Best Font to Use?

angellorenzoz

14 years ago

Ariel or Times New Roman...the best fonts for websites. Compatible on different browsers...

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Absolute Logo

14 years ago

I prefer Arial. You could always set up your page to be able to change the font though

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Pamellalovely

14 years ago

Originally Posted by PaSteel

In your opinion what is the best font to keep a readers eyes moving and interested? What is most persuasive?

According to me for the simple text arial is good and for the headings Times New Roman is good...Both are catchy fonts and lnteresting

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HaroonRiaz

14 years ago

Tahoma. Arial. Garamond. Georgia. Times New Roman, not really. But it gives the text a classy look. Also, never underestimate the good old courier, for old fashioned writers, but yeah, we are talking about webpages I guess.

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Mark Andrews

Banned 14 years ago

Originally Posted by PaSteel

In your opinion what is the best font to keep a readers eyes moving and interested? What is most persuasive?

To which copywriting style are you
referring to?

From some of the more experienced
copywriters on this forum (rather than
a bunch of newbies nobody has ever
heard of)...

http://www.warriorforum.com/copywrit...ail-piece.html

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BrianMcLeod

14 years ago

There's no such thing as "best".

But there are some typefaces that are easy to depend on. And lately, these are what I've been turning to mostly:

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ChrisKahler 14 years ago

Brian's got some good points, especially for the headline fonts.

But like Mark mentioned, it really depends on what kind of copywriting you're referring to.

Direct mail has been proven to pull better response with Courier fonts, while web based reading is a bit different.

There have been studies conducted (I think by SEOmoz) that shed a bit of light on the subject.

One of their findings is that fonts with the "feet" on them (Times New Roman, Georgia, ect) are more tiring on the eyes of readers.

I believe one of the best to use for body text (especially long for sales letters) is Verdana. Verdana also looks good bold when compared with georgia font

My $0.02
-Chris
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tjcreation

14 years ago

I agree with Myriad for headlines. Helvetica Black - not condensed - can be very impactful as well.

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ChrisKahler

14 years ago

Oh and I wouldn't call a font persuasive. With font you're really looking for maximum readability - comfort on the eyes for continuing onward, and contrast for making important points stand out.

Ok, my tabs now up to $0.04 lol

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Trivium

14 years ago

I suppose when choosing fonts, its best to have a look at the content of your site. Are there large passages of text, or is it delivered in short bursts?

If the former, then it is probably better to use a serif font such as Times New Roman or Georgia. The serifs help to draw the readers eyes through the content, making it easier to read and process. It's the main reason such fonts are used so largely in printed books and reports.

If you are using short points and sentences to convey your message, then a sans-serif font such as Arial, Verdana or Helvetica typically works well. These also will work fine for sub-headings, and potentially headings too, but you might want something with a bit more impact for that though. Sans-serif fonts are typically more readable on computer screens, and appear have a neat, clean feel.

I also quite like Brian McLeod's chosen fonts, as these look clean and very presentable. But ultimately, the fonts you want to use will depend on the style of copy you are writing, but I'd say as a general guideline, you can't go too wrong with the above.

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johan75

14 years ago

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kaidaiah 14 years ago

Have you guys tried Calibri, I'm also testing alot of fonts out, but I found Calibri very easy on the eyes, but there is no WF sample to show you. Another font I am fond of is Cambrio.
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YasirYar

14 years ago

I think any clear font is OK as long as you have good content. Content is actually what keeps a person reading your post not the font.

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BrianMcLeod 14 years ago

Originally Posted by YasirYar

I think any clear font is OK as long as you have good content. Content is actually what keeps a person reading your post not the font.

I gotta call BS on that first statement, Yasir.

Typography and the measurable impact of good type design are understood even less than professional direct-response copywriting...

I'd love it if Vic (Mr. Subtle) would hop on a webinar with me, Erik Stafford and Dave Miz sometime to chat about type and layout schtuff as it pertains to direct response.

