In the market for new business signage but don’t know how to go about choosing the right font? Our experts break it down for you.
The focus of this article will be on the most important things you need to consider when choosing your font or typeface, how professional graphic designers can assist you and when to contact our qualified and experienced team at Wolf Signs.
What to Consider When Choosing Font for Your Signage
Font can be one of the most important decisions you make when designing signage for your business. But it can also be one of the hardest choices to make.
In this section, we’ll discuss all the things you need to take into account when it comes to choosing font for your signage.
Type of Signage & Function
The type of signage you choose, and how you want it to function is obviously one of the things you need to take into account when choosing which font is best for you.
For instance, if your chosen signage is engraved and intended to help people find their way around your premises, you’ll want something that is bold and clear versus a more creative, cursive option.
Placement & Visibility
Where you place the sign in or around your building, and how visible it is to the road or passing foot traffic will be something you need to consider when choosing the font for your signage.
You want something that is eye-catching and clear, without polarising your audience, especially if it’s a large, exterior building sign. On the other hand, if it’s attached to an interior wall (say, behind or in front of a reception desk), you might be able to get away with something that is still legible, but a bit smaller.
Your Business & Demographic
The type of business you’re in and your chosen demographic may play a large part in your font choice.
For instance, if you’re selling shares to middle aged men with a corporate focus, you may want to opt for a san serif font (like Calibri, Verdana or Montserrat). On the other hand, if you’re selling princess party packages to mothers of four year olds planning a birthday celebration, you can go for something fun or flowery like Brush Script MT, Pacifico or Lucida Calligraphy). Comic Sans has lost its appeal for many people due to its unprofessional, childish look, but if you were to use it, maybe reserve it for kindergarten signage.
Size
Not only do you need to consider the size of your signage when designing it and choosing the right one for your advertising, you also need to think about what size you want your font to be.
This also may be determined by how your sign is used (permanency versus temporary), the type of signage (A frame, building etc) and whether you want it to be viewed by foot or driving traffic or just your customers when they come into your retail space.
Either way it needs to be large enough to read, but not too large so as to overwhelm or ostracise people.
Legibility
You may love a particular font but will it be legible once your signage is in place? Your favourite cursive font could look fantastic when it’s on a computer screen but when it’s blown up in pitch and viewed from a distance, does it make the same impact?
Production & Material
While we do our very best to make your signage look as authentic as possible, sometimes it’s not until you see it in real life that you can truly envision it. For this reason, we recommend taking into consideration the effect of the production process, and the material upon which you are having it printed.
Colour
Just as you need to consider the colour of your background, so too do you need to think about the colour of the font itself.
Think about choosing a contrasting font, without being too matchy-matchy and depending on your business you may want to avoid using the same colour font as your background.
Spacing
When designing your signage, don’t fall into the trap of trying to add too much text and messing up your spacing. Text that is too close together, or too far apart can be a little tricky to read.
And if your sign is difficult to read, it will be forgotten or ignored by your customers.
Too Many Fonts
As fun as it may be to use the design process as a chance to experiment with different font choices, you might want to stay away from intentionally choosing too many different fonts for the one sign.
This may make it difficult to read and potentially give your signage an unprofessional look. Choose one (or maybe two, depending on the type of signage) main fonts and stick to your decision.
Look At Your Competitors
While you don’t want to directly copy your competitors, and you do want to stand out a little, don’t ignore them completely. If you’re really stuck for inspiration when choosing signage or even the finer points like font and colour, this can be a great place to start.
How Professional Designers from Wolf Signs Can Help
At Wolf Signs, we’ve spent the last few decades honing our craft and becoming experts in business signage. We know what works, what doesn’t and how the right font choice can help your advertising make a lasting impact.
When you want professional signage that will catch the eye, contact our experienced team today.