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Brand Fonts: Why Some Website Typeface Combinations Look So Stunning

Your “brand voice?” It all starts with your brand fonts!

And the #1 place to start using your brand fonts is on your website.

There are two companies offering you the ability to customize the typefaces on your website, and they’re easy — and often free — to use.

In this post, you’re going to get the resources you need to use beautiful brand fonts on your website — plus five tips that will show you how to combine website typefaces like a pro.

Google Fonts is free and offers a robust collection of open-source typefaces suitable to standing in as your brand fonts.

Adobe Fonts (formerly Typekit) is a commercial solution that’s reasonably priced, and offers a wide range of beautiful brand fonts.

Adobe Fonts includes collections from major type foundries and typeface designers.

On this blog, I switched from the web standard Georgia to Gentium Book Basic, which is a Google font that’s classic and easy-to-read.

Fresh fonts served daily

Both services work in a similar fashion: typefaces are “served” up onto users’ machines, much the way websites are served on the internet.

Users don’t need to have the typeface installed in order to see it used on a web page.

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Type Styles of the Rich and Famous

Typography tells a story: What do these rich font examples say?

Well-designed, rich fonts are beautiful to behold. Their angles and forms are an inspiration.

Fonts have a “personality,” and if you tune into what their shapes are trying to say, you can make those traits work for your business.

Let’s say on the other side of your town a company is developing an upscale neighborhood high on a hill overlooking the ocean. They’ve decided to call it “Grandview Estates.” Their tagline is “Rising Above the Rest.”

[Pretty snobby, right?]

Now let’s say you’ve been asked to design the sign that will sit at the entrance to the neighborhood.

You’ve been told that the sign needs to “reflect the caliber of people we want to attract to our estate properties.”

You know what that really means.

You need to attract rich people!

Time to break out …

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Type Styles of the Rich and Famous copy

Why I Hate the Verdana Font

Of all the web-compatible typefaces available, the least appealing is the Verdana font.

And yes, I know it’s used all over. Believe me, I notice!

We’ve spoken about choosing typefaces and brand fonts a lot around here.

Your font matters — maybe more than you realize. Think about it:

Your font choice become the visual voice of your brand. Your words are delivered wrapped in fonts — is your font speaking in the brand voice you want?

So, is Verdana a good font choice, or a bad one? Is there a smart Verdana alternative?

Related: Design 101 | 7 Typographic Resources, and 1 Type Joke

Related: Font Styles that Work: 5 Favorite Free Font Combinations

Related: Type Styles of the Rich and Famous

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16 Essential Brand Building Strategies to Grow Your Business this Year

Your big brand doesn’t just happen. It’s not a fluke.

It’s the result of using brand building strategies consistently over time.

But what should you focus on first? And how should you go about getting things done?

In today’s post, I’m sharing sixteen ways you can whip your brand (and your online business) into shape. Take this list, and use it as:

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Don’t Do These 5 Dirty Design Deeds

Design is a series of decisions. When you know enough to make good decisions, everything you design looks better. And it’s not hard. Anyone can do it, even you!

Maybe it’s because I’m such a visual person, but I see a lot of really bad design decisions out there. I’m ready to call them what they are: dirty design deeds.

They’re cheap and they’re easy to abuse. You can avoid them once you know what they are.

In recognition of these dirty deeds, I’ve created a Please Stop list. If you’re using these techniques, please stop. Now.

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