Typography Trends for 2017

Diana Caliman -

Go big or go home

The new trend for 2017? Increase the text size all the way. You can either go big or small, there is no in-between this year. A bigger dimension for the text is eye-catching and can increase the accessibility in design. But smaller sized fonts have their advantages too. The small text can focus more on the product or service and less on the message. So what will you choose?

 

Handwritten typefaces

Handwritten typefaces are the top trend this year. They are used all over the internet for web pages, social media posts or visual logos. The idea behind this kind of typeface is that it creates a friendly and cozy feeling, like if someone wrote it personally. Also, it can guide the consumers through a targeted user experience. And it’s an advantage for the brands that want to build a story.

 

Mix and match your design

If you bring together fonts that wouldn’t normally be combined, you can make a better visual representation for your brand and get more attention from your audience. There are no rules when mixing. You can try combinations like bold with thin, monotype with handwritten or serif with sans serif. Don’t think too much, the result will be great for sure.

 

Watercolor typeface

Watercolor typography is a trend from 2016 and this year it’s even more popular. This font is perfect for those brands who want to add a personal touch to the design. It is seen everywhere, especially in social media posts and service-based business designs.

 

Custom Fonts

In a technology world where everyone uses the same design and where there are no big differences, more people are looking for something customized, personalized. A custom font is a better choice because it showcases the company style and tells a message in a unique way. And this way, brands can build a better relationship with their customers.

 

Geometric designs

A typography trend that was popular in 2016 and is rising this year, is geometric typography. This type of font is the modern way of displaying words. A very popular direction of the geometric fonts is the use of almost cube-like letter writing. Geometric typography is eye-catching and futuristic-looking, leaving a modern impression on the audience.

 

Responsive design practices

When choosing a font, you have to think how it looks on various types of devices like smartphones, laptops or tablets. What might seem great on your phone may look bad on a bigger screen or the other way around. If you’re building a responsive design, the typeface should grow and shrink easily depending on the different screen sizes. If the font is not responsive, this will make the user have a bad user-experience while trying to read the content on your page, and leave it sooner than you expected.

 

Overlay over image

It is well-known that text and image are the most important elements of a design. Big images are an important trend, so it’s a must to share the message by overlaying the text over the image. This way brands can deliver a powerful message. But you have to pay attention when choosing the best elements to combine. It’s important not to cover up the main parts of the image with the text because this will block the right message.

 

The most used typography fonts in 2016

Hongkiat made a research about the free and paid fonts that are most used by web and graphic designers and found out the top following 10:

  • Myriad Pro (Free)

 

  • Bebas Neue (Free)

 

  • Ubuntu (Free)

 

  • PT Serif (Free)

 

  • Futura (Paid)

 

  • Helvetica (Paid)

 

  • Fedra Sans (Paid)

These are the 8 most popular typography trends in 2017. Do you know any other typography trends that are missing from this list? Let us know in a comment below.