Finding the perfect font pairing is the toughest thing you’ll do as a graphic designer. In my opinion, it is even tougher than finding the right shape for your designing a Logo and more time-taking than arriving at the right color. The reason why it’s so difficult?
It’s because fonts are quite subtle communicators. Unlike shape or color, their meaning is not readily apparent. You just feel that a certain font looks a bit off in the design but may not really know why. And choosing the perfect font combination is more about intuition than technique, anyway; you have to go with your gut.
But don’t get me wrong. There is a lot of graphic design knowledge involved in this decision. You have got to get your typography rulebook sorted before you can intuitively know which font looks good for which brand design.
It’s the same with font pairings. Once your typography basics are covered, you can proceed to learn the ropes of font combinations. The three rules (more like flexible guidelines) will help you navigate these waters:
· Balanced Font Weights in designing a Logo
Look for fonts that are of similar thickness. If one font is too skinny and the other too heavy, then the balance may be a bit off for most professional brands. But if you are looking for an edgy or an off-beat look, such a pairing might work.
· Styles That Contrast
Word to the wise: believe in ‘opposites attract’. In graphic design, especially, it’s true for most professional projects. Typestyles that are too similar don’t tell the viewer what to focus on. Aesthetically, too, such a pairing looks bland and amateur.
· Establish Visual Hierarchy
In professional logo designs, always strive to establish font hierarchy. Your font pairing should make it immediately clear which portion of the text is more important and deserves more attention. Font pairs that contrast with each other, in style or size, help achieve this goal.
The 5 Professional Font Combinations that You Should Try in designing a Logo :
Font pairings in designing a Logo are usually employed to inject more character and more personality into the brand. While a logo design using just one font can still send an effective brand message, with a font combination, it has more dimension and depth.
One font logo: you are a high-end fashion house.
Font combo logo: you aren’t just a fashion house – you are a fashion house with a lot of pizzaz and know how to have fun.
The font combination that we highly recommend to create a professional brand image:
1. Oswald & Bonvenocf
The vibe: bold and confident but with an appeal
It’s as contrasting as it can get without looking wonky. Oswald is unapologetically bold and ‘there’. As a sans serif font, it has a lot of presence in designing a Logo . Bonvenocf, with its slightly thinner lines, is still a confident font but with natural ease and appeal.
2. Pony Club & Montserrat in designing a Logo
The vibe: elegant and charming with a serious business ethic
If you are designing a brand identity for a fashion, lifestyle, or food startup, this pairing is perfect. Pony Club is the perfect blend of elegance and charm. It’s a script-based font but its flair is more sophisticated than casual. Montserrat is everybody’s favorite sans serif that’s simple, attractive, and reliable.
3. Six Caps & League Spartan
The vibe: tall, thin, sleek with something strong to hold it firm
The thin lines of Six Caps are a perfect match for the strong and heavy League Spartan. For a professional brand identity that’s clean, modern, but imposing, go for this font combo.
4. Cloud & Burgues in designing a Logo
The vibe: romantic with casual confidence
Cloud is a beautiful and elegant type that has a romantic tilt to it. Holidays in Greece, hand-holding in Parisian streets, and fulfilling sunsets of lazy days are mirrored in this font. To give the pairing weight and stability, Burgues adds easy confidence.
5. Com4T & Liberation
The vibe: expansive and spacious with graceful awareness
Brands that have to do with real estate, architecture or interior design, etc., can use this pairing for maximum brand effect. Com4T is spacious, angular, and utterly chic. Your brand message of modernity and simple elegance will not go amiss with this font. Liberation adds further grace to it that’s very present and aware.
A Parting Word in designing a Logo
Font combinations that go well on a logo design need to have contrasting but complementing styles. Your job is to choose typefaces that don’t clash but instead fill each others’ gaps. Font pairings are particularly beneficial for brand names that are more than one-word long. You add a ton of meaning to your brand logo by going multiple in your font quantity. We hope this article helped you understand font combinations a little bit more than when you started.
Share your favorite font pairings down in the comments below.
About Mel Richardson
My love for quirky and out of the ordinary art style has led me to become a graphic designer while my freedom-loving soul searches for opportunities to explore the world. I write and travel to fulfill my lifelong dream.