Where should you begin your search for the perfect font?
Not a designer? When in doubt start with the most widely used fonts for email, plus Garamond for good measure. They’ll always make you look good because they’re:
- tried and true
- widely available and
- readable
Below are fonts in my email program (plus Garamond) which I’ve typeset the same size so you can see the subtle differences:
Before choosing your favorite and moving onto designing your Irresistible Free Offer, you’ll also want to consider:
- The age of your audience
- The amount of text — Is your IFO an e-book with lots to read, or checklists with a few short paragraphs?
- Your message — Is your IFO serious or playful?
Here’s why:
Audience age
Older eyes prefer darker and larger the typefaces like Tahoma or Courier
Story length
Lots of text? Choose a serif face like Cambria, Garamond or Times New Roman.
Short text with a bulleted or numbered lists? My eye prefers a widely spaced Consolas (sans serif), or Cambria (serif). Don’t agree? Not a problem. Here’s what seasoned designers like me, do every day:
- Typeset your list using one font
- Copy and paste it a few times
- Select and change font styles
- Compare and choose the one you like best
Playful or serious
I consider all the email typefaces to be “serious” because they’re all appropriate for business.
Here are a few examples of playful fonts.
TIP: If a playful font suits your business and your message use them for your headlines and subheads, but never as body copy. For body copy, choose a neutral font like Arial or Tahoma so it doesn’t compete with your headings.
Takeaway
- Fonts, like people, have personality.
- Your type choice should complement your message,
- it should never become a distraction because
- your font’s job is to make your message easy to read.
- When in doubt choose something familiar, like any of your default fonts found in your email program.
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