Your brand’s typography does more than look pretty—it works behind the scenes to influence how customers perceive your business before they even read a single word. A cosmetics brand might choose modern fonts that project youthfulness to the consumer. A luxury jewelry brand might opt for more formal fonts to evoke timelessness.
The right brand typography can help you attract consumers’ attention, bolster brand recognition, and express your brand identity. Delve into brand typography, common terms, ways to choose the right typeface, and other elements of creating brand guidelines. You'll also get tips from Ky Allport and Margaret Pilarski, the creative minds behind modern branding agency Outline.
What is brand typography?
Brand typography is a component of a brand’s visual identity and includes multiple elements of text styling. In addition to typeface, typography includes text arrangement, size, weight, and placement. Typography parameters are usually part of a brand’s style guide—it provides specific guidelines around how you should use and style fonts across platforms.
Outline says typography is one of the key branding elements they develop for brands. Ky explains, “Usually, how a branding process starts is we get to know the brand, the founder, maybe there’s a mood board to help inform the direction. And then we’ll put together a concept, which would include logos, color, visuals, and typography—all the key assets—to give you an idea of how the brand could express itself in the world.” All of these style choices work together to create a cohesive identity.
Why is brand typography important?
Typography is an essential component of a brand style guide. Clearly defined typography guidelines maintain legibility and ensure consistency. By following the typography outlined in your brand guidelines, you can distill your brand essence so customers know what you’re about. As Ky explains, “More than identifying what the pieces are, the brand guidelines’ job is to show you how to use those things. You can have a set of colors and a set of fonts and do completely different things with them.” Consistent use of text and other brand elements helps your company build a recognizable visual identity.
What are the 4 main types of fonts?
There are virtually infinite font options, featuring different degrees of ornamentation and types of connections (or lack thereof) between characters. You can categorize these fonts into four main categories:
1. Serif fonts
Serif fonts feature small, delicate strokes, known as serifs, at the end of lines. A serif capital I, for example, includes crossbars on the top and bottom. Serif fonts have a classic, traditional appeal. They’re common in print applications, including books and newspapers, and other long-format writing to enhance legibility.
2. Sans-serif fonts
Sans-serif fonts are simple and minimalist. Letters use thick, even strokes with no ornamentation. Sans-serif fonts are common as web fonts and in digital design. Apple, for example, uses the sans-serif font San Francisco on its devices since serifed fonts can appear crowded and hard to read on small or low-resolution screens.
3. Script fonts
Script fonts are inspired by traditional cursive handwriting and calligraphy. These typefaces use variable stroke weights and dramatic flourishes. Letters often appear slanted and flow into each other. Script fonts feel formal and sophisticated. They are popular for logo design or short display headlines. Longer blocks of text in a script font may be difficult to read.
4. Handwritten fonts
Handwritten fonts mimic modern, casual handwriting. They often use variable stroke weight and asymmetrical lines, but they lack the elaborate details of a script font. Handwritten fonts can feel approachable and playful or rustic and artisanal.
What is font hierarchy?
Using two or three different typefaces in your designs can help organize information and add visual interest. When brands have multiple typefaces, font hierarchy guidelines describe how to use each one.
Font hierarchy typically consists of a primary and secondary typeface. Primary typefaces are reserved for logos and headlines. The best logo fonts are design-forward or ornamental—their primary function is to add visual appeal and express brand identity. Secondary fonts prioritize legibility. These are appropriate for body copy and longer blocks of text and should complement the primary font.
Some companies also include a third brand font, or accent font. It’s best to use accent fonts sparingly, or only when you want to add emphasis.
How to choose the right fonts for your brand
Google Fonts offers more than 1,800 free font family options. If you plan on selecting three brand typefaces, there are more than one billion possible unique combinations based on these offerings alone. Rather than review all these options one by one, try these tips for finding the right fonts for your brand design:
Define your brand personality
Understanding your brand personality can help you select the right typography. Start by identifying your essential brand traits. Are you a high-end, luxury business rooted in storied tradition? Or a playful, rebellious brand focused on breaking down industry norms? Knowing the brand story you want to tell will help guide your primary font selection.
Kat Kavner and Jaime Tulley, the founders of food brand Heyday Canning Co., worked with Ky and Margaret at Outline to find a font that feels both nostalgic and modern. Communicating their brand story helped the agency understand their visual needs. Kat says, “We had this foundation of knowing who we are and what we stood for and what we wanted to convey that we were able to take to our design partner and brief them on creating our brand identity, our logo and colors, fonts, and eventually the packaging.”
Research typography
Look for examples of typography you love. Consider flipping through old magazines or using a visual platform like Pinterest to find inspiration. Analyze competitors and brands you admire to see how they use typography. Identify what you like about their approach and consider what your brand can do to stand out.
Test your fonts
Once you’ve identified a few favorite fonts, try testing out different combinations. Making mockups can help you understand how typefaces look on both a digital screen and printed materials. Be sure to review potential designs on both desktop and mobile devices. Check for legibility and ensure your secondary font isn’t competing with your primary typeface selection.
License your fonts
Review licensing requirements for your favorite typefaces. Many so-called free fonts, like the ones on Google Fonts, require licensing for commercial applications. Fonts require a separate license for each use case. For example, if your business wants to use Montserrat Thin as a brand font on its app and website, you need to purchase licenses for both instances. Keep in mind, licenses apply only to a specific font, not the entire typeface. If your business wants to also use Montserrat Bold and Montserrat Extra Bold, you would need to purchase additional licenses to authorize their use.
Licensing fees vary based on the font provider, type of license, and number of styles you purchase. Restricting your brand to one typeface can reduce licensing costs. Fees for web licenses are often based on traffic; the more visitors a website receives, the higher the cost.
The case for custom type
Custom typefaces are unique to your company. Creating a custom font involves commissioning a designer to build a set of characters that reflects your brand identity. Custom fonts come with exclusive rights—no one else will be able to use your typography. This can give your business an instantly recognizable style and help it stand out.
Commissioning a custom font can be expensive. Cost estimates vary from $10,000 to well over $100,000. The price depends on your design partner’s rates, the font complexity, and the order scope. Designing a few letters to create a custom logo design will be significantly less expensive than ordering a complete alphabet and punctuation set. On the plus side, custom fonts don’t require licensing fees. Once you’ve purchased a design, it’s yours to use in perpetuity.
Heyday Canning Co. worked with Outline to create a proprietary font for the brand. The bold, sans-serif typeface uses variable stroke width to create a quirky appeal. Outline designed two variations—one wide, one condensed—to add variety. Ky explains, “The idea behind the font was that it would have this variation in width, so it can get a little bit wider, it could get a little more condensed, and then you can stack it in this kind of playful way.”
For your Shopify website, you can use a range of fonts available in the Shopify Font Library.
Brand typography FAQ
How do you create brand typography?
Creating typography involves evaluating your brand personality, selecting a primary font, adding complementary fonts, and creating a set of guidelines to govern their use. Brand typography guidelines explain which typefaces to use in which applications and how to style fonts.
What are examples of typography?
Brand logos, movie posters, and album cover art often feature examples of typographic design. These visual assets make typography choices and use careful text styling to create a signature look and communicate personality.
How much does it cost to create a custom font?
The cost of creating a custom font varies widely depending on the design complexity and company requirements. Estimates for custom font creation range from several thousand dollars to upward of $100,000.
