It’s not just what you say that matters, but how you say it. And just as importantly, in what typeface you say it. Type might be a subtle way of communicating your brand, but it’s a critical one. The typefaces you choose to represent your brand identity – and to talk to your audience – are key in shaping your brand’s image in their minds. Here are just some of the ways that getting your type design right can set you apart.
Punk Rock or Punctilious: What’s Your Type?
There’s a reason newspapers use serif typefaces. They’re authoritative, matter-of-fact, and trustworthy. Tech firms love thin sans options because they seem futuristic and streamlined. Luxury brands embrace calligraphy and typefaces rooted in history as a way of showing off their legacy – and their commitment to the “old” ways of doing things. Serial killers love cutting up newspapers to make ransom notes. (Not that we’re condoning that.) Basically, whatever your brand, there’s a typeface out there that can communicate what you’re all about. Make sure yours matches your brand!
A Kerning of Truth: Adjusting Your Type
Once you’ve decided on your typeface, know that there’s tons that can be done with it to guide the eye and shape how you’re conveying information – and voice. There’s the bold, the underlined, the italic – all the different “fonts” associated with your typeface that can help shape emphasis or convey a tone of urgency or whimsy. Kerning, leading, and tracking all tweak the look of your text by stretching (or compressing) it up or out. You can even go hog wild with type that runs on an angle, a curve, or some other off-kilter way (70s design, we’re talking about you). Small tweaks with the presentation of even a pretty standard typeface can make a big difference to your overall design.
Go Beyond Garamond: Consider Bespoke Type
There are thousands of typefaces out there, but most brands stick with a handful of tried and true ones. (We get it – simplicity, familiarity, and cost are all factors here.) For body text, where legibility matters – and online, where you want to be sure your text doesn’t turn into Wingdings – going with the same old makes perfect sense. But custom text can be a killer way to set your brand apart. Whether it’s a hand-lettered headline or a bespoke typeface for your product or company, a typeface that’s unique to you can really help you stand apart, especially in a world leaning increasingly heavily on templates.
Looking for the Right Type? Talk to StellaPop
There are tons we can say about typefaces, and we’re planning on doing it all month! Tune in to our socials and our blogs to see what we have to say about typography, typesetting, and type design. Because whether your style is bold or italic, StellaPop is here to help ensure that your type is iconic. So if you’ve been stuck in Helvetica Hell or a Comic Sans coma for too long, we hope you’ll stick around to read our typographic thoughts – or just give us a call!
