Looks matter: Pick your fonts wisely

Even though I’m a word nerd, I believe that their visual appearance matters to how effectively words communicate. The section on fonts in Improve Your Global Business English by Fiona Talbot and Sudakshina Bhattacharjee reminded me of this.

Fonts matter because the right choice of font makes your material easier to read.

Fonts also convey a message. For example, the authors note that “Times New Roman is readable but can seem old-fashioned these days.” That must be why my friendly presentation pro suggested I switch my PowerPoint slides from Times New Roman to Verdana.

To learn more about what your fonts say about you, check out:

What fonts do YOU favor?

If you know what fonts you use in your communications, please comment. If you’re knowledgeable about fonts, I’d like to learn from you.

7 replies
  1. Russell
    Russell says:

    A couple of years ago, a well-known expert on fonts (based in Chicago,forgotten his name) said that Georgia is the best font for reading on a computer. I like it but I have had complaints.

  2. Susan Weiner, CFA
    Susan Weiner, CFA says:

    Russell,
    That’s interesting. Do the complainers say why they object to Georgia?

    I’m not a font expert. I only know that some fonts are too gimmicky or complex for me to read easily.

    Thank you for taking the time to comment!

  3. Russell
    Russell says:

    I just googled “Chicago font guy” and found this expert, Phinney. Font is only the beginning. He talks about font height, thickness, line spacing, letter and word spacing, line length, and the color of the text and the paper. Now I’m puzzled. Maybe the Georgia font isn’t the problem. Maybe it’s these other variables that are damaging readability. I use 12 point by the way.

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