How to choose a logo font
- Match the tone: serifs read established and refined; geometric sans read modern and neutral; humanist sans read friendly; display faces carry strong character and should be used sparingly.
- Test small and in one colour. Thin strokes and tight apertures fail at favicon size.
- Check the licence. Many fonts allow desktop use but restrict logo or trademark use, or require an extended licence.
- Customise something. A modified letter, adjusted spacing or a joined pair makes the wordmark yours and avoids looking like every other brand on the same font. See unique logo design.
- Kern by hand. Default spacing is never right for a logo.
Ten typefaces that work
Serifs
- Bodoni: high contrast, fashion and luxury. Fragile at small sizes.
- Garamond: classic, literary, trustworthy. Publishing, law, heritage brands.
- Didot: editorial elegance; magazines and beauty.
- Playfair Display: an open-licence high-contrast serif for brands wanting Didot's feel without the fee.
- Cormorant: refined, slightly unusual, open licence. Good for hospitality and premium food.
Sans-serifs
- Helvetica: neutral, timeless, used by everyone, which is the risk. Needs a distinctive treatment.
- Futura: geometric, confident, mid-century. Strong in caps.
- Montserrat: open-licence geometric sans with wide weight range; versatile for startups.
- DM Sans: clean, slightly warm, excellent at small sizes; open licence.
- Space Grotesk: technical character for tech and product brands; open licence.
| Font | Tone | Licence |
|---|---|---|
| Bodoni | Luxury | Commercial |
| Garamond | Classic | Varies by cut; EB Garamond is open |
| Didot | Editorial | Commercial |
| Playfair Display | Editorial | Open (OFL) |
| Cormorant | Refined | Open (OFL) |
| Helvetica | Neutral | Commercial |
| Futura | Geometric | Commercial |
| Montserrat | Modern | Open (OFL) |
| DM Sans | Clean | Open (OFL) |
| Space Grotesk | Technical | Open (OFL) |
Common questions
- Can I use Google Fonts for a logo?
- Yes. Google Fonts are released under the Open Font Licence or similar, which allows use in logos and commercial work. Customise the letterforms so the wordmark is not identical to other brands using the same font.
- Serif or sans-serif for a logo?
- Serif for heritage, refinement and editorial tone; sans for modern, neutral or technical. Many brands pair a sans wordmark with serif headings on the website, or the reverse, as this site does.
- Should a logo use a custom typeface?
- Custom letterforms make a wordmark unmistakable and avoid licence limits. Full custom typefaces are expensive; modifying an existing face for the few letters in the name is the practical middle ground.