Hmm...
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homenotion

14 years ago

I like Georgia :-)

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MikeyDreamboat 14 years ago

There is no best, but one that I like in certain spots that has a lot of haters is Comic Sans. Mike Lacher's response to the criticism of Comic Sans made me smile.

"You think I'm pedestrian and tacky? Guess the **** what, Picasso. We don't all have seventy-three weights of stick-up-my-ass Helvetica sitting on our seventeen-inch MacBook Pros. Sorry the entire world can't all be done in stark Eurotrash Swiss type!"
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ladything

14 years ago

my choice is Georgia - I also love Gothic Regular for website headings although there is some compatible issues - Arial is always the safe bet - Arial also blends well with google adsense -

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sixpack01

14 years ago

Some very good font I have used in some pages I have written copy for is:

1) Calibri (body and titles)
2) Verdana (Titles)
3) Arial Black (body and titles)
4) Lucida Handwriting (signature)
5) Times new roman (good ol' font sometimes does the trick, since we're used to it).

Enjoy!

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tomokun

14 years ago

Anything Sans Serif is generally alright.

Let your designer decide though. As long as it is easy to read and doesn't distract from the message then you're good to go.

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trcapro

14 years ago

From what I've learned back when I was a journalism student taking a desktop publishing class, it's not so much the specific font but whether the font has a few specific qualities.

Scientific research shows that while sans serif fonts are better for large print like headlines or titles, serif fonts are actually more readable and pleasing to the eye in basic text.

And of course, it depends on your audience as well. For example, the use of a larger font is better for an older crowd.

And no matter what, keep it relatively simple. A creative font is cool but not at the expense of readability.

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monkeytrousers

14 years ago

Verdana is the font designed specifically for online. There may be others, but that is the one that studies have shown cause the least amount of eyestrain and makes for the easiest reading for large amounts of copy.

For titles, sans serif is usually recommended for online use

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trcapro

14 years ago

I guess the sans serif thing for large, bold text like titles is pretty universal online and offline then. My only issue with Verdana is that while it is easy to read it can become a bit boring and the last thing you want is to be boring when competing with other blogs and websites for readers.

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Bruce Wedding

14 years ago

Originally Posted by trcapro

I guess the sans serif thing for large, bold text like titles is pretty universal online and offline then. My only issue with Verdana is that while it is easy to read it can become a bit boring and the last thing you want is to be boring when competing with other blogs and websites for readers.

A font can be boring?

That strikes me as funny. That's exactly what I want. I want the font to be invisible to the reader, not literally but I sure as hell don't want him thinking, "Wow, what an exciting font!"

What should not be boring, when competing with other blogs, are your words. If you write interesting, compelling, easy to read stuff, any of the fonts named are going to work fine.

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trcapro

14 years ago

Originally Posted by Bruce Wedding

A font can be boring?

That strikes me as funny. That's exactly what I want. I want the font to be invisible to the reader, not literally but I sure as hell don't want him thinking, "Wow, what an exciting font!"

What should not be boring, when competing with other blogs, are your words. If you write interesting, compelling, easy to read stuff, any of the fonts named are going to work fine.

Yes, a font can be boring. What I mean by that is that it is simplistic like the font I'm using in this post. These types of fonts are the ones that are generally just easier to read. Say a Times New Roman as opposed to a Monotype Corsiva.

I agree totally with your point about the font not overshadowing the content.

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Bruce Wedding

14 years ago

Originally Posted by darkwader123

i can tell you all about the font that you should avoid like the plague : Comic Sans

It seriously is sans all comic sense

Really? Watch this

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

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centsible

14 years ago

I find this discussion very interesting. Has anyone considered what older people need for their diminishing eye site?

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centsible

14 years ago

DId anyone hear mention the fact that you can change the current font of a page while browsing the internet by simply holding down the control key while rolling the mouse wheel.

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dame016

14 years ago

I am a blogger and one thing that I change when I do avail of free layouts on the internet is the font. Changing fonts can be refreshing.

I agree with Myriad Pro as the headline (bold, big letters). Then for the body, I am more comfortable reading Courier New (reminds me of thesis and technical papers) and Georgia.

