A well-chosen font can simplify difficult technical material into a digestible form, therefore decreasing the workload and improving understanding. On the other hand, a poorly chosen typeface can cause discomfort for the eyes, hide meaning, and perhaps result in critical mistakes. The best font is not a one-size-fits-all fix but rather a strategic option that calls for careful thought of several elements, including the target audience, the goal of the document, and the particular information being expressed.

The article explores the subtle aspects of font selection in technical documentation and investigates the main ideas guiding font choice, common mistakes to avoid, and best practices to guarantee that technical papers are not only useful but also visually attractive and easily navigable. Technical creators can improve their works to unprecedented levels by knowing how fonts affect readability, correctness, and general user experience, therefore promoting clarity, comprehension, and finally, the effective spread of technical knowledge.

How to use fonts as a technical writer

Knowing the basic elements of a font helps one to choose fonts for technical papers with accuracy. Often subtle but powerful, these components greatly help a document to be aesthetically pleasing and generally readable.

Traditional and formal fonts are typified by serifs, like Times New Roman or Georgia, for printed products and long text due to their apparent elegance and simplicity of reading. Sans-serif typefaces, on the other hand, give a cleaner and more modern look even if they lack these artistic strokes. Common sans-serif fonts used extensively in digital documents and screen-based reading because of their clarity and legibility are Helvetica, Arial, and Verdana.

Especially in smaller font sizes, the x-height, meaning that height of lowercase letters excluding ascenders and descenders, plays a crucial part in readability. Greater x-height improves the visual weight of lowercase letters, therefore increasing their clarity. On digital devices, fonts having a higher x-height, Verdana or Calibri, can increase readability.

A font’s apparent strength and visual impact depend on its weight, that is, its stroke thickness. To highlight certain material, establish a visual organization, and direct the reader’s attention, employ diverse weights, regular, bold, and italic. Understanding these basic elements helps technical writers choose fonts that best maximize the readability and general efficacy of their writings.

Things to keep up in mind when choosing fonts for technical documents

A consistent font choice throughout the entire manuscript is most important. When there are too many distinct fonts, it might cause the readers to lose flow and make it harder for them to grasp. The correct distance between letters and words is another significant factor that contributes to the improvement of reading and the reduction of eye strain.

Accuracy is yet another factor that is vital. Selecting a font that can accommodate the required character set is crucial, particularly when the document contains mathematical symbols, code snippets, or characters from a foreign language. It is of the utmost importance to check that the typeface accurately generates symbols, subscripts, and superscripts, which are all considered special characters. 

Focus and clarity can be achieved by choosing the right font. Format headings and subheadings in distinct, easy-to-read fonts to establish a hierarchical structure. People frequently select sans-serif fonts for headlines due to their bold and modern appearance. Fixed-width fonts, such as Courier New or Consolas, are ideal for displaying code snippets and syntax highlighting. This is because they maintain consistent spacing and enhance the readability of the code. It is possible to emphasize specific ideas or keywords by using bold, italics, or underlining. 

It is imperative that technical documents are easily accessible. When it comes to readers who have visual difficulties, following the recommended font sizes is helpful. Larger font sizes are more readily available. The background and text color should contrast enough to make reading easier. Typically, people prefer the combination of dark text on a light backdrop or vice versa. Additionally, the choice of typeface, serif or sans-serif, can influence accessibility. Despite the fact that some studies suggest that serif fonts may be better readable for printed texts, it is possible that sans-serif fonts are more suitable for use on digital devices.

Errors to avoid when writing a technical document

Technical documentation often falls victim to the overuse of fonts. Using several fonts inside one document could visually clutter it and divert the reader from the information. Using a restricted number of fonts for headings, body text, code, and other sections keeps a uniform font palette.

Inconsistent font size is another frequent error. Different font sizes in body text and headings could upset the visual equilibrium and make reading difficult. Keeping constant font sizes guarantees a clean, professional look, particularly inside the same level of heading or text.

Another major error in technical documentation is ignoring branding rules, which can also compromise an organization’s professional reputation. Should your company have certain branding rules, you must follow them exactly in font choice. Fonts that fit the visual identity of the brand support the brand’s image and help preserve consistency.

