You know when there’s a fashion segment on a talk show and they always feature pieces that every gal must have in their closet. Those pieces that are worth investing in and you can always pair it with the trendier pieces. Well I'm bringing you that segment... Font Friday style. There are certain fonts that I think every designer should have in their font library. When I was getting started, I was always curious about the fonts that weren't the script fonts. I think they are so much harder to identify and so for anyone who is just curious about the best of the basics, then this post is for you. Also, I say 'investment', but these are not outrageously expensive fonts. They add up, yes, but you will use them ALL THE TIME! (and this ladies and gentlemen is how I justify most of my clothing purchases - it works like a charm)
Hands down my favorite go-to serif font is Mrs. Eaves. It's the little black dress of fonts ;)
From Mrs. Eaves Roman to Mrs. Eaves Italics to Mrs. Eaves Small Caps, it's one of the most versatile, elegant, and lovely fonts. I have to stop myself from using this font sometimes.
In the sans serif category, I think Futura is one of the best options out there. There are 38 (!!!) versions of this font, so obviously it is versatile, but I recommend getting Futura Light, Futura Book or Futura Bold to get started.
I think a problem that newer designers have is that they choose their script fonts carefully, but just throw whatever serif/sans-serif they have. Know that these fonts are just as important (if not more) as those lovely script fonts. Also, revisit my Fonts 101 post to brush up on your tracking and kerning!
What is your 'investment' font that you would recommend to a new designer?
For more font love, don’t forget to check out the picks of my favorite font friends: Alexandra & Craig from The Aerialist Press, Allison at Allison Owen Design, Anna from And Everything Nice, Jen from Blush Printables, Sophia and Andre at Brancoprata, Steph from Bubblerock, Cecile of Cecile Paper Lounge, Catherine at Design Editor, Laurel at Go Against the Grain, Jenny from Hank + Hunt, Allie at Honey Bee Invites, Lauren from Lauren Elise Crafted, Jenna and Elizabeth from Little Bit Heart, Kerry from Super Swoon, Vicki from Vicki Designer and Wendy at Weswen Design (#fontfriday on twitter)