Sometimes, it doesn't depend entirely on the font. The indention and the cutting of the paragraphs are essential too.

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Eoin: BelfastCopywriter

14 years ago

I always use Arial or Calibri

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Steve Hill

14 years ago

Using the forum's Advanced Search to look for thread titles with the word "font" in them (use the "Search titles only" option) also brings up a number of previous discussions about best fonts, including opinions on best fonts to use for videos, print copywriting, and web copywriting.

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MBDirect

14 years ago

Serif for direct mail sales letters; sans serif for web based sales letters and most any other web text. Main reason is the difference in readability between these media. Serif's extensions break down on the web. If it were not for that, serif might win out for the web too as its extensions lead the eye and it’s considered more friendly.

Further re direct mail: Despite the comment about "old fashioned copywriters" and the endless debates over the years with those whose personal tastes demand "clean and pretty," Courier has long been considered the standard for direct mail letters because it's most friendly, personal and able to lead the eye. I just wish it didn’t have to be so dang light. Georgia is also warm and friendly and not as compressed as Times New Roman (which I consider, yes, boring).

Online, the sans serif Verdana is warmer and easier to read than the narrower, more compressed fonts like Arial. Myriad Pro very close but more compressed. I just think the less compressed, the friendlier. The more compressed, the more formal… a bit rigid.

I love Georgia for its warmth and often try to use it in bold for titles with Verdana text, but usually wind up with all Verdana.

We’re always looking for something different so we play with some of the oddballs that appeal to our personal tastes. And we always come back to the tried and true standards because tested, proven readability is everything. The market doesn’t care about our tastes.

Readability being everything, I could strangle the graphic designers who have flooded the Internet with progressively smaller, lighter grey text so their images will prevail and the heck with the visually handicapped. (And that’s more people than just the perceived-to-be-worthless older crowd.) Ever logged into CJ and noticed your login is nearly invisible?) Seems that many designers have gone to great lengths over the years to minimize and dismiss copy’s role, and they never give up.

Best,

MBDirect

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Anthony W

14 years ago

Originally Posted by MBDirect

Serif for direct mail sales letters; sans serif for web based sales letters and most any other web text. Main reason is the difference in readability between these media. Serif's extensions break down on the web. If it were not for that, serif might win out for the web too as its extensions lead the eye and it's considered more friendly.

Further re direct mail: Despite the comment about "old fashioned copywriters" and the endless debates over the years with those whose personal tastes demand "clean and pretty," Courier has long been considered the standard for direct mail letters because it's most friendly, personal and able to lead the eye. I just wish it didn't have to be so dang light. Georgia is also warm and friendly and not as compressed as Times New Roman (which I consider, yes, boring).

Online, the sans serif Verdana is warmer and easier to read than the narrower, more compressed fonts like Arial. Myriad Pro very close but more compressed. I just think the less compressed, the friendlier. The more compressed, the more formal... a bit rigid.

I love Georgia for its warmth and often try to use it in bold for titles with Verdana text, but usually wind up with all Verdana.

We're always looking for something different so we play with some of the oddballs that appeal to our personal tastes. And we always come back to the tried and true standards because tested, proven readability is everything. The market doesn't care about our tastes.

Readability being everything, I could strangle the graphic designers who have flooded the Internet with progressively smaller, lighter grey text so their images will prevail and the heck with the visually handicapped. (And that's more people than just the perceived-to-be-worthless older crowd.) Ever logged into CJ and noticed your login is nearly invisible?) Seems that many designers have gone to great lengths over the years to minimize and dismiss copy's role, and they never give up.

Best,

MBDirect

+1

Great post, MB Direct.

The serif/sans serif thing has been tested and proven. It's mentioned in Cashvertising.

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MBDirect 14 years ago

Originally Posted by Tony W

+1

Great post, MB Direct.

The serif/sans serif thing has been tested and proven. It's mentioned in Cashvertising.

Many thanks for your kind words and enlightened concurrence . It certainly lives on in direct mail, but maybe not so much online due to what is claimed to be less readability of serif fonts.

