IT’S FONT FRIDAY!
I know this is super late, since it’s almost Font Saturday, but I like Font Friday better so let’s go with it. Heh. It’s been hectic around here, dude. Between appointments, school, work, and guests, I’ve hardly had a moment to breathe. BUT. I did manage a rendezvous with Photoshop this afternoon, and that’s going to be my jumping off point for this entry.
I’ve been writing a western serial for over a year, and it’s on hiatus at the moment. The gameplan today was to whip up a cute graphic for the FaceBook group telling them it’ll be back October 10th. After a few hours, I came up with this:
Okay, so someday soon I want to go over basic Photoshop– that’s on the agenda, I promise– but for Font Friday, I want to direct your attention to the lettering used. I know people think I get really fanatical about typefaces (I do), but I think picking the right one can make or break ANYTHING requiring print.
Observe:
(THE COMIC SANS. IT BURNS.)
Okay, now, let’s look at the first teaser versus the second. ALL I changed were the fonts used. I think most people looking at the second would immediately go: OMG, eyesore. And that’s all they’d realize they were judging; the inherit ugliness. What is a bit more subtle, though, is that without the outlaw image in the second teaser, you would have NO IDEA that this was about a western. We rely on typeface to reveal concepts. This font says Wild West All The Way:
But Courier could be anything:
Think about it. Think about your mail. The right typeface tells you all you need to know, so you barely have to read it.
See what I mean? Typefaces send a message. The other thing that sucked about the second teaser: the choice of Comic Sans killed any chance of you taking it seriously. You didn’t know what it was selling, but you weren’t buying.
I can’t stress enough how much I hate cartoonish fonts. They’re cute for kid’s party invites, and that’s about all. Nobody over ten should ever use a whimsical font, for any purpose, ever, case closed. Let’s be real here: you wouldn’t let Mark Whoever anywhere near your money after he pressed this business card into your palm.
RIGHT? And there is nothing on the actual card to disqualify him. Hey, he has an office, and a fax machine. He might even be licensed. But you just know, by the curly-cues and the felt tip look, that this dude is not a professional.
LIKEWISE:
Museo makes it all better.
I could go on– and I probably will at some point, so be warned– but my whole point is this: if the clothes make the man, the typeface makes the message. I’m going to leave you with this Friday’s Top Five Fonts; which I think are beautiful, functional, and above all, classy. Heh. And they’re all free, of course. Click, and you shall receive.
Use them well. Enjoy them. Have a lovely weekend, and come back each Friday for more.
Becca- very interesting stuff -love the subliminal messages in branding. neat!
YES. JUST YES to this whole thing!!! Totally facebooking this entry!
I laughed out loud at some of this and sighed at the ‘well-loved first edition.’ So true. Great entry.
LAUGHING at the I am a whatever examples. Great job, Becca — when I used to write “novels” (a 13 year old’s idea of novels!), the best part was changing the font 20 times. I am a 13 year old’s idea of a novel. I am a poorly written fantasty novel. I am full of plot contrivances but surprisingly good grammar.
ALSO! Can’t wait for ASW!
Yeeeeees, Font Fridays will be amazing. New season of ASW? Will also be amazing, I’m sure!
I was just singing the praises of Museo earlier this month, but I prefer the sans version. Oh, and the Mrs / Mr Eaves families.
And now, I just added to my growing folder of fonts… the HPLHS vintage collection was especially nice.
I try to never use a basic font when I am designing something new. I think using a font no one has ever seen adds an element of freshness to any design.
I think I will like Font Fridays.