Advice on best font to use for PDF

56 replies
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I am busy creating a PDF for a client and they intend using it with gotowebinar.

Any suggestions on which is the best font and font size to use?
#advice #font #pdf
  • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
    I prefer Tahoma or Verdana at 12 points for the body text. Arial is similar, but the letter "w" comes out looking lighter than the rest of the text in a PDF.
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    • Profile picture of the author Anthoni
      Originally Posted by Dennis Gaskill View Post

      I prefer Tahoma or Verdana at 12 points for the body text. Arial is similar, but the letter "w" comes out looking lighter than the rest of the text in a PDF.
      Yep, I too love either Tahoma or Verdana, depends on what I am writing. Of course for headlines I choose Impact to make them stand out more.

      Internet links however are usually in Times New Roman
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  • Profile picture of the author dsmpublishing
    Hi guys

    i love times new roman size 14 and it looks really nice and comes across great in the pdf dont do 1.5 spacing though as people with eye sight problems cant read it at all.

    kind regards


    sam
    X
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  • Profile picture of the author danielgb123
    My favourite is probably Calibri, I've tried Arial but to me it only really looks good at sizes under 14pt
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  • Profile picture of the author Shaun OReilly
    Originally Posted by theimdude View Post

    I am busy creating a PDF for a client and they intend using it with gotowebinar.

    Any suggestions on which is the best font and font size to use?
    If the PDF is being read online then use Verdana for the
    main body copy.

    Why?

    Because Verdana was specifically designed to be easily
    read off of a computer screen.

    If the PDF is to be printed off and read later, then use a
    serif font such as Times Roman or Courier for the body
    copy.

    Why?

    Because serif fonts are easier to read from printed matter.

    For a PDF within GoToWebinar, I recommend using Verdana
    and a decent font size of 12-14 points.

    Dedicated to your success,

    Shaun
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    • Profile picture of the author B.Smit
      Originally Posted by Shaun OReilly View Post

      Verdana was specifically designed to be easily read off of a computer screen.

      [...]

      Serif fonts are easier to read from printed matter.
      That's a good summary to keep in mind. Deciding on which fonts to use is one of those evergreen Internet publishing concerns - one to which you never seem to get a conclusive answer.

      Verdana = computer screen

      Serif fonts = printed matter

      provides a simple and logical reference to keep in mind.
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    • Profile picture of the author Paul Myers
      Originally Posted by Shaun OReilly View Post

      If the PDF is being read online then use Verdana for the main body copy.

      Why?

      Because Verdana was specifically designed to be easily read off of a computer screen.

      If the PDF is to be printed off and read later, then use a serif font such as Times Roman or Courier for the body copy.
      Goiod advice. I'd add one suggestion to this: If you're not sure, or you expect a mixed usage, Georgia is an excellent choice. I wouldn't go below 12 point on that for the body content, and not much (if anything) above it.

      Too small and it suffers from the same on-screen problems that Times New Roman has. Much above that and it just adds padding and looks silly in printed form.


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  • Profile picture of the author bertuseng
    I use Verdana 12. This is big enough and clear to read. No fancy details etc to distract.
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  • Profile picture of the author ButterflyGarden
    Any TrueType font will work but historically the sans-serif fonts have been the easiest to read.
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  • Profile picture of the author Loren Woirhaye
    Gee. I've been running to 16 point. Georgia. On the
    assumption most people won't print the PDF.

    I usually format for about 10-12 words to a line. That's
    something of a publishing standard for readability.

    I find reading on a computer fatiguing. Big PDF type
    helps because I can sit way back and scroll while I
    read. I see a lot of PDFs that are too densely
    formatted, imo.
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  • Profile picture of the author GoGetta
    Calibra for me at 14 or 16 pt!

    GoGetta
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  • Profile picture of the author craigbrown
    +2 on Verdana.

    Be aware that unless you actively embed the fonts you're using, that fancy Route 66 font (example) won't come out the same as on your own computer. PDFs substitute for fonts on the reader's computer and/or throw up missing font errors. In my opinion it's best to stick with either...

    Arial series
    Impact
    Times New Roman
    Bookman
    Verdana
    Courier

    ... just to be sure.
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    • Profile picture of the author reapr
      Arial 12 point.
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    • Profile picture of the author jaffa123
      Originally Posted by craigbrown View Post

      +2 on Verdana.

      Be aware that unless you actively embed the fonts you're using, that fancy Route 66 font (example) won't come out the same as on your own computer. PDFs substitute for fonts on the reader's computer and/or throw up missing font errors. In my opinion it's best to stick with either...

