Fonts

If your company already has a header and body font defined in your brand guidelines, it’s a good idea to review them periodically. You might also consider adding a third decorative font for more flexibility, particularly for digital designs such as social media posts or email campaigns.

Principles of Font Pairing

The same principles of contrast and harmony that apply in design also apply to fonts. When pairing fonts:

  • Choose combinations that look good together but are different enough to create interest and contrast.
  • Consider the tone of voice of your brand:
    • A trustworthy and predictable brand may use conservative font pairings, which feel stable and professional.
    • An innovative or playful brand might introduce a “wild card” font to convey creativity, breaking conventions, or energy.

Refer back to your brand tone of voice to ensure the font personalities align with the brand’s character.

Tools for Exploring Fonts

  • Canva is great for experimenting with combinations.
  • Type foundries and other font marketplaces offer unique, high-quality typefaces for purchase.
  • Screenshot words or phrases to visualize how fonts pair together before committing.

Examples and Rationale

Here are some client examples illustrating font pairings and why they work:

  • Takapoto
  • Natural Things

(Insert visuals and explanations here.)

Licensing and File Management

Once you’ve decided on your font mix:

  1. Purchase or download the fonts from a reputable source.
    • Google Fonts are free and widely used.
    • For Canva use, download OTF/TTF files to store locally.
  2. Keep a commercial license and store font files in a central location.
    • You may need to share fonts with web designers, third-party advertisers, or collaborators.
  3. Upload fonts to Canva or any platform you use for brand work if they’re not already there.

Brand Development Template

Document the following in your Brand Development template:

  • Header font(s)
  • Body font(s)
  • Decorative or accent font(s)
  • Notes on usage (when/where to use each, combinations, hierarchy)

Excercise:

Target audience

10x font combinatations

Rationale about why feels like brand