Font And Center!

/ August 30, 2017/ Frontend

With an ever increasing email users around the world, getting someone’s attention is also a challenge. Aside from enticing web designs, and valuable content formats, online marketers spend a lot of effort in their text. Not only with the copy, but also with its typography.

TYPOGRAPHY DEFINED

Typography is the art and technique of arranging text to make written language legible, readable, and appealing when displayed. Email marketers use this art to capture the reader’s attention.

Although attractive images, animated GIFs, and other interactive elements are trending, most email clients disable these leaving the text alone. Therefore, a lot of effort is put on the text — from the persuasive copy to its visual font appeal.

But what kind of fonts attract readers? As the saying goes, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Therefore, it is subjective. What appeals to you may not be attractive to the person next to you.

FONTS CATEGORIZED

1. Serif Fonts
   These are formal-looking fonts. The characters has shapes, points, and flourishes at the end of their strokes like hanging or protruding at the edge. Times New Roman is the best example.
2. Sans Serif Fonts
   Sans means without. These are semi-formal fonts. The characters don’t have the flourishes and they connect with other characters clean. Arial is the best example.
3. Calligraphy
   These fonts are cursive, giving a continuous flow to the text like a handwriting. Calligraphy fonts are generally used for headings or logos because of its artistic style. Old English font is an example.
4. Monospaced
   These are typewriter fonts that have equal space between two characters. Courier is the best example.

BEST PRACTICES 

• Appropriate font. please. Although it boils down to each his own when it comes to artistic expression, it is better to stay safe and use fonts that are appropriate to the intended reader. Serif and Sans Serif are preferred and most used fonts in the font family. Of these, the Web-safe fonts are the most widely used ones.
• Have a plan B. It’s okay to use custom fonts. However, not all email clients render custom fonts properly. Therefore, better have a matching fallback just in case. It is recommended that you have two alternative fonts and set it up like this:

1st choice – your primary custom font
2nd choice – a Web-safe font that matches your primary custom font
3rd choice – a System-based font that will render

• Give enough space. Don’t confuse your readers especially when they read your text on mobile devices. Consider the spacing between characters and between lines especially on words and phrases that can be easily misread. Check the character’s width for balance as well.
• Check the alignment, color, and white space. Align the text properly. Take note that most users access the Internet on mobile devices so center-aligned text is preferred. Keep the background light as much as possible. If dark background is unavoidable, check the contrast between background and font color. Check also the spaces around the text to make the text legible and easy on the eyes.