Do you really want your message to look like a ransom note? We have all seen it before a flyer, social media post or website that looks like a bunch of fonts thrown on together. But when you see Comic Sans being used within all of that, its crossing a line.

In the design field we call this Font Fatigue. Although it maybe tempting to use every cool font/typeface that you come across, every time you switch fonts, you’re asking the reader’s brain to do extra work. They have to adjust to new heights, different weights, and varying kerning.

Here is why stuffing multiple fonts or “Font Hoarding”, is sabotaging the message you are trying to get across and how you can fix your design.

Design is about Storytelling. When you’re telling a story through graphic design, there’s a specific path you want users to follow, Headline -> Subhead line -> Body Text.

When you use more than 2 different fonts, you create visual noise that disrupts the users story flow journey. Essentially the reader is facing a chaotic crowd with every word screaming at them for attention. Too much shouting creates confusion and nothing about the message you are trying to send is getting through.

When we read content, our brains concentrate and recognize patterns. If you stick to a readable, consistent typeface, the brain is able to laser in and focus on the content itself.

Every time you introduce a new typeface that is different from the other typeface, the brain has to pause for a fraction of a second to process the new fonts, kerning, and shapes. Too many pauses lead to frustration points, and frustration points lead to roadblocks where your user will skip the content you want to share.

Users look for trust factors when they come across a message. Consistency is the best way to gain this trust. Think of how the world’s biggest brands use consistency to keep their message on brand and memorable.  For example, Apple uses a consistent Sans Serif Typeface on all their content and media. This creates brand trust and loyalty. It lets users know right away if it’s an apple product. Another example is Nike, their aggressive minimalism works great for their campaigns with all their athletes. 

If all these brands started mixing and using different fonts on their homepage, media, and content, they would lose the prestige feeling overnight. This happened to GAP and their logo redesign of 2010. The attempt to modernize its messaging across promotional materials resulted in a cluttered “font-soup” aesthetic that confused customers, caused backlash and erased decades of brand equity in just six days. The font soup was caused by using a Helvetica bold typeface for the logo, various sans-serifs in store signage (no consistency) and residual serifs with leftover branding on their tags and bags.

The 2-Font Rule is a classic principle in graphic design, branding and typography. The less is more works in this approach when making a website, document, brochure or presentation slide look professional rather than multiple fonts causing chaos.

1. A Primary Font: Used for Headings and Headers (adding personality)
2. A Secondary Font: Used for Body Text (for readability)

To differentiate between hierarchy and important words, use different sizes (for example headings) and font weights (bold, italics etc).

The most common way to execute this rule is to pair a serif font with a sans serif font.
Serif fonts (like Times New Roman, Garamond etc. ) are often best used for headers and headings for headline texts. The characteristics of a serif font are small feet at the ends of stroke, often feels traditional or authoritative.

Sans serif fonts (like Ariel, Helvetica and Roboto) are often best used for body text. The characteristics are clean no feet, feels modern efficiency and is digital friendly on places like websites.

To execute the 2-Font Rule you need contrast. If the two font’s you have chosen are too familiar it make affect the visual hierarchy.

This strategy is the modern website standard. A bold Serif font provides character for the title or heading, while the clean Sans-Serif body ensures the readability of the test without creating reader and user fatigue.

This is the classic “Newspaper” look. Using a heavy geometric Sans-Serif heading and highly readable serif for the body text.

This option might be favourable if you’re having a hard time choosing 2 different fonts that won’t clash. In this option you can use the same typeface for the heading and body. For example you can use Roboto Black for the headings and Roboto medium or light for the body.

You can add a 3rd font in rare circumstances. They are often added in extremely complex editorial designs (think High Fashion magazines like VOGUE), but they have professional typographers and designers who are able to balance the scales.

They are also added in some layouts as an “accent” font (like a script or a special decorative font)for a pull-out or a signature.

Graphic design is more than just making things “look pretty”. Typography (fonts) translate to communication. When you pack a page, design, or document with a cluster of fonts or typefaces, you aren’t just making it harder to read for the users you want to reach, you are sabotaging your authority, and taking away your target audience’s focus. By embracing and using the two-font rule, you take away the noise and make your message clear to your users/target audience. Choose your typefaces/font , set the hierarchy, let it breathe with design space, and communicate your designs message effectively.