Technical writers have the ability to generate articles that are not only precise and helpful but also visually beautiful and simple to navigate. Carefully selecting and utilizing fonts accomplishes this. If you follow these criteria, you will be able to guarantee that the technical documents you create are excellent instruments for communication and the transfer of information.
And if you are unsure about the name of a font that is ideal for your technical materials that you discovered online, all you need to do is take a screenshot of the text that was entered using that font and then allow the advanced search algorithms of our website, WhatFontIs.com, to do the rest!

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“I promise this story about fonts is interesting”

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There are hundreds of thousands of fonts in the world but the English and Latin-based languages typically use mostly just three: Times New Roman, Arial, and Helvetica.

We can find these 3 fonts everywhere: on the books we read, on instruction manuals, on all kind of advertisements, on newspapers, and journals. These 3 options were the favorite fonts for decades, being the favorite choice of companies, industries, and computer operating systems.

Let’s find out why and how they became the most popular fonts in the world.

Serif vs Sans Serif Fonts

To fully understand why these 3 fonts are the most popular in the world, we need first to discuss a bit about serif and sans serif fonts.

Serif fonts use embellishments and flourishes in their characters, making them unique, special, and beautiful.  These fonts are on the market since the 18^th century.

Serif fonts were created for the printing press and because they are so old, they are considered more traditional fonts.

Sans (sans means without) serif fonts are fonts that use clean and simple lines. Your iPhone uses Sans serif fonts.

In the below picture, you can easily spot the differences.

Now let’s find out a brief history of these 3 fonts. It will help us respond to the article question.

More info about Times Roman, Arial, and Helvetica

This information is needed to find out why these 3 fonts are the most popular in the world.

Times New Roman

Times New Roman was created in 1932 by type designer Stanley Morison and Victor Lardent. They created the font at the request of the newspaper The Times.

Since the newspaper wanted to rebrand itself, a new font was needed. 

This font had to be highly efficient for the newspaper, meaning that it had to maximize the number of words that could fit in a line and on a page.

The Times had just 1 year exclusivity for Times New Roman and a few years later, the font was started to be used also by American publishers and companies from all over the world.

Helvetica

Swiss typeface designer Max Miedinger together with Eduard Hoffmann designed Helvetica in 1957.

It was a commission for the Swiss Haas type foundry.

Max Miedinger designed the font to revitalize the company’s sans serif offerings with a much more modern design.

Arial

Robin Nicholas and Patricia Saunders created Arial in 1982 for Monotype Corporation, a popular company specialized in typefaces.

The font was designed for laser printing and personal computers (PCs).

It was among the first of its kind.

In summary, why are Times New Roman, Arial, and Helvetica the most popular fonts in the world?

Now comes the super interesting part.

Microsoft and Apple made Times New Roman, Arial, and Helvetica the most popular in the world.

These 2 companies made a cross-license agreement for font technology back in 1989. The mission of the agreement was to standardize fonts and printer software across the two operating systems. Their names were True Type and TrueImage.

Microsoft licensed their fonts from Monotype, and Apple from Linotype.

As a result, Microsoft core fonts were Times New Roman, Arial, and Courier New, while Apple’s core fonts were Times Roman, Helvetica, and Courier.

Later, some changes took place, but we discuss about this later.

Why did both companies picked Times New Roman?

In essence, Microsoft and Apple picked Times New Roman because most documents were printed and Times New Roman was widely available and designed for print.

Their decision launched Times New Roman in the sky, making the font one of the most popular in the world.

Arial journey

Arial became super popular because Microsoft selected it as a core font for its operating system.

In a moment, it was the most accessible sans serif font available the most people with personal computers.

Generally speaking, Helvetica was a superior sans serif font for many but its licensing fee was too expensive for Microsoft strategy.

Arial was 17 years the default Windows default font for PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook, this is how it became the favorite choice of people from all over the world.

Helvetica’s “road to happiness”

Helvetica’s road was very different. Its creation timing was perfect, in post-war.

Back then, modernism influenced arts, architecture, and literature. The media world needed a versatile typeface that was easy to read and a font that could adapt to any need.

In plus, Apple made Helvetica its default font.

At this instant, Helvetica is the world’s most popular font. It is everywhere we look, no matter if we like it or not.

The world changes

Times New Roman, Arial, and Helvetica were the leading fonts for several decades.

But the world changes.

And eventually also the fonts we use daily.

As a result of these changes, Microsoft Word default fonts were changed from Times New Roman and Arial, to Calibri.