      Arial series
      Impact
      Times New Roman
      Bookman
      Verdana
      Courier

      ... just to be sure.
      Does the same apply if you use google fonts?
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  • Profile picture of the author Tinu
    It amazes me how often I Google something and end up at the Warrior Forum for the answer. I'm updating a document I assume people will print out because it's 100+ pages. I would have gone with Verdana or Tahoma - now I know better.
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    • Profile picture of the author J Bold
      Originally Posted by Tinu View Post

      It amazes me how often I Google something and end up at the Warrior Forum for the answer. I'm updating a document I assume people will print out because it's 100+ pages. I would have gone with Verdana or Tahoma - now I know better.
      Why do you know better, now? You just have more opinions from which to choose, several of which are telling you to go for Verdana.

      Here's another vote for Verdana, from me...
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      • Profile picture of the author Tinu
        Because I didn't know there were fonts that were designed for screen reading while others were designed for print. From what my readers have told me, when my docs go past a certain length, the ones that don't have Kindles print them out. Those folks are in the majority.

        That led me to go to Google, knowing to look for that. And from that sprang my own testing.

        Sometimes a few well-worded opinions are extremely helpful, even if they aren't necessarily taken as expert opinion.
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        • Profile picture of the author marketonline1
          Verdana,Tahoma,Arial fonts look best on the screen
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          • Profile picture of the author Peeps66
            For anybody who wants all the latest research on Web fonts, I would type in 'jakob nielsen' into Google or even just type in 'usability' and you will find some of his articles.

            He has an array of extremely expensive reports and books for sale.

            I did have a list somewhere of what fonts he suggests using for computer screen and for print.

            His suggestions for which font to use has changed over the years partly due to the development in screen technology.

            Sans-serif fonts have always seemed to be the preferred font for screen based material due to the lack of clarity of the serifs. However, with the increased screen technology and clarity now offered, this is now bit of a grey area!
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  • Profile picture of the author Peeps66
    This link should answer all your questions about fonts

    WebAIM: Fonts

    It is geared towards accessibility. However, usability and accessibility are very much related
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    • Profile picture of the author ankur420420
      Originally Posted by Peeps66 View Post

      This link should answer all your questions about fonts

      WebAIM: Fonts

      It is geared towards accessibility. However, usability and accessibility are very much related

      This was a nice read buddy

      Anyways, I use Times New Roman and Verdana the most....sometimes Arial too

      thanks
      Ankur
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    • I like these types of responses since everyone has their preferences and will give different opinions here in the WF, however the link you added gives one the opportunity to learn and decide for themselves which font would be most suitable for their project.

      Originally Posted by Peeps66 View Post

      This link should answer all your questions about fonts

      WebAIM: Fonts

      It is geared towards accessibility. However, usability and accessibility are very much related
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      • Profile picture of the author jaffa123
        Hi All

        I'm new here and wanted to ask your advice on the best fonts for both web and pdf?

        I am creating a website and my client would like to use the same fonts online as well in the pdf's she will create as she wants to keep everything the same.

        I was wondering if it's possible to use google fonts in pdf's or not? And, if so how do I go about embedding them into the pdf?

        Thanks

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  • Profile picture of the author Matthewgen
    I use Calibri at size 16 for the body text and for the headers and chapters I use Times New Roman at size 24. I write it with mircosoft word than convert it also.
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    • Profile picture of the author Peeps66
      Originally Posted by Matthewgen View Post

      I use Calibri at size 16 for the body text and for the headers and chapters I use Times New Roman at size 24. I write it with mircosoft word than convert it also.
      From all the literature I've seen, they tend to suggest using a sans-serif font for headings. The reason being that the serifs are just added extras that don't serve any purpose.

      In long lines of text, the serifs to a certain degree draws lines across the page, which aid your eyes when you are reading long lines of text.
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  • Profile picture of the author ViserExcizer
    my favorite is lucida sans unicode
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  • Profile picture of the author Vanessa Rodriguez
    Tahoma 12-14 is my staple. I'm not sure why but to me, it seems more fun to read. Not sure if that makes sense. I lose interest in "non-fiction" reading material rather quickly and I can imagine that is not a rare trait. I also think it's relatively easy on most eyes.
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  • Profile picture of the author Josh Richardson
    I like Helvetica 12/14pt Personally - a very clean and easily legible font
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    • Profile picture of the author Kevin Kimes
      The prevalence of font display technologies such as ClearType have rendered some of the "specifically designed for screen readability" aspects somewhat moot. However, there are still other reasons to use Verdana and Tahoma, such as "I" vs "l"(L), and character widths.

