The type used to communicate a message is every bit as important as the language used to do it. Different typefaces, or, in this digital age, fonts, signify different levels of sincerity, whimsy, or authority. Some fonts automatically feel more official, while others cannot help but feel like fun. Some are easier to read while others are more of a struggle for the eye. Is there a computer-using, high school or college student who hasn’t played with different fonts and font sizes to try and extend a paper that is running a bit short of a required page length? Ultimately some fonts wind up being consistently more popular across discipline, user population, and purpose. The following is a guide to the top five best-loved fonts and top five most hated.
Most Loved Fonts
Helvetica Helvatica was created in the late 1950’s by two Swiss designers looking to create a sans-serif typeface. Sans-serif is a design term, which indicates the lack of the projecting flourishes at the termination points of letters. To many readers this gives Helvetica and other san-serif fonts a cleaner, more modern look that is easier to read. Sans-serif texts are commonly used for online reading because they are easier for the eye to trace in a slightly flickering, digital interface. Since its creation, Helvetica has become the most commonly used font in the world, especially for official printing like municipal signs and notices. It may also be the only font to boast its own Documentary, a 2007 film called, what else, Helvetica.