But then how ironic that so many graphic designers are destroying readability of ANY font with this light grey text fad anyway. Some day I'd like to know their rationale for grey text and very small sizing and if they've proven it sells more stuff.

Best to you,

MBDirect
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Skywriting

14 years ago

Originally Posted by MBDirect

Readability being everything, I could strangle the graphic designers who have flooded the Internet with progressively smaller, lighter grey text so their images will prevail and the heck with the visually handicapped. (And that’s more people than just the perceived-to-be-worthless older crowd.)

I'd like to agree with you. But readability seems to be secondary to results in SOME cases.
I check sites I KNOW are tested to see what they are doing like
weddingfavors.com
If the text is not directly selling, it looks like light grey is better. I'm really pleased to see reverse block text almost extinct on this site. It's my pet peeve.

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zachary0611

14 years ago

I like anything new. I get tired of seeing the same thing everyday.

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GFI

14 years ago

Well, I am using Trebuchet MS because I really like its style which is simple and easy to read.

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ricky bobbi

14 years ago

It all really depends on what you are putting the fonts on. It's obvious that the standards will always be great (ariel et. al.).

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pierswalker

14 years ago

Arial or Helvetica. They are the most common and seem to be most pleasing to the eye

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Bill Jeffels

14 years ago

When it comes to fonts.

Brian Mcleod is the one to listen to.

.

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Roger08

14 years ago

For me I also prefer Arial.. its just simple and good for the eyes...no hassle while reading!

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Snatch 14 years ago

I want to know hwich is the font the majority of top marketers use like in the articlesamurai.com optin page for example. And how do they use the black line arround the letters. Any ideas?

c'moon anyone...@#...
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Ross Bowring

14 years ago

So I'm wrong to deliver my copy in Wingdings?

--- Ross

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BrianMcLeod 14 years ago

Originally Posted by Ross Bowring

So I'm Wingdings?

--- Ross

Fixed that for ya.
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lossman29

14 years ago

I like Tahoma for Headlines and Verdana for the rest.

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Skywriting

14 years ago

The best font is the one the readers are used to reading. Online and offline are different. Weird fonts get ignored the most. Black or dark on white or light background can give you 5 or 10% easier reading. Easier and quicker are both profit factors.

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benq99

14 years ago

I prefer Arial too.

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Skywriting

14 years ago

Originally Posted by PaSteel

In your opinion what is the best font to keep a readers eyes moving and interested? What is most persuasive?

The font they are used to seeing. Weird fonts get ignored or are harder to read. "Ease of Use" is the key to quick reading. And speed is good. Go with the most common for the reader. And test, of course.

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JJP

14 years ago

I like Garamond. Easily Readable, but with a bit of style.

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trcapro 14 years ago

Originally Posted by JJP

I like Garamond. Easily Readable, but with a bit of style.

I'd have to agree with you on that one. It's basic but has just enough flair to it. You can always make it bold or italicize the print for a little more pop too.
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davemiz

14 years ago

love these threads... the answer?

A GOOD F**KING SALES LETTER!

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MediaManager 14 years ago

Sans-serif fonts are generally regarded as being the best choice for online text, due to readability and and their ubiquitous presence in modern culture.

When choosing a font, or fonts, you should have specific criteria in mind. There isn't necessarily a "best" font, but there are fonts that are more suited to a purpose than others.

Another factor to consider when using a font is the actual layout of the font on the "page". The use of leading (vertical distance, or space, between text), kerning and tracking ( different methods of adjusting space between characters), the overall use of whitespace ... there are a lot of criteria involved in typography besides the selection of a font.

And when you are composing the layout in html/css, you also need to consider font availability. Arial (and it's nearly identical twin, Helvitica), are widely used and included as part of the same css web-safe "font family" because they are installed on the vast majority of devices accessing webpages.

CSS 3 implemented the @font-face rule which allows a much greater degree of font choices (not supported in older browsers), and there are services now like Typekit which provide a thousands of premium fonts for use via a subscription service.
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