11 Best Fonts for Modern Website Designs
Last updated: 2022-04-17
This article is going to attempt to provide an answer to website designers and owners on the best fonts to play around with to achieve the perfect look.
Typography is a key element that goes into the design of websites around the globe. However, when going about the decision to select the best font, what are the things you should consider? Where would you begin? Which fonts would you consider and how would you pair them?
Types of fonts
Before choosing a font, you need to know that there are fonts that look good when printed but are not great for web usage.
Websites need fonts that are legible, web-safe and presentable to the eye. After all, if people cannot read the font you select, they will not take the actions you need them to take on your website. That eventually reduces your revenues and weakens your online marketing.
There are several types of fonts but the four below are the main ones:
1. Serif
Serif fonts - These usually have feet. The letters have a little hook to their endings as shown in the first box on the top left.
2. Sans Serif
Sans-serif fonts - These usually have no feet. “Sans” means “without”. In this case, the letters are not having little hooks to their ends as shown in the image below.
3. Script
Script fonts - Script fonts are very good for decorating sections of your website or document. They are curvy, some difficult to read, but they look very decorative. This font is not preferred for long bodies of text but can be used for headlines or quotes.
4. Display
Display fonts - They are usually large letters. They work very well for posters or where huge headlines and advertisements are being set up. They are not recommended for large text sections.
What to consider when selecting the best font for your website?
1. Readability - Ensure that the font has good letter spacing to enhance readability. In addition, at font sizes 14 and 16, the font type needs to have great readability since this is the standard size. Don’t use uppercase fonts for anything other than headlines because if excessively used it can cause eye strain.
2. Hierarchy - Headings have bigger fonts than the body section of the content. Also, headings are in variety from heading 1 which is usually the title, to heading 2, 3, 4, etc which work well for sub-titles.
3. Keep it simple - The best websites have a maximum of two fonts that are used in various sections or interchanged with one another. More than two fonts start to bring in complexities. You won’t know what situation would need which font.
4. Ambiance - The mood you want to create on your website also determines which font to select. Serif fonts are usually elegant, very formal, and classical as well. Sans-serif fonts enhance minimalism, modernity and informality.
11 Best Fonts for Web Design
Now that you understand the importance of typography, we will look at some fonts for web design and how they work with your website design to drive your messaging and branding.
In this section, we will focus on fonts that are freely available on the internet including Google, Adobe and Microsoft fonts.
1). Montserrat
This is one of the most common Sans-serif fonts. It works well as a headings font and also as a body font thanks to its great scaling mechanism. It is youthful and geometric. A lot of people love it because of how easy it is to the eye.
It pairs well with: Open sans and Roboto
2). Playfair Display
Definitely one of my favourites. It is a Serif font that is loved by the female demographic because of the flow in its lines. It has nice curves with little hooks at the end of its letters. Even when it is thin, it is still readable.
It pairs well with: Lato, Roboto, Montserrat, Georgia, Open sans
3). Open sans
This font is one of the most popular on the internet. It is highly likely that the next website you go to will be using Open sans because of its minimalism, readability, and neutrality. It enhances user experience for most websites.
It pairs well with: Montserrat, Lato and Roboto
4). Roboto
The default font for most Android devices is Roboto. It works great for readability. Like Open sans, it is loved by web designers because it improves the user experience and does not strain the eyes of web visitors. It’s geometric but curvy sans-serif typeface makes it one of the most popular fonts today.
It pairs well with: Open sans, Lato, Georgia, Playfair Display
5). Lato
This font is used a lot in professional circles, thanks its professional look. It is a sans-serif font that displays well for companies with a modern, inviting brand to enhance their web messaging.
It pairs well with: Open sans, Roboto, Montserrat
6). Helvetica
This font has been widely adopted due to the number of versions available. There are more than 100 versions of Helvetica. It is loved because of its diversity.
It pairs well with: Roboto, Georgia, Lucida Grande
7). Alternate Gothic
This is not a common font but some of the best websites use it. The typeface is Sans-serif and it looks great when used on headings and titles. For large amounts of body text, it would be too heavy on the page causing eye strain.
It pairs well with: Proxima Nova, Open Sans, Lato
8). Tisa
If you cannot find Helvetica or Arial on the web, Tisa is your best alternative as far as nearness to design is concerned. It is a font that provides a very clear readable style.
It pairs well with: Open Sans, Roboto, Georgia
9). Arvo
This font can make your website look either classic or modern depending on which version you go for. It has either regular, bold, italic or bold italic. It is a geometric Serif-typeface that is loved by several businesses online.
It pairs well with: Open Sans, Montserrat, Lato
10). Dosis
It has a narrowy look that makes it very good for websites in science and technology. It leaves the quirky feeling but looks great when used for startups too. It is a Sans-serif font, ideally for the minimalist designer who just wants to communicate.
It pairs well with: Lato, Open sans, Georgia
11). Merriweather
This is also one of the best fonts for modern websites. It was developed to help with better readability on screens like the ones we find ourselves using today. It has been used a lot by universities and research institutions thanks to its sophisticated look. It is a serif font that just hits the nail on the head with its little hooks on letters.
It pairs well with: Lato, Open sans, Roboto
Conclusion
In summary, when choosing the best font for your website, make sure to consider the readability, the ambiance you want to create, hierarchy and simplicity. This article has looked at some of the best 11 fonts which are commonly used around the web.
We have also discussed the types of fonts available and determined that the majority of the time, for web, you would be pairing a Serif and Sans-serif font. This should help you choose a font that is great for your visitors.
Good fonts lead to the increased time spent on your website by visitors. People will leave your website faster than lightning if your font type is bad.
