How to Choose the Best Font for Signs: Tips from Designers

How to choose the best font for signs? Which font is the easiest to read when it comes to large-scale banners? These are the questions people usually ask when they order signage. The truth is that there is no panacea. All types of signs require a particular approach.

Besides this, it’s vital to take into consideration such aspects as the location and purpose of usage, the type of text, and the sign layout. This leads us to the fact that the style of a font is not a matter of personal preferences but more like a science that needs to be studied.

In order to resolve the daunting problem of choosing the right font, we have asked our designers to work out a guide on the best fonts for signage. Their professionalism is what provides our clients with exceptional, one-of-a-kind signs. If you also want to boast with signage that stands out from the crowd, contact Fortuna Visual Group for a free consultation!

Get a free consultation now:
By Phone: 646-383-8682
By Email: sales@fortunavisual.com

Factors to Consider When Choosing Your Sign Font

We have already mentioned that choosing a sign font is a so-called science that requires a professional approach. The ultimate reason to dedicate a lot of time to calligraphy is readability: the sign should be easy to read. Otherwise, it’s a mere waste of money.

When you design a sign, it’s not advisable to fill all the available space with text. You should maintain the balance between free space, images, and text. However, it doesn’t mean that you can’t divide your content into heading and body.

You should approach each type of the content differently: the body of text comes in one font while the signature – in another. The reason behind this is simple – different purposes. Let’s go into more details of what to consider while selecting the right font:

Usage of Sign

The legibility of a banner or sign depends on its readability: the easier to read, the better. People typically believe that traditional fonts like Times New Roman or Arial are a sure way to deliver the message clearly. However, that’s not always true. While these styles are good for exhibition graphics, they don’t perform well for design projects aiming to sell.

The same applies to digital banners. Although Arial is the most widely used font on the websites (according to Fontreach), there are many other styles that will help to identify your page or ad from the array of others.

Outdoor Sign Font

The area where you locate your banner isn’t less important than its purpose. Therefore, you should apply different fonts for indoor and outdoor signs. An outdoor sign font should be distinguished from far away. This applies to both the size of the letters and their thickness. You can take real estate signs as the North Star here.

It’s better to avoid calligraphy that is more like hand lettering. Especially, if your signage is to be seen from away. The only way to implement it is to increase the size of the text. However, this may undermine the whole concept of your sign design.

Sign Layout

What else determines how easy it is to read the wording on your sign? The weight, size, spacing, layout of the text – all these make a difference. You should pay special attention to the word placement and the typeface used.

The headings require a different approach compared to the body. You can play with styles and use a brush font or choose a more conventional way and go for a display font. Here, once again, you should remember about the purpose of your signage.

Character Height

Character heights are what determines how far the text is seen and readable. Typically, a sign has 10 feet of viewing distance for every inch of the letter height. Therefore, the four-inches text would be possible to read 40 feet away.

You can also play with the capitalization of both paid and free fonts. The ultimate rule is that the words should be either completely capitalized or not in order to make up a successful graphic design. However, don’t overdo on capitalization. Lowercase increases perception on brand friendliness, while uppercase increases brand authority in the eyes of the consumers.

Color Combinations

Graphic designers are probably already tired, repeating that colors matter. The same goes for contrast that is responsible for a better visual effect. Therefore, the ultimate rule is that the color of the wording is in contrast to the shades of the background. The best combination is white on black, yellow on black, or vice versa.

Thickness also plays the role of a deciding factor. Thick and thin letters may be perceived differently. If you deal with large-scale signage, consider choosing a thicker font like Franklin Gothic or Bodoni. Our designers will gladly help you to choose the right font for a vinyl sign that will gain the attention of consumers. Contact Fortuna Visual Group now and order a free consultation. For more information contact us at sales@fortunavisual.com, or give us a call at +1 646-383-8682.

The Best Font for Sign Board: Tips from Experts

Many people limit fonts to Times New Roman, Arial, and Monotype Corsiva for “something beautiful”. All this is the echo of our past when we just started to use Microsoft Word. It’s doubtful that many of you experimented with typefaces in order to find the ideal one.

That’s why our designers present the top five choices when you look for the best font for sign board:

1. Futura
2. Helvetica
3. Bebas
4. Proxima Nova
5. Avenir.

A small disclaimer: any other font isn’t compulsorily categorized as a bad one. Just these are considered to be better than others in terms of visibility, readability, and professional look.

To help you avoid the wrong choice, we have prepared three least ideal fonts for signage:

1. Comic Sans
2. Papyrus
3. Script Fonts.
   

Let’s dig a bit deeper to understand why these choices are banned for those who aim to create a good sign:

• Once again, readability. We can’t stop highlighting that this is the deciding factor when choosing fonts. Script fonts lose in the face of sharp, traditional ones like Helvetica or Sans Serif.
• Professional look. Your sign is basically your face. Therefore, it should look professional. Playful fonts don’t do the job. That’s why Comic Sans is not suitable to use. The same applies to Papyrus.

As for the additional tips to mind, they are as follows:

• Don’t use fonts, which are similar in look and character.
• Use no more than 2-3 fonts in one sign. Here the rule is the less, the better.
• Don’t uppercase the whole word in a script font.

What Are the Best Fonts for Wood Signs?

You should adjust the calligraphy according to the material of your sign. If you deal with printed signs, it’s vital to consider the specifics of the printing machine and techniques – some fonts may appear thinner when printed. Thus, it’s hard to read font.

As for other materials, here you should take into account their characteristics. For example, script fonts are not always the best choice for wooden signage. The best fonts for wood signs are:

• Futura
• Garamond
• Bodoni
• Franklin Gothic
• Helvetica

These are great fonts, as they are the easiest to read.

What Is the Best Font for Large Signs?

The best font for large signs is the one that is visible and readable from far away. By large signs, we mean any signage that is implied to be displayed and not picked up to look at it. Here, the best choice is the Sans Serif fonts. They are the leaders among all font families. Other decent options are Bebas, Helvetica, and Arial.

Apart from that, you should consider the font weights when it comes to large-format signs. It’s advisable to make the text bold and big so that it looks weightier.

Letter Styles for Signs: Why Choose Fortuna Visual Group

It’s hardly possible to underestimate the role of letter styles for signs. Our designers understand the meaning of the right font better than anyone. It’s our ultimate aim to create ideal signs for our clients.

We, at Fortuna visual Group, believe that design and calligraphy are not just art but also science that requires an adequate approach. That’s why we advise all our clients to follow a sure path to success: choose display fonts instead of script or brush ones.

We also suggest using the wide-spread Sans serif fonts just for statements as they are easier to read when it’s just a couple of words. However, the same can’t be said about a serif font that works well for exhibition posters with lots of copy.

All these insights are the result of years of work and expertise. We have accomplished dozens of projects that are not limited to creative marketing campaigns only. We can create an eye-catching sale banner, as well as an ADA sign that adheres to all the standards.

Our clients value our service not only for deep expertise, but also for high-quality materials, professional equipment, partnerships with the best vendors, and fast manufacturing and delivery. To join our family, contact Fortuna Visual Group’s representative and make your first order now!