Your small business needs a company logo. Whether it includes spiffy graphic depends on your taste, but the font of your company name is vitally important to reflect your business values, professionalism, and marketing effectiveness.
What are the font classes and usage guidelines for creating an effective logo?
Font Classes
- Serif Fonts – Serifs are the little “tails” or “feet” that help add flair to a font or typeface. These are traditional fonts and are typically used in financial or other conservative industries for logos. Serif fonts include the popular Times or Times Roman, Garamond, or Courier.
- Sans Serif Fonts – These fonts are more modern and clean and add a friendlier element to a company name logo. Serif fonts do not have the little feet or tails, and they include fonts such as Ariel, Tahoma, or Verdana.
- Script Fonts – These fonts are more flowing and calligraphic in style. Script fonts look more like a handwritten cursive and are used more in creative industries for logos.
- Display Fonts – Display fonts are usually more decorative and unique. Movie poster fonts are usually display fonts. Think Goonies or Jurassic Park. These are also used in more creative industries or for businesses who want to create their own unique look.
Font Usage Guidelines
What makes a font the right one for your business logo? Here are a few things to consider:
- Make it easy to read – Most importantly, you want customers and readers to easily understand the font. Don’t get too creative and make your logo unreadable for the sake of a unique or decorative font. If you’re uncertain how the font will be interpreted by your target audience, stick with a serif or sans-serif font.
- Stick with industry standards – If you are in a type of industry that typically uses a certain type of font, use what works. As mentioned, serif fonts are traditionally used in banking, finance, or other conservative industries. Cool and crazy fonts can be more liberal with creative industries like architecture, graphic design, or web design.
- Don’t use copyrighted fonts – Be sure that you don’t steal a copyrighted font. For example, Disney or McDonalds each uses a distinguishable and recognizable font. Don’t get caught using a font that could easily cost you money in litigation fees.
Your font style speaks volumes about your company, and choosing the right style can ensure you make the perfect first impression.