      Verdana is optimized for smaller font settings. If you expect your ebooks to be printed out, then smaller font sizing may be a suboptimal choice.

      Originally Posted by Josh Richardson View Post

      I like Helvetica 12/14pt Personally - a very clean and easily legible font
      I was going to say Helvetica also, until I remembered that most PC users don't have it. Myself included.

      I don't know whether using a font in a PDF requires the end user to have the font installed. If not, then Helvetica is indeed a reasonable option.
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      • Profile picture of the author Josh Richardson
        Originally Posted by Kevin Kimes View Post

        ...
        I was going to say Helvetica also, until I remembered that most PC users don't have it. Myself included.
        I would seriously say that downloading OpenOffice, especially if you are writing Ebooks is very worthwhile, even if you are running Windows.

        Not only do you get the amazing Helvetica font but you also have the option right in the tool bar to turn your document into a PDF - Instantly!

        GOLD
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  • Profile picture of the author KunTaoM
    Go with Verdana 12. It's just the better option in my opinion, especially since it's for computers.
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  • Profile picture of the author jonatan
    I would say that Tahoma, Verdana and Arial fonts looks the best
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  • Profile picture of the author WiFi
    Size 14 is the best in my personal opinion. 12 too small and 16 too large. 15 in some fonts works okay.
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  • Profile picture of the author Latsyrc
    Comic Sans.











    Totally kidding. I know everyone loves that font so much. Just kidding.
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    • Profile picture of the author Will Edwards
      Originally Posted by Latsyrc View Post

      Comic Sans.


      Totally kidding. I know everyone loves that font so much. Just kidding.
      What about Matisse?

      Will
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  • Profile picture of the author BridgetSielicki
    Here's another vote for Verdana. I think size 12 reads easiest.
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  • Profile picture of the author noobie
    Finding the right font can be confusing so it is probably a good idea to read through the posts and many good suggestions made here. Make notes and try each font to see how they would look in your ebook.

    Make your headlines and sub-heads larger and heavier than the body text and make sure your body text is large enough to be read comfortably.

    However, there are so many different fonts to choose from, you are probably doing yourself a disservice by not investigating the many variants. I know that there are several thousand, but, choosing that one special font that could be head-and-shoulders above the rest and could well make your book, and particularly your cover, stand out from the others.

    That last comment about the cover is particularly important for your ebook to help it stand out from so much competition it will find on the internet.

    Then, once you have decided on your font, you can begin worrying about other things like relevance, impact, and alignment. :-)
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  • Profile picture of the author savvybizbuilder
    I like Arial and Tahoma. sized 12 and 14
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  • Profile picture of the author Richy Burns
    I use 14 point calibri. However all the below mentioned fonts are acceptable and shouldnt affect you client in any way
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  • Profile picture of the author edwinms
    nice one guys.. this is good information for everyone..
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    • Profile picture of the author matus37
      I use Times New Roman style
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  • Profile picture of the author Bojan_Djordjevic
    Did anyone try Palatino font?
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  • Profile picture of the author Alex Kage
    I think Georgia Font is good. I think Eben Pagan said the same thing.
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  • Profile picture of the author BOBBYDEMAN
    Tahoma or Verdana are my favorites to use I also like Palatino depending on the contents subject
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  • Profile picture of the author mojojuju
    I like to use Wingdings.
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    :)

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    • Profile picture of the author clarest
      Sometimes I like to use Lucinda Sans just to take a break from Verdana, Tahoma,...:p
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  • Profile picture of the author themetribe
    use google fonts

    or check out myriad pro
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  • Profile picture of the author Devin2290
    Tahoma and Verdana are the easiest to read on a computer screen. So, generally, I would use those.
    However, uniqueness can be powerful. Experiment with other fonts and sizes, and even mix up fonts between titles and bodies, until you find something easy to read and very stylish.
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  • Profile picture of the author BlackWar
    Banned
    Already you've gotten my answer, Verdana 14, Arial 12 fonts look best on the screen. Tahoma is not my choice.
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  • Profile picture of the author jmel570
    Tahoma and Arial are my choice fonts. Dont make the size too large or flashy that make it appear as a scam.
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  • Profile picture of the author jhonybravo222
    I would recommend you Times New Roman with font size 11or 12 and for Headings 14.
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    • Profile picture of the author meccabiz
      Tahoma is a friendly font that is commonly used and is my favorite for reports, and especially for writing effective sales copy.
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  • Profile picture of the author SocialMarketerX
    Calibra 16pt
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  • Profile picture of the author inazuman
    Helvetica regural size 12 or Verdana would be great
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