Most founders will start their business branding journey with a DIY brand design. This is absolutely fine as fairly often when you start out you don’t have the budget or aren’t clear on who your target audience is that needs to be attracted to your branding.
As a new business owner you will start with a logo, a colour palette and you might pick fonts out of necessity rather than intention.
I get it choosing fonts is not the easiest and for most not the most fun part of the branding process. The main issue is often the sheer amount of fonts to choose from. You find one that you like, keep scrolling and find another - before you know it you’ve lost track of all the fonts you liked and are still weeding through the 100 fonts you’ve selected as a possibility.
You then just decide - ah, f*ck it - I’ll just go with this one, and pick one at random.
To only go through the whole process again picking a font for your body text.
But the right typography can make all the difference, especially if you are looking to move towards a more refined, professional looking brand.
The thing is that fonts have so much character that can convey the right or wrong message. It can enhance the values, personality and message of your business. Making sure that the right clients fall in love with your business.
In this blog post I will help you find your way through the jungle that is typography by looking at the basics of typography. I’ll explain what to look for to ensure your fonts match your business personality and some good places to find free fonts!
The power of a good Font
Often left as an afterthought, typography can have such a big impact on how your brand is perceived. So it’s really not to be left behind.
You might not think it but different fonts have such different characteristics, almost like having its own personality.
This reel by Wisdm puts it across so perfectly. Wisdom styles his outfits to match the font - perfectly showing how if the Calibri font was a person it would look like an elegantly styled man and the Rockwell font would look more like a cool cowboy.
Looking at fonts from that perspective really makes you think about your font choices and what impact they can have.
What first impression is your font giving your audience?
Is your font showing your business as bold, creative, playful or professional?
Does that match your brand personality?
Three examples of the different feelings and looks a font for your brand can portray.
Being consistent with your brand fonts is another important thing to think about. As you know, consistency is key when it comes to your brand look. Being consistent helps with recognition, it builds trust with your audience and saves you time (and who doesn’t want that).
But before we dive into how to choose the right brand font for your business, let’s look at the different font styles we can choose from.
The basics of typography
To start off this blog, let's look at the different types of typography. This is a great way to start your search for the perfect font. By choosing the type that works best for your business you can ignore the others, making the search that little bit easier.
Serif Fonts
The Classic Sophisticate.
Serif fonts are like the reliable, well-dressed friend who always shows up on time and knows which fork to use at a fancy dinner.
They exude trust, sophistication, and a little old-school charm. You can count on a serif to give your brand a sense of history, reliability, and elegance—perfect for brands that want to look established and trustworthy.
Example fonts: Times New Roman, Georgia, Prata, Playfair
Sans Serif
The Laid-Back Minimalist
Sans serif fonts are the cool, laid-back friend who can pull off jeans and a T-shirt anywhere and look stylish.
Modern and approachable, they keep things straightforward and are especially suited for digital. Sans serifs are great for brands that want to feel clean, friendly, and a touch more casual.
Example fonts: Arial, Helvetica, Montserrat, Nunito
Script
The Creative Romantic
Think of script fonts as the free-spirited artist with an eye for the beautiful and a flair for the dramatic.
They’re a bit whimsical, expressive, and have a personality that’s instantly memorable. While they’re not the most practical for everyday tasks (or body text!), they can add elegance and personality to headers or logos.
Example fonts: Brush Script, Lobster, Shrikhand, Sonsie One
Display
The Bold Showstopper
Display fonts are the life-of-the-party friend who isn’t afraid to make an entrance and is always the centre of attention.
They’re expressive, sometimes quirky, and instantly captivating. Display fonts work wonders in small doses where you want to grab attention, like a logo or headline—but too much, and they can overwhelm the room.
Example fonts: Impact, Rockwell, Racing Sans One, Ultra
Monospace
The Techy Retro Enthusiast
Monospace fonts are like that friend with a vinyl collection who remembers when dial-up internet was the height of technology.
They’re quirky, nostalgic, and a little nerdy, adding a retro or digital vibe wherever they appear. While not the go-to for body text, they’re ideal for adding a unique twist in small doses.
Example fonts: Courier, Consolas, Roboto Mono, Nova Mono
Looking at these 4 styles, you can see that the vibes they put out are completely different. A great starting point to decide on the right typography for your small business, to make sure you show up, stand out, attract the right clients.
What characteristics make you choose the right brand fonts?
Even though you’ve whittled your choice down once you’ve decided on the style, there are still too many to choose from. Let’s dive deeper into what characteristics to look out for and how they add the right or wrong vibe to your business branding.
Readability and Legibility
Probably the most important characteristic for your font choice. There’s nothing worse than your audience having to strain their eyes to read what brilliant message you’ve written - only to get annoyed and give up.
We all know we don’t have the attention span, energy or time to read text that makes us need to focus harder. Make it easy for your audience. Choose a font that is clear and easy on the eye.
Feminine vs Masculine
Every font has an emotional undertone. Some fonts evoke trust and stability, while others feel friendly, warm, or even quirky.
Fonts like Baskerville feel formal and trustworthy, while Delius is seen as casual and informal. The emotional tone of the font should resonate with your brand’s values.
Looking at it from a feminine vs masculine point summarises a lot of characteristics for you to think about.
Feminine Fonts
Feminine fonts often feel elegant, soft, and inviting. They’re great if you want to communicate warmth, approachability, or creativity. Some key characteristic for feminine fonts include:
Lighter Weight – Thinner, more delicate strokes make a font feel more graceful and soft. This can bring an air of sophistication or refinement to a brand’s look.
