Don’t pick that cursive font for advertising!
It’s sophisticated and classic, but at the end of the business day it’s likely that cursive font will drive more customers away than bring them into your shop.
We don’t want to discourage you from picking a unique font for your business signs, but there are studies on the ineffectiveness of cursive fonts when it comes to advertising.
Surprised? We don’t blame you, we were too! To help businesses like you make the most out of their signage investment, let’s learn why cursive fonts should be used sparingly for advertising.
Why not?
Even outside of the advertising industry, cursive is dying out. Today, fewer people know how to read cursive without struggling, and the fact that schools across the country are eliminating it all together suggests that future generations will be completely ignorant to this old writing style.
The bottom line is this:
Your signage needs to be readable by as many people as possible.
With cursive no longer being prioritized by the school system, it’s important to realize that cursive will eventually become obsolete.
You need your sign to be easily and quickly interpreted by consumers. We live in a fast paced society where every second of our time counts. The consumer’s eyes need to be able to process the information quickly while not getting lost in the romanticism and decoration of the typography.
You want your signage to provide a clear message to the consumer they need to know exactly who you are and what you do; to send all this information quickly and clearly, businesses need to use typography that can easily be read and understood.
For the best results with your sign, try to find a typography that is unique. Remember, easily recognizable logos and fonts allow customers to identify your place of business faster.
Cursive is still beautiful, but is it really useful?
Cursive has certain elegance to it, we can’t argue that.
But does that elegance fit with your brand’s personality? Are you a food truck selling the latest gluten free creations? A cross fit gym with the powerful ability to motivate others? While some brands may be able to make a cursive font jive with their brand personality, many business owners forget to create a disconnection between their personal style and their company’s brand image.
Before picking a font, ask yourself: does this fit our brand identity?
Whatever font you pick for your sign should be for its utility, not to serve a decorative purpose. Instead look for a Serif or Sans-Serif font that fits better with your brand personality but still gives you the elegance you crave.
The bottom line is this: readability and clarity always come first, then style.
Close your eyes and picture the downtown area of your town, and pretend you’re walking with your family. What signs stick out to you? Which ones communicate exactly what you’ll be getting from that business? Are they the ones with the clear serif or sans-serif fans, or are they the ones with the decorative, swirly, curvy, loops of a cursive font? Chances are right now that you are more than likely thinking about the serif or sans-serif signs you’ve seen and will immediately recognize and read. Take your own personal experiences in to mind when picking the best font for your company signage, which ones do you think will stand out to your customers?
If you still need help picking the right font for your sign, contact our team to ask their opinion at 1-800-321-1850.
