B2BVault's summary of:

Font Psychology: How Typeface Shapes Meaning and Trust

Published by:
Crazy Egg
Author:
Peter Lowe

Introduction

Fonts shape how people judge your site before they read a word. The right font builds trust fast, the wrong one quietly pushes users away.

What's the problem it solves?

Most websites pick fonts based on taste, trends, or defaults. This often hurts trust, readability, and clarity without the owner even noticing.

Quick Summary

Font psychology is about how letter shapes change how people feel and react. Visitors judge your site in seconds based on fonts, before reading anything. These reactions are fast and mostly unconscious.

Different font styles send different signals. Serif fonts feel serious and trustworthy. Sans serif fonts feel modern and easy to read. Slab serif fonts feel strong and bold. Monospace fonts feel technical and precise. Display fonts grab attention. Script fonts feel personal but are hard to read.

Font details also matter. Size, weight, spacing, and line height change how easy text feels to read. Color contrast matters more than color meaning. Fonts rarely boost results alone, but bad choices can hurt engagement. Testing beats guessing.

Key Takeaways

  • Fonts shape trust, clarity, and first impressions
  • People judge fonts before reading content
  • Familiar fonts are safer than flashy ones
  • Each font type sends a clear emotional signal
  • Spacing and size affect comfort and focus
  • Contrast matters more than color symbolism
  • Testing fonts is better than debating them

What to do

  • Use simple, familiar fonts for body text
  • Match font style to your brand personality
  • Keep decorative fonts for logos or headers only
  • Increase line height for long reading sections
  • Make sure text contrast passes readability checks
  • Test font changes with real user data when possible
  • Watch bounce rate, time on page, and conversions

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