Curved Shapes – Feminine fonts tend to have more curves and rounded edges, which give a sense of fluidity and approachability.
Ornate Details – Fonts with decorative elements, like swashes, loops, or flourishes, often feel more feminine. These details add personality and can make the font feel more expressive and add a bit of boldness.
Script or Serif Styles – Script fonts, with their handwritten feel, are often associated with femininity and elegance. Serif fonts with thin, elongated serifs can also look feminine, as they have a classic, timeless feel with a touch of elegance.
Soft Transitions and Variations – Fonts with slight variations in stroke width (called “contrast”) can appear more feminine, as they feel dynamic and add an artistic touch.
Examples: Didot, Playfair Display, Great Vibes, Georgia Italic
Masculine fonts
Masculine fonts tend to feel strong, grounded, and bold, often conveying a sense of stability and authority.
Here are characteristics that give fonts a more masculine vibe:
Thicker Weight – Heavier and bolder strokes give a font a more robust feel, which can be perfect for brands aiming to communicate strength and confidence.
Angular Shapes – Masculine fonts often have sharp, angular features, straight lines, and fewer curves. They project a clean, no-nonsense energy.
Minimal or No Flourishes – Masculine fonts tend to be minimalistic and straightforward, without too many decorative elements like swashes or curls. This simplicity can convey a sense of clarity and practicality.
Sans Serif Style – Many masculine fonts are sans serif, which adds to their modern, bold feel. However, there are also some bold serif fonts with chunky serifs that can feel masculine as well.
Geometric Structure – Fonts with a geometric structure—where letters are based on clean circles, triangles, or squares—often lean masculine due to their structured and balanced look.
Examples: Impact, Helvetica Bold, Futura, Rockwell
If you are feeling on the fence with this, there are some neutral fonts as well that strike a balance, neither being too feminine or too masculine. “Neutral” fonts can be versatile for brands that want a balanced, inclusive feel.
Examples: Impact, Helvetica Bold, Futura, Rockwell
If you’re working with a brand designer for your logo design they will also be able to manipulate a font (for a logo) to look both bold and soft, or clean and playful. This means you will save time scrolling through all the fonts trying to find the perfect one.
Pairing fonts without the headache
Pairing fonts can feel tricky, but with a few tried-and-true guidelines, you can create cohesive, professional-looking font combinations without the stress.
It is all about finding harmony and balance between your fonts. For your branding there are typically 4 different ways to use your fonts:
Header; the type that will be the primary focus. For use in main headings.
Subheader; the type that brings unity between the header and body text. For use to introduce paragraphs
Body type; to be legible for use in all paragraphs and lengths of content.
Display; an attention grabbing type for creating a visual impact.
But let’s start simple, here are some helpful tips to make font pairing easier:
Pick a Header and a Body type font.
Header: Your header should be attention-grabbing and set the tone for your brand’s personality. The header can be bold, elegant, playful, or serious depending on the brand’s vibe.
Body type: The body type should be easy to read and not compete with the header type. It usually has less personality (to make it easier to read) and supports the header type without stealing focus.
Combine fonts from different categories (Serif + Sans Serif).
Pairing a serif font with a sans serif font is one of the easiest ways to create contrast while maintaining harmony. Serif fonts bring a classic touch, while sans serifs add a modern feel. This combination is visually appealing and creates clear differentiation between headings and body text.
Play with Font Weight for Visual Hierarchy
Even within the same font family, you can use different weights (like light, regular, bold) to create contrast. For example, using a bold weight for subheaders and a regular weight for body text can add depth.
This way you keep your font selection simple and not add too many different fonts to your branding.
Keep an Eye on Font Proportion and Scale
Fonts should complement each other in terms of size and proportion. If one font has tall, narrow letters, it pairs well with a secondary font that has a similar height-to-width ratio.
Avoid pairing fonts with extreme differences in proportions unless you’re aiming for a highly skewed look.
Use One Decorative Font Sparingly
Decorative or display fonts are a great way to add some character and personality to your brand. But use them strategically to avoid overpowering your design. Decorative fonts work best in small doses, like logos, headings, or callouts, and should be paired with simpler fonts for readability.
Try Out Pre-Made Font Pairings
Many designers offer pre-made font pairings, and some fonts are even designed as pairs. Sites like FontPair, FontJoy and Monotype have great pairing suggestions.
Using these can be a great shortcut if you're new to font pairing and want to ensure your fonts work well together.
Where to find free fonts
There are so many brilliant fonts out there. Some would say too many. Then you’ve got the issue of licensing and buying fonts.
Spending a bit of money on a font could give you a font that is more unique or suitable for your brand. But if you want to keep costs low, there’s a vast variety of fonts available for free.
Some sites that I love using for free fonts are:
All fonts on Google fonts are free for commercial use. With sites like Font Pair and Font Space you will have to filter your results to only show the fonts that are ‘100% free’ or ‘free for commercial use’ and not ‘free for personal use’.
TIP: Be careful with choosing your font in Canva as a lot of the fonts available there are free to use inside Canva but if you want to use them for your website or other marketing material it is likely you will have to buy the commercial licence for that font.
Conclusion
Typography can be the element that elevates your brand from DIY to polished and professional, so don’t leave it as an afterthought.
By understanding font personalities, choosing characteristics that align with your brand, and applying smart pairing techniques, you’ll create a look that resonates with the right audience and speaks volumes about your business.
Ready to give your brand’s typography the upgrade it deserves? Whether you’re still browsing Google Fonts or are feeling overwhelmed by pairing choices, I’d love to help you bring it all together. Reach out today, and let’s take your brand’s design from “just starting out” to “bold and unforgettable”!
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