Are you making these font mistakes? These design mistakes can kill your graphics, but luckily, they’re super easy to fix!
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Have you ever made a graphic for your latest blog post, and it just feels…off? You can’t put your finger on it, but this design is just not coming together.
Chances are, it’s your font choice. The fonts you use can make or break your graphics. And on Pinterest, where people decide if they want to visit your blog based on your graphic, it’s doubly important!
Fonts can be frustrating! I know, I work with them every day as a graphic designer. Let me share with you a few tips I’ve learned to choose the right font every time.
5 Font Mistakes You Might Be Making
Font Mistake #1 – Bad Color Combinations
Screaming colors make my eyes hurt. Your readers don’t like them, either.
Bad color combinations are one of the worst font mistakes you can make. Why? Because if your ideal reader happens upon your graphic in their social media feed, they will scroll past FAST to give their eyes a rest! They won’t even read your headline. They just don’t want to see double for the next 15 minutes.
How to fix it:
Simple is best. You can’t go wrong with dark text on a light background, or light text on a dark background. If you don’t want a stark black & white look, opt for a dark gray text on a pastel background, or white on a bright pop of color.
Font Mistake #2 – Hard-to-Read Fonts
I get it. There are lots of pretty, swirly, handlettered fonts out there. And they are beautiful.
Know what else they are? Stinkin’ hard to read.
Most of your readers are on their phones, which means your graphic is reduced to a teeny tiny screen. Don’t make your ideal reader squint to make out your text!
How to fix it:
For the ultimate in reading ease, go with serif or sans-serif fonts. If you really want to use a script font, you can! Just follow two rules:
- Opt for a simple script that is easy to read (preview it on your phone!)
- Use the script font for accent words, not your whole headline
Leave the artsy scripts for wedding invitations.
Font Mistake #3 – Overused Fonts
Let us pause for a moment and pay homage to those fonts used in every graphic ever designed in the days of the early interwebs.
And then let us retire them.
There are some fonts which have been so widely used that if you see them now, it automatically dates a graphic. Top contenders on this list:
- Comic Sans
- Papyrus
- Times New Roman
- Curlz MT
- Kristen ITC
How to fix it:
There is a whole wide world out there of fonts both pretty and useful! Time to explore, my friend.
Start with fontsquirrel (free) and creativemarket.
Font Mistake #4 – Poor Font Pairings
As in life, some fonts do not get along. Also as in life, forcing these fonts to share the same space does not end well.
Just like two clashing personalities can set everyone else on edge, two clashing fonts will wreak havoc with your whole graphic.
How to fix it:
Pairing fonts correctly does not have to involve stress and tears. Or hair-pulling-out, or large quantities of chocolate. See my guide to font pairing, and let all be right with the world again.
But go ahead and pass the chocolate.
Font Mistake #5 – Too Many Fonts
Unlike yarn, books, and purses, it is in fact possible to have too many fonts in one graphic.
And now you know what my Christmas list looks like every year.
Too many fonts in one graphic is like attending a parade during a concert in the middle of an outdoor movie while a fireworks show is going on. You don’t know what to look at next and it all just becomes noise.
How to fix it:
Simple is best. Choose 1-3 complementary fonts, and use them on all of your graphics. Make it part of your brand identity. Not only will you look all spiffy and pulled-together, but your design time will go faster! No more choosing fonts! Back to knitting, reading & shopping.
I see these font mistakes all the time, and they kill an otherwise good graphic! They’re easy mistakes to make, but they’re also easy to fix!
You don’t have to sacrifice style to avoid these font mistakes. Just remember that the goal of your graphic is to convince your reader to click or tap. Do them a favor and make your graphic text easy to read and pleasant to look at.
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