Typefaces hold more power than you think

The words we choose and how we put them out into the world can have an enormous impact, and the typography used to express this text is no exception on its target audiences. Typography holds a tremendous amount of power due to the way audiences perceive and process the information as it’s presented, affecting the way that people read.

It might be something you have never considered before, but getting the right typeface for a book, poster, or branding can be vital to conveying the right message to the right people. Some brands, such as Adidas, have a font which they own and have placed under copyright protection. From all the fonts tested, the one used is the font that was the most successful when communicating with the target audience.

“Typography is the detail and the presentation of a story,” said Cyrus Highsmith, a typeface designer and Author of, Inside Paragraphs: Typographic Fundamentals. “It represents the voice of an atmosphere, or historical setting of some kind. It can do a lot of things''.

There are many elements of a typeface that don’t work on a conscious level. However, there is a general consensus that some fonts like Times New Roman influence and ease the flow of reading. The context is also essential as the typesetting a book requires a different way of engaging its’ audience in comparison to a poster.

While there isn’t one font that suits all, readability remains a significant factor, particularly when it comes to the Comic Sans MS font, which is often met with negative reactions due to its unpleasantness to read.

Are you interested in learning more about typefaces and how graphic design is changing the world?

Why not check out the BA and Postgraduate courses we offer in Graphic Design with both full and part-time study programmes available. Purpose-built facilities with cutting-edge equipment allow students to be at the forefront of contemporary design.

For more information on our entry requirements and facilities, click here.