And books are no longer printed in Times New Roman.

Because of that, Times New Roman lost huge from its popularity.

At the present time, my guess is that Helvetica will remain the world’s most popular font for at least 10 years from now.

And as long as tons of new fonts are launched each year, we will for sure see some new winners.

The post Why Are Times New Roman, Arial, and Helvetica The Most Popular Fonts In The World appeared first on WhatFontIs.com Playground.

It is now possible with Helvetica Now Variable.

These are great news for all of us, not only the graphic designers, web designers, and developers.

The big news

The famous type foundry Monotype launched a variable version of the most popular font – Helvetica. It now has more than a million fonts in a single file.

Its name is Helvetica Now Variable and it is built on the 2019 release of Helvetica Now.

This is probably the biggest fonts news for 2021, I really don’t think that something better will come to this year.

What is Helvetica Now Variable?

It is the most complete font on the planet, at least on planet Earth. 

Helvetica Now Variable has over 1 million styles to play (over two-and-a-half million with italics), putting you in control of everything:

• You can blend weights as you wish.
• Have all the styles in just one file.
• Compressed or condensed widths for huge typographic projects – you decide.
• You can move through the entire styles sequence quickly and with ease.

Equally important is that you have everything included.

Charles Nix, Creative Type Director at Monotype, said:

“This font gives designers the firepower they need – from greater creative freedom to typographic expression – to produce exquisitely fine-tuned typography and expressive, animated headlines. Moreover, it’s just plain fun, with the potential to bring the good news of variable fonts to the masses. Helvetica Now Variable is everything Helvetica should be today.”

Helvetica Now Variable is a powerful extension of the Helvetica Now family that helps you make custom-blends from its weights (Hairline to ExtraBlack), optical sizes (four point to infinity), and new Compressed and Condensed widths.

Create infinite shades of expression, incredible typographic animations, and ultra-refined typography. Its single font file makes it easier to use and wickedly fast. Load one file and access a million fonts—in a fraction of the size of a traditional font family.

The price of Helvetica Now Variable

You will have to pay $499 for Helvetica Now Variable Family Pack.

The price is not small at a first glance, but when taking into consideration how much you get from this pack and that you will save money by not buying several others fonts for your projects, it quickly becomes a great deal.

Until 27 August, you can get the Helvetica Now Variable Family Pack with 60% discount, so the pack is just $199.

This is a great deal for anybody looking to make a small investment for its upcoming projects.

If you like it, you should get it.

Designers that worked hard to create Helvetica Now Variable

It is worth mentioning the names of all the designers that made Helvetica Now Variable.

Here they are:

Max Miedinger, Charles Nix, Monotype Studio, Friedrich Althausen, Malou Verlomme, Jan Hendrik Weber, Emilios Theofanous

Congrats to all these guys, they made super work.

Conclusions

Helvetica Now Variable just changed the game and for sure many other big players in the font industry will follow and come with similar packages.

Monotype did a really good job with Helvetica and if somebody believed that Helvetica is already at its best, he was wrong, Helvetica just got even better.

Furthermore, there are unlimited possibilities with Helvetica and the best designers will use it at its maximum capacity, stopping using several fonts for their projects.

Now it is not needed, with Helvetica Now Variable we can make any combination of styles we want.

Don’t forget about the discount that you can get until 27 August, the special price is $199 (and not $499 as the list price).

Get it now.

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So how can you choose the best fonts for your banners?

Just like we mentioned in one of our article How do famous brands choose their fonts, there are fonts that have the power to generate some emotions in the mind of the viewer. So our advice is to know at least the basic notions before proceeding to creating a banner design.

Helvetica

Let’s start with an all time classic!

Helvetica is probably one the most widely used fonts by graphic designers. Why? Because of its simple and unique shape, the message can be very easy to see and read.

Futura ND Alt Cond Light font

Just as we mentioned above, legibility is super important when it comes to banner and advertising in general. If you have many things to say but don’t have much available space, then the best choice for you is Futura. You will get enough freedom to say more than you would say with other fonts.

Roboto Light

Initially, Roboto was designed by Google itself. Its design transmits simplicity and elegance. It is one of the most used fonts in all industries that require text. This makes it one of the best banner fonts, so choose it if you want to portray elegance and simplicity.

