Finding Your Brand’s Type

BusinessTips & TricksFor YouDesign
Written By Allison Olivares
 
Finding Brand Type

Most designers are self-proclaimed type nerds. In fact, our designers’ all agreed that the most annoying part of going out to dinner with us is that we will spend the entire first half of the meal critiquing the menu.

But, there is a reason we are so adamant about things like kerning, leading, and using the correct font for the medium we’re viewing (we swear)!

Typography is an art form in itself, and by using the correct fonts for your brand, you are able to not only compliment your brand’s tone and values, but also stand out from your competitors.

 
 

Different Kinds of Type

Whether it is typography for a brand mark or logo, or a complimentary typeface for your marketing assets, different fonts have different personalities. It is the job of a good designer to use concepts of psychology to pick the right ones to correspond with your brand’s mission.

Typefaces usually fall into one of two categories, Serif or Sans Serif.

Serif fonts are usually associated with tradition, sophistication, and seriousness while sans serif fonts are used for brands that value modernity, simplicity, and informality.

 
 

Some fonts already have preconceived notions connected to them as being childish or overused— we’re talking about Comic Sans and Papyrus—and make designers everywhere shudder to think about using them. For example, if you saw a doctor’s office using comic sans, you might not take them too seriously. We believe that every font has a place, but it is all about finding the appropriate usage for each one

 
 

Anatomy of Typography

Terms like Baseline, Crossbar, Kerning, Leading all refer to the different elements that make a font look consistent and function properly on a digital platform: 

Baseline: The line on which all letters in the font rest.
Cap Height: The distance between the baseline and the top of a capital letter form.
Crossbar: The horizontal stroke in letter forms. 
Ascender: An upward vertical stroke that extends beyond the x-height
Descender: A downward vertical stroke that extended below the baseline. 
X-Height: The distance between the baseline and the height of lowercase “x” in the typeface. 
Leading: Vertical space between lines of text.
Kerning: The adjustment of space between two letters.
Tracking: The adjustment of space between a whole group of letters (not just two).

 
 

While your design team will not expect you to know these terms, it is important to realize how much goes into a typeface, and how these elements come together to create a font that will work for your brand.

Licensing 

Just like with stock photography, there are licensing considerations with using a font for your brand.

While some fonts are free for commercial use, most require a license. What this means, is that your brand needs to purchase the rights to use this font to sell your business, services, and products. Prices for licenses can range from $5–$1000, and really depend on the popularity of the font.

However, as long as your designer has your budget in mind, they can find a typeface that not only works for your bottom line, but for your brand as well. What most people don’t understand is that each letter in a typeface has been hand created by a designer, sometimes over the course of months or years, to function properly on your computer and in your brand. Just like you wouldn’t steal a piece of art, you shouldn’t use a font for profit without paying for it first.

Work With Us

As self-proclaimed typography nerds, we’re here to help you pick the correct fonts to help deliver your message and stand out from the crowd. Our brand questionnaire at the beginning of each project will tell us all about your values, and the tone you want to set, which will allow us to tailor our selections to your individual needs. Find out more about our process, and schedule a FREE consultation with us today to learn more!

 
 
 
Allison Olivares
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