Since our first school projects, what font to use has always been a point of angst. Rainbow WordArt for your 5th grade PowerPoint on the American Revolution? Or Curlz for that letter to your pen pal? Nowadays, our font creativity is too often squelched by the universal mandate for 12 point, Times New Roman, double-spaced papers.
When you have the freedom to express your font style, what do you choose? It might say more about you than you think…
Monotype Corsiva
For the English major into fantasy, British fiction, and anything with a romantic twist, Monotype Corsiva adds a little drama, which inspires you as your write your first thriller set in Victorian England.
Comic Sans
For the professor trying to give off the “I’m fun; I can have a good time” vibe, Comic Sans lets the students know that this professor is hip. Or possibly thinks we’re all back in elementary school learning phonetics. Think twice about a class if the syllabus uses this font.
Chalkboard
For the person who fears the ridicule that comes with using Comic Sans post-elementary school, Chalkboard is a step above its juvenile sibling (if only by a little). When you want something that’s casual for your online diary or sticky notes, this is your go-to.
Stencil
For the person who always speaks in exclamatory sentences and sends all-cap texts for seemingly trivial messages, Stencil saves you the hassle of turning on the caps lock.
Cambria
For the student too lazy or rushed to have an opinion, Cambria as the default font for Word is a safe bet. Perfect for drafting a blog post before posting it to a class site.
Didot
For the sophisticate who holds “cocktail parties” instead of “pregames,” Didot sends a message about the level of class expected of the recipients of your party evites.
Herculanum
For the history major who wants to minor in classics and archaeology, Herculanum is your font of choice for emails reminding people about the upcoming Latin Club meeting.
Helvetica
For the student who plans to create an app and become a millionaire by age 25, Helvetica is a no frills font that reflects your daily coffee order at your local hipster café: black, no sugar or cream.
Not all of us can be typographers, but if you learn nothing else from this article, just please don’t be this guy.
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