What to Consider Before Choosing Your Book Font
Imagine ‘War and Peace’ written in Comic Sans, a travel guidebook ruining the moment with Chiller, or a textbook typeset in 8pt Raleway Thin 100: all poor choices for their intended audiences. You need to consider what looks right for your reader, how much white space they need, and how modern the font should be.
What to Consider
Our designers look to fit the chosen design intention, legibility at smaller point sizes if required for captions or smaller text, character support for global languages, character and uniqueness, modernness, and clarity (particularly looking at visually similar glyphs), says William Collins, the Head of Creative Technical Operations at DK, which covers many different genres such as travel and food and drink. “In general, we have seen a shift toward more humanist sans-serifs for our interiors.”
The Best Fonts for Books
Fortunately, we haven’t seen smaller text across the board, with legibility and a de-cluttered page still big considerations – a big sigh of relief for booksellers and readers.
01. Adamant
Find Adamant from £40 at Parachute or from £27 on My Fonts. Parachute Type Foundry’s Adamant is easy to read in small sizes, and is readily adaptable with six weights. It uses wide apertures to make letters more legible and open, and a high x-height (if this all sounds confusing, just use our typography glossary).
02. Arno
Arno is a serif font designed by Robert Zajonc for exljad. It appears darker and more substantial on the page; it’s a bit more contemporary and less formal. A higher x-height contributes to its readability even at smaller sizes.
03. Freight Text
Find Freight Text on Adobe Fonts. Hadley Hendrix has picked Freight as one of her go-tos, because “it appears darker and more substantial on the page; it’s a bit more contemporary and less formal. A higher x-height contributes to its readability even at smaller sizes.” Freight Text was created by Joshua Darden for GarageFonts, with a nod to 18th century Dutch type. It made Darden one to watch in the type world.
04. Garamond
Find Garamond on Adobe Fonts. A well-known typeface that combines Claude Garamond’s Roman type with Robert Granjon’s italics, this has been going strong since 1989, with its tall ascenders and wide apertures. Adobe reissued Garamond with OpenType capabilities, giving designers more control.
05. Gentium Plus
Find Gentium Plus on Google Fonts. The whole Gentium font family is open source, and specifically designed by SIL International for publishing in various languages that have roots in Latin. Gentium generally works well at 10-11pt.
06. Marujo
Find Marujo on Best Fonts. This quirky all-caps font, from PintassilgoPrints, is used for chapter headings and page numbers (to match cover art) in Roopa Farooki’s ‘Double Detectives’ series, published by Oxford University Press. Marujo plays around with baselines and toplines but remains legible.
Conclusion
Choosing the right font for your book is crucial. Consider the audience, the content, and the overall design intention. With so many options available, it can be overwhelming, but by considering the key factors and reading reviews, you can find the perfect font for your publication.
FAQs
Q: What are the most popular fonts for books?
A: The most popular fonts for books are often dependant on the genre and intended audience. However, some popular options include Garamond, Freight Text, and Gentium Plus.
Q: Can I use a font that I already have?
A: Yes, you can use a font that you already have, but make sure it is legible and suitable for the content.
Q: Can I use a font that is not widely available?
A: It may be possible to use a font that is not widely available, but it may not be compatible with all devices or software.
Q: How do I choose the right font for my book?
A: Choose a font that is legible, easy to read, and fits the tone and style of your book. Consider the audience, the content, and the overall design intention.
