don’t worry too much if your font is on the small side. But if you’re targeting the baby-boomers, consider going with a larger font. I know, it’s not always pretty or optimal, but if you design the site with your target audience in mind – taking that extra time to evaluate the font just might make the difference.
Lastly, don’t overdue it. Keep it simple and don’t choose too many different kinds of fonts – if you have to use multiple fonts, make sure they’re in the same family and compliment each other. Typography is not easy, and you can spend hours searching for the perfect font. Don’t give up – your readers will thank you!
