Why I hate Papyrus, Comic Sans, and Curlz (and why you should too)

It seems like the oldest cliche in the book, a graphic designer that hates decorative fonts. No surprise there. But why? And on that note, Why are there so many choices? Can’t I use one font for everything and be done with it? I found myself wonder the same thing while looking through my fonts for a recent project. There are so many fonts, Do I really need them all?

Let’s compare this to something else of utility. Does it really matter what kind of car you drive? The all do the same thing. Do dealers really need to sell both SUVs and sedans? Can’t everyone just have Pickup truck and be done with it? There are so many different cars, Why do we need them all? 'Well,' you might answer, 'different cars have different features.' Exactly! Fonts are just like cars. There so many different makes and models of car, all with different features that help drivers get from one place to another. And we choose our cars carefully to meet our needs. With fonts, instead of delivering people or things, we’re delivering a message. And the type of font you choose can either enhance or get in the way of that message.

In keeping with my car metaphor, here is another example: I want to use my ferrari to haul lumber to a construction site? 'Are you crazy!' You respond. But humor me, if you will, and let’s look a the reasons why I shouldn’t:

A) The Ferrari’s body is too low to drive over uneven ground

B) There’s little to no trunk space, and

C) Why would I ever drive a car worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to a place where it could easily be damaged?!

That’s just common sense, right? We think this way when choosing a vehicle for job but we don’t consider it when looking at fonts. Could I use a ferrari to haul lumber to a construction site if I really wanted? Yes. But, should I? No. It’s just not practical. Fonts, again, are the same. Each one has certain features built into them that work for specific uses. The wrong font choice not only make your product difficult to read but could also spell out unintended or even offensive words. You also risk alienating your sought after audience altogether. Choosing the proper font have a very helpful impact such as decreasing eye fatigue while read long passage, making text readable from far away distances, or appearing clearly small mobile device screens. Through research you can find fonts that work best for your purposes.

In closing, some tough love.

Now, in the beginning of this post, I single out Papyrus, Comic Sans, and Curlz. Let me address them now. I’m not the only one with a passionate hate for these fonts. They get picked on the most because of their excessive use and overly ornate features that I’ll say it again, get in the way of the users message. But here is some food for thought:

Papyrus is literally everywhere. Because it has such a distinctive form it doesn’t take much to over saturated marketing, branding, and advertising. While many turn to Papyrus, attempting to appear high end, but because it’s so prevalent it ends up making you look cheap instead.

I will concede that Comic Sans has it’s place, in comic books and ONLY comic books. That’s what it was was created for. (FWY: Many comic book artists actually letter their pages by hand they don’t use Comic Sans.)

And as for Curlz. You should never use curlz for anything. Ever. You’re not a ten year old and your new brochure isn’t a third grade book report.

'But I want something fun,' you might counter, 'boring old Times New Roman is lame.' Let me present it to you this way, when your reader is paying more attention to the font than what the words are saying, you have a problem. Many graphic designers will tell you the best type design is that in which the reader doesn’t notice. (Sounding like a broken record) Fonts are a vehicle for your message and your choice of font can get in the way of your message. Don’t dismiss standard fonts like Helvetica or Garamond too quickly. Their simple forms lend them so a wide variety of uses and can easily accommodate more decorative designs. Also, things slight changes like color or layout can drastically change a simple font into something sophisticated that appeals to your client and/or target audience.

I challenge everyone to push the idea of what type design can do and don’t be afraid of considering tradition or simple fonts for new projects. You may end up with a elegant and innovative solution to your needs.