How to choose your brand's typography

Typography is the most underrated design decision. We think it secondary, when it carries a brand's tone on every word, every medium, every day.

Typography, a voice

The same message does not say the same thing depending on the typeface that carries it. Typography has a voice: serious or playful, classic or contemporary, warm or technical. Choosing your type is choosing how your brand speaks, before even what it says.

Serif, sans-serif, and the rest

• Serif: tradition, trust, elegance, editorial. Ideal for a premium or institutional positioning.
• Sans-serif: modernity, clarity, neutrality. The default choice of digital and tech.
• Slab serif: assertive character, robustness.
• Script / handwritten: personality, craft, to use sparingly.
• Custom type: the ultimate differentiation weapon, when no existing typeface carries exactly your identity.

Typography is never just text. It is the brand's tone of voice, written.

Pairing without mistakes

The safest rule: two typefaces, rarely three. One for headings, carrying character, one for body text, carrying legibility. You look for contrast (for example a serif heading with a sans-serif body) without the false note. Two typefaces too close create a diffuse unease; two that complement each other create a clear hierarchy.

The method

To choose, always start from the brand, not taste: what tone, what audience, what media? Then test in real conditions, at real sizes, on real screens and printed materials, never on a single word blown up. Typography is judged on a paragraph at 16 pixels and a headline in a shop window, not on a frozen logo. It then becomes an integral part of the brand style guide, alongside color.

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Frequently asked questions

How many fonts for a brand?

Two are enough in the vast majority of cases: one for headings, one for body. Three at most, beyond that consistency is lost.

Serif or sans-serif for a brand?

Serif evokes tradition and elegance, sans-serif modernity and clarity. The right choice depends on your positioning and media, not a trend.

Do you need custom type?

Not always, but it is the strongest differentiation tool when no existing typeface carries exactly your identity and the brand justifies it.