So you’re looking for a professional font that represents your client’s fun and serious sides simultaneously. You want something unique that helps them stand out from the crowd, without sacrificing their professional identity.
Choosing a font to represent your clients’ brand might not seem like a big deal at first, but don’t underestimate the significance of the decision. The perfect type reinforces their messaging and optimizes your web design.
Plus, fonts and typefaces play a pivotal role in good website design and often reflect the latest web design trends. Just as you meticulously select your brand's colors, voice, tone and style, the choice of font demands careful consideration and strategic planning. That’s why Wix Studio offers a wide variety of built-in fonts and responsive templates with fonts already in-use.
But wait… what’s a professional font?
Professional fonts are typefaces designed with precision and attention to detail to ensure they’re always legible, versatile and have an aesthetic appeal in various professional contexts. These fonts are crafted to convey a sense of authority and clarity, so they’re ideal for use in corporate comms, branding, presentations and official documents.
Most of the time, professional fonts feature balanced proportions, consistent weight and clean lines, which make them easier to read and create that polished appearance that gives off that “official” vibe you’re looking for in a professional font. It’s the difference between the bubbly, playful or light-hearted aesthetics of slightly more rounded logos like IHOP or Disney, versus Apple’s more upscale look and feel.
That’s not to say these fonts lack character. Look at why Gap’s logo redesign famously flopped: critics said the apparel giant had lost its brand identity when it tried to switch from its original Spire Regular font over to Helvetica.
Why is it important to choose the right professional font?
Professional fonts come in a variety of styles, including serif, sans-serif and slab-serif, each suited to different types of content, brands and messaging. Finding the right one can be the difference between charging four to five (or even six figures) for your services.
The right font can significantly impact the perception of a brand and the effectiveness of its communication. A well-chosen professional font enhances readability, ensuring that your audience can easily absorb and understand the content. It also conveys the tone and personality of your brand, whether it’s modern and innovative or traditional and trustworthy.
Consistency in font usage across all platforms and materials reinforces brand recognition and creates a sense of trust that your brand is what it says it is. Professional fonts are designed to be versatile and adaptable, working well across different media, from print to digital. By investing in the right professional font, you ensure that your communications are not only visually appealing but also clear, impactful and aligned with your brand's values and objectives.
So, how do you go about choosing the best professional font?
Start by considering the purpose and context of your content. Different fonts convey different tones, so think about the message you want to send. For example, serif fonts like Times New Roman or Garamond are often associated with tradition and reliability, making them suitable for formal documents and academic papers. In contrast, sans-serif fonts like Arial or Helvetica convey a modern and clean aesthetic, ideal for websites and tech-related materials.
Next, prioritize readability. Ensure the font is easy to read at various sizes, especially for body text. A font that looks good in a headline may not be as effective in smaller text. Font size is crucial: typically, 10-12 points is standard for body text in print, while 14-16 pixels is recommended for digital content. Additionally, consider how the font performs across different devices and screen resolutions to maintain consistency.
Experiment with different fonts and solicit feedback from colleagues or design professionals. Tools like font matchers and typography websites can help you visualize how different fonts work together. Lastly, ensure that the font supports the necessary characters and symbols for your content, especially if you’re working with multiple languages or handwriting fonts. By taking these steps, you can choose a professional font that enhances your brand’s communication and leaves a lasting impression.
20 professional fonts to consider
Choosing the right font for your business website is crucial for establishing a professional and cohesive brand identity. Here are 20 professional fonts that are widely respected, used in various industries and work well with Wix Studio design capabilities:
01. Calibri
A modern sans-serif font, Calibri is known for its rounded edges and readability, making it a popular choice for both digital and print media. Its clean and contemporary look ensures that your text appears professional and approachable, and it also pairs well with serif fonts for a slight contrast that pops.
02. Lato
Lato is a sans-serif font that combines simplicity and warmth, ideal for creating a welcoming and professional online presence. Its versatility makes it suitable for various design contexts, including websites and corporate documents. It’s one of those fonts that works both printed and digitally.
03. Futura
With its geometric shapes and clean lines, Futura is a timeless sans-serif font that exudes modernity and efficiency. You’ve seen it in Domino’s, Redbull, Fedex and Nike’s logos. Its bold and distinctive appearance makes it a great choice for branding and advertising since the weight of the font catches the eyes from any distance.
04. Bodoni
A serif font with high contrast between thick and thin strokes, Bodoni is perfect for luxury brands and high-end publications. Its elegant design adds a sense of class to any project, which is immediately noticeable in brands like Calvin Klein, Hilton Hotels and Vanity Fair.
05. Playfair Display
This stylish serif font is great for headlines and titles, adding a touch of sophistication to any design. Its high contrast and stylish curves make it perfect for creating eye-catching designs. It particularly shines in fashion branding, editorial and social media.
06. Garamond
Known for its classic and refined appearance, Garamond is a serif font that works well for long-form text and professional documents. Its timeless style ensures readability and adds a sense of history and tradition to your content.
07. Helvetica
A versatile sans-serif font, Helvetica is renowned for its neutrality and clarity, making it suitable for a wide range of applications. Its clean lines and modern look make it a favorite for corporate branding and signage.
08. Ramaraja
A unique serif font with a distinctive style, Ramaraja adds a touch of cultural richness to your design. Its traditional appearance makes it ideal for projects that aim to incorporate a sense of heritage. The typeface blends sharp details and curved lines for a distinctive presence that distinguishes any brand that chooses it.
09. Teko
This sans-serif font is known for its tall, narrow letters, making it perfect for web designs that need to stand out. Its bold appearance is particularly effective for headlines and display text since you can fit more letters on the screen without sacrificing legibility.