Walkway Black

This font is innovative, easy to read and has a modern and trendy look. Creative industries are already using Walkway for their marketing materials. If you what you look for is novelty and freshness, then use this font for your banners.

Rubika font

This font can make quite an impression, mostly due to the round shapes of the letters and heaviness added to them. Knowing that your message may come across as bold and create a longer lasting effect on the audience, it makes it the perfect choice for your banners.

If you want to try other fonts and bring something new to your banner designs, then check Whatfontis. There are so many fonts to choose from, that all you need is inspiration, passion and time!

The post Best easy to read banner fonts you should use appeared first on WhatFontIs.com Playground.

Helvetica

The Helvetica font is one of the most notorious fonts in the world. It is the creation of Eduard Hoffman, director of Haas Type Foundry in Switzerland and it first appeared in 1957. Its original name was Neue Haas Grotesk – a bit hard to remember, right? Shortly after its appearance, it became Helvetica, after the Latin denomination of Switzerland.

Originally, Helvetica was used for printing papers. But with no doubt this sans-serif font is doing very well in the digital era. Nowadays, lots of brands use Helvetica. To state some of its most famous usages:

• on the NASA spaceships, the name of the United States of America lays written in Helvetica;
• you can see Helvetica all over New York city because all subways signs are using that font.

This font is so cool it even has its movie. Released in 2007, Helvetica is a documentary film that gathers lots of opinions on typography in general and Helvetica in particular from many influential typographers and graphic designers. Check out the trailer here.

Georgia

Another very recognisable font is Georgia. Designed by Matthew Carter and Thomas Rickner, this serif font first appeared in 1996. At first, it was one of Microsoft’s core fonts for the world wide web, but after a while it became available on Macintosh too. Rumour has it that this font got his name after Georgia O’Keefe, the favourite artist of the Microsoft’s program manager.

Georgia was designed to go hand in hand with Verdana. Despite their different proportions – Georgia looks a bit smaller than Verdana when they are side by side at the same point size – they represent the perfect contrast pair. They are clear, readable and legible on screen, unlike other fonts that go well on print, such as Arial or Times New Roman.

Today, we all know about Georgia. It’s popular and goes well on text heavy sites. It’s pretty much the right choice for a more upmarket, classic design. But things were not always like this. Back in the day, Georgia was not that popular and it was perceived way too similar to Times New Roman.

Garamond

Old, but yet very recognisable. Garamond was created between 1530-1545 by a French type founder, publisher and type designer named Claude Garamond. This serif font is one of the typographical highlights of the 16th century. To create it, Claude Garamond found his inspiration in the handwriting of Angelo Vergecio, the librarian of the French King Francis I. It was brought back to life in the 1920s, by Stanley Morison and the Monotype Corporation.

There’s something very appealing about this font: the characters are fluid and consistent, while some of them have very unique traits. Just look at the small bowl of the lowercase ‘a’ or at the small eye of the lowercase ‘e’. These characteristics make Garamond one of the most easy to read fonts in the world.

Today, the one and only set of original Garamond type is in Plantin-Moretus Museum, Antwerp.

Didot

Created in 1784, the Didot font is as fresh today as when it first appeared. Member of the most recognisable fonts gang, Didot is the first font that unmistakably defined the modern style known as Didone.

Inspired a little bit by Baskerville due to its increased contrast and vertical stress, Didot has strong, clear forms and flat serifs. His neat and clean look make it more appropriate for fashion and cultural uses. Remember the new Zara logo? If not, check out the article on that here if you want to see this font in action.

Rockwell

Last but not least, let’s move our attention towards the Rockwell font. It’s a reinterpretation of an older font called Litho Antique and it was released in 1934. Made almost entirely out of straight lines, perfect circles and sharp angles, Rockwell is a simple serif font. Although the shapes are pretty complex, they don’t feel overwhelming at all. Also, because of its shape, it doesn’t read well when used in the body of a text. We recommend it mainly for the titles, it will surely be more effective.

When you think about Rockwell, you cannot help to not think about the architecture and design of Modernist movement. Simple, bold and captivating.

These are just some of the most recognisable fonts in the world. But, as we like to think, these are some of the most relevant fonts that everybody should have in mind when starting a creative project. Choosing a right font is as important as choosing an appropriate logo or catchphrase. If ever in need for a pinch of inspiration, check WhatFontIs.com. We have lots of fonts available and one of them might be exactly what you are looking for.

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