Align the Font with the Message

The short video below explains in clear terms how the font needs to align with the meaning of the logo. When we're communicating, we need to understand and do our best to control the messages that we're sending.

For example, if you are presenting on the sacrifice of Jesus you shouldn't use comic sans serif (just don't use that font at all to be safe). Visual communication is about more than just pictures.

How do you align your text with your message?

In Your (type)Face!

Seth Godin points out that the Typeface that you use says a lot about you. He says:
If you send me a flyer with dated, cheesy or overused type, it's like showing up in a leisure suit for a first date. If your website looks like Geocities or some scammy info marketer, I won't even stay long enough to read it.
Ow, that's brutal, but accurate. He goes on to say that you should develop a suite of about four fonts that you use all the time. Seriously. I know it sounds boring, but it will provide a lot of continuity and connection between everything you do.

You should have a title font, a body font, and no more than two accent fonts. I like to use a serif font (one with the lines on the top and bottom of the letters) for the title font and then a san-serif (without serifs) font for the body. Then usually a bold and an italic font for the accents.

What font tips do you have?

ban comic sans serif

The font: comic sans serif has been around for a while and there are some who are saying that it has been too long.

I don't know that the font needs to go away completely, but I will say that unless your presentation is specifically comic book themed, you should not use it. This font is the default font for terrible presentations. I don't know if people think that they are being fun or funky, but it just comes across as tacky. Don't use it. Don't. Ever.

On the topic of fonts. Keep it to no more than two fonts per presentation. One title font and one body font. I recently saw a resume where the applicant had four different fonts on the cover sheet of his resume. I didn't need to look any further. He could never get my vote.

What tips do you have about fonts?