10. Pacifico
A playful script font, Pacifico is a solid option for brands looking to add a touch of personality and creativity to their designs. Its casual and friendly style makes it ideal for informal contexts, a testament to the idea that you don’t need to sacrifice professionality for playfulness.
11. Hind
Rather straightforward, Hind is a sans-serif font that’s excellent for body text and digital content. Its simplicity and readability make it a reliable choice for various applications, including websites and apps. This font is particularly useful in design selections where you need to write something, but you don’t want the text to steal the attention of the rest of the image.
12. Proxima Nova
Proxima Nova recently hit the two decade mark, as it was first released by type designer Mark Simonson in 1994. This sans-serif font combines modern proportions with a geometric appearance, making it versatile for various design needs. Its wide range of weights and styles allows for flexibility in design. It’s most notably used in The Verge, The Atlantic and Wired.
13. Frutiger
If you thought Proxima Nova has been around for a while, wait until you hear about Frutiger. Originally designed by Adrian Frutiger for the Charles de Gaulle International Airport in France, Frutiger is a humanist sans-serif font known for its readability. It’s widely used in signage and corporate design, and it’s versatile enough to be used across print and digital media.
14. Roboto
A modern sans-serif font designed for digital screens, Roboto offers excellent readability and a clean, professional look. Its geometric shapes and mechanical skeleton make it ideal for tech-related projects, and it was originally designed to replace Droid as Android’s default system font in 2013. It’s since been used in Google Services like Google Play, YouTube, Google Maps and Google Images, on the LCD countdown clocks in NYC’s B-lines, and on the Nintendo Switch.
15. Verdana
Known for its exceptional legibility on screens, Verdana is a sans-serif font that is widely used in digital media. Its large x-height and open letterforms ensure that text remains clear and easy to read at small sizes. Apple and IKEA both used this font at one point.
16. Century Schoolbook
As the name suggests, Century Schoolbook is the oldest font in this list, originally designed by Morris Fuller Benton in 1919 for the American Type Founders (ATF) per Ginn & Co.’s request, a textbook publisher which wanted to update to an easier to read typeface for its textbooks. Fast forward to today, and Century Schoolbook has withstood the test of time, and even made its way to the digital world. A serif font with a traditional look, Century Schoolbook is ideal for educational and formal content.
17. Arial
A highly used sans-serif font, Arial is widely known for its simplicity and versatility in both print and digital formats. While generally regarded as a “basic” font, it features a clean and modern appearance that ensures text is easy to read and up to a professional standard. Originally called the Sonoran San Serif, it was designed for the IBM 3800-3 laser xerographic printer in 1982, and repackaged for personal computers starting with Microsoft Windows 3.1 in 1992, and every subsequent Microsoft Windows product ever since. Use it in reports, presentations, magazines, ads and promos.
18. Public Sans
This sans-serif font is a modern and accessible choice that works well in a variety of contexts. It was designed as part of the United States Web Design System, and it’s a neutral and functional font suitable for government and public-facing documents. Originally designed in 2019, then upgraded to a variable font in 2022 (meaning a single downloadable font file containing multiple stylistic variations, ie. weight, width, style and optical size), it’s now free and open-source online for use by anyone.
19. Cambria
A serif font designed for on-screen reading, Cambria offers clarity and a professional appearance. Its balanced proportions and refined style make it suitable for both digital and print use, and it’s particularly easy to read at smaller sizes compared to other fonts.
20. Libre Baskerville
A serif font optimized for body text, Libre Baskerville is known for its readability and classic style. Its elegant curves and high contrast make it ideal for long-form reading on screens, so use it in blogs and the like.
FAQ:
What’s the best professional font for a resume?
The best typography for a resume is one that balances readability with a polished appearance. Fonts like Calibri, Arial and Garamond are popular choices due to their clean lines and professional look. Calibri is modern and easy to read, while Arial offers simplicity and versatility. Garamond, with its classic serif design, adds a touch of sophistication. The key is to choose a font that presents your information clearly and makes your resume easy to read both on-screen and in print.
Typefaces vs. fonts: what’s the difference?
The terms "typeface" and "font" are often used interchangeably, but they have distinct meanings. A typeface refers to the design of the lettering, such as Times New Roman or Helvetica. It encompasses all the styles and variations within that design, including different weights (e.g., bold, italic). A font, on the other hand, is a specific style and size of a typeface. For example, Arial Bold 12pt is a font within the Arial typeface family. Understanding this distinction between typefaces vs fonts can help you make informed decisions when selecting typefaces and fonts for your design projects.
What’s the difference between serif and san serif?
Serif fonts are characterized by small lines or strokes, known as "serifs," attached to the end of the larger strokes in a letter or symbol. These fonts have a classic, traditional look and are often used in print media such as books, newspapers and magazines. Serifs guide the eye along the lines of text, which can enhance readability in long passages of text. Some well-known serif fonts include Times New Roman, Garamond and Georgia. These fonts are ideal for creating an authoritative, reliable and formal impression.
Sans serif fonts, as the name suggests, do not have the small projecting features called serifs at the end of strokes. They offer a clean, modern and minimalistic appearance, which makes them highly popular for digital media and web design. Sans serif fonts are known for their simplicity and readability on screens, making them suitable for various applications, from body text to headlines. Examples of sans serif fonts include Arial, Helvetica and Roboto. These fonts are perfect for creating a contemporary, approachable and straightforward impression.
Use the best professional fonts on Wix Studio to bring your client’s brand to life now.
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