It amazes me how many people still use Comic Sans on their family newsletters or in documents they send out. There’s a children’s hospital in my town that is otherwise an amazing facility, but their logo is in Comic Sans. Their LOGO! I know, it’s a children’s hospital so maybe they’re trying to appear cute and childish. But kids don’t care, and it’s the parents that are being marketed to!
Too many people have commented on the negative and horrific after effects of Comic Sans in our world, so for this list, I’m not going to use it. It’s overkill, and thankfully, more people are ruling it out.
In the day when Google Fonts are everywhere, there are so many good fonts to choose from. And if you’re paying attention, you’ll find that you typically see the same types of fonts in most online and printed publications these days.
But that doesn’t mean that every font should still be used. There have been thousands of fonts for a long, long time, and many of them have just been used to death.
I’m not saying they are all terrible fonts, or that I don’t appreciate their contribution to print and design. I’m just saying, it’s time to move along with the zeitgeist, people.
Without further ado, Here are Ten Fonts That Need to Make Their Exit:
1. Times New Roman
You had to see this one coming, right? This has been the industry standard from the early days of word processors all the way through Windows XP. After that, Microsoft updated their default font from Times to Calibri (also coming up), but amazingly, for those looking for that serif font (Serif simply means the more classic book-looking font where there are lines and details to letters like “I” and “t” and pretty much everything.
2. Arial
Yep. Just like Times New Roman, Arial was the second most common choice for anyone powering up their PC back in 2003, and it was the “sans-serif” font that was default on everyone’s computer (SANS-Serif means “without” the lines and details in letters like “I” and “t” and everything else. As a rule, I’m a non-conformist, so I tend to not like using default designs and fonts. To me, default fonts in a design is a bit like using old Microsoft clip-art. Sure the clip-art may describe what you want to say, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t better ways to give a visual.
3. Calibri
Like Arial and Times before it, Calibri has been the Windows and Microsoft Office standard of default fonts since Windows Vista. And while it isn’t the worst, it has been around for a while. And maybe with all the new Google Fonts, it’s time to experiment more.
4. Courier and Courier New
This one may get some hate because it’s an industry standard for creative writers like novelists and screenwriters. And to be fair, I DO appreciate the standard itself. A standard is important in screenwriting and novel writing because editors and producers and actors and directors need to be able to quickly know how to find elements they’re looking for in a script and don’t need to be taking in your bold new choice of fonts. They’re busy people for crying out loud! But, just because there should be a standard doesn’t mean we can’t update it a bit! Courier fonts are designed to mirror the early days of word processing and look more like a typed script from a typewriter. They’ve been the standard of screenwriting software for decades. But maybe it’s time to use a different standard. Something similar but that’s a little updated in its look and design. It gives writers a little something else to get excited about. Might I suggest a more modern – yet classy – font like Museo Slab? Let’s see how this looks.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.
5. Georgia
Yes, Georgia is right up there with Times New Roman. And while I like Georgia better because it wasn’t used by default by everyone writing a document in a word processor, there are just so many better, crisper fonts now. Let’s update this with something a little more like Merriweather.
6. Open Sans
Open Sans is simply the Google Font equivalent to Arial. It is a nice Helvetica-inspired font that isn’t flashy, isn’t too special. But just a good sans-serif font. But, it is a default. Maybe everyone should just choose what font they want instead of having to have a default. What do you think? Too far?
7. Impact
Impact was a skinny sans-serif font that was extremely bold. It was great in the 80s and 90s for announcing “50% Off” and “CLOSING SALE” ads for department stores and auto parts mechanics, but it has been so overused. And it’s so bold that it’s obnoxious. Would you want to look very long at an ad or book using this font?
8. Myriad Pro
Ok, I know I’m harping on default fonts, and Myriad Pro is to Adobe what Arial and Open Sans are to Microsoft and Google. It’s a default font loaded on every Adobe Creative Suite software like Photoshop and InDesign. It’s fine, it’s blah. But it’s a default font, and for CREATIVE SOFTWARE, shouldn’t your font be ANYTHING but the default font everyone else is using? For crying out loud, as a designer, there’s nothing more irritating than loading a design in Photoshop only to have your fonts replaced with the default Myriad Pro!
Well, that’s not true, there’s lots more frustrating things, but it just sounded good at the time.
9. Rounded Fonts (like Arial Rounded MT and Cooper Black and Subway)
These fonts were cool in certain sitcoms like “Louie” (Is it appropriate to bring back Louis CK’s name yet?) and Cheers. They are harkening back to a simpler time. Usually the 1970s. These are thick rounded fonts that look like they should take up an entire television screen when it comes time for the credit roll. And I do like a good vintage font. But there are so many good vintage fonts now, that we shouldn’t need something that looks like it’s announcing the return of Disco, should we?
10. Chiller
This is just one example of a decorative and fun, trendy font that has just outlived its usefulness. You watch next Halloween for how many homespun signs will look like this:
It’s time to create better fonts. Oh, and trendy should be just that. A short-lived thing. It doesn’t need to make a comeback every year! Let’s liven it up a little, right?
What do You Think?
Do you agree with this list? What would you add to the list or take away from it? Share your comments below.
