Best Fonts for Websites
Unleash the power of typography for your website with our experts picks for the best fonts. Find the perfect font for your website and create a powerful communications tool.
Things You Should Know About Fonts for Websites
Know your brand.
What does it stand for? Who is your target audience? Do you already have fonts that support your brand? Once you know the answers to questions like these, you can pick which kind of font your brand aligns with, and set about choosing the perfect font style.
Our type experts have selected some of the best fonts for websites, from all those offered by MyFonts, but you will still need determine which best supports your brand.
Is the font legible and the copy readable
Even though much of the typographic community treats legibility and readability as interchangeable terms – they are not. Legibility is about being able to distinguish one letter from another in a particular typeface design. Readability, is the degree of ease with which copy can be read.
Legibility
Websites are not read like books, periodicals, advertising brochures, etc. Web pages are generally read quicker than hardcopy content. Choose fonts that have clear and legible letterforms, especially for body text. Avoid overly decorative or complex fonts that may pose difficulties in reading.
The most legible fonts have the following attributes:
Large Lowercase x-height
The x-height is an important factor in typographic legibility and readability - especially where screen real estate and available pixels are limited.
Open Counters
The white space within letters such as ‘o,’ ‘e,’ ‘c,’ etc. help define a character and have a positive influence on character recognition.
Large Apertures
Typographic apertures are spaces between strokes of a character, like a, e, and s. If these are tight, legibility can suffer in text sizes.
Moderate Stroke Contrast
Typefaces with strong contrast in character stroke weights do not work well on websites and mobile devices. There are, often, not enough pixels in this limited digital real estate to reproduce the contrast at small sizes.
Click here for more information on legibility
Readability
Readability is a relative gauge of how easily words, phrases and blocks of copy can be read. Many things can affect readability. There are a few areas, however, which require the most attention:
Type Size
The right type size is appropriate to application and to reader. Informative material requiring sustained reading normally benefits from a larger type image. If your audience has to make an effort to read the copy – they won’t.
Line Length
The eye does not read individual words, one at a time. Actually, our eyes scan a line pausing momentarily to record groups of three or four words. Somewhere between 9 and 16 words ought to occupy a line.
All-capital Copy
Capital letters do not combine as well with each other as do lowercase characters. Because capitals have more diverse character shapes, intercharacter spacing often appears uneven. If you need to set words in all capitals, adding a little extra letterspace will often improve things.
Finally, there is a basic “goodness” test for text readability: when you look at a block of copy do you see letters, words, or phrases? Phrases are best. Words will do. Never settle for just letters.
Click here for more information on readability
Does your website have clear hierarchy
Hierarchy is crucial in websites as it helps users navigate through content easily. Clear and logical information organization enhances user experience, enabling them to find desired information quickly. Typefaces that can easily be distinguished from one another are key for creating hierarchy. Marked contrast between medium and bold weights within the type family also ensures hierarchy.
Click here for more information on hierarchy
Consider variable fonts
Variable fonts bring substantial value to websites by offering a single font file with a range of customizable attributes such as weight, width, and slant. This versatility allows for more precise design control, improved loading times, and reduced bandwidth usage.
Click here for more information on variable fonts
Sans Serif Fonts
Sans serif fonts are modern, clean, and easy on the eyes. Their simple shapes are ideal for digital displays.
ITC Avant Garde Gothic® by ITC
ITC Avant Garde Gothic is a minimalist geometric design that is highly legible. It also creates a sense of modernism and forward thinking.
Perfect Pairs:
Akzidenz-Grotesk® Next by Berthold
Akzidenz-Grotesk is highly legible due to its clean and simple design, balanced proportions, and distinct letterforms that enable easy recognition and readability across various sizes and contexts.
Perfect Pairs:
DIN® Next by Monotype
DIN Next’s timeless structure emphasizes legibility and neutrality. It care create an honest, straightforward mien.
Perfect Pairs:
Gotham® by Hoefler & Co.
Gotham’s clean modern lines and extensive family of weights make it ideal for a wide variety of websites and extensive hierarchal needs.
Perfect Pairs:
Helvetica® Now by Monotype
Helvetica Now is the newest Helvetica design. A vast improvement over previous designs, it is a classic, recreated for the 21st Century – and only available from MyFonts, and its family of font providers. A solid communicator, easy on the eyes and remarkably legible, Helvetica Now is at home in just about any website.
Perfect Pairs:
Neue Frutiger® by Linotype
The newest version of the Frutiger typeface family which has been revised and improved. The design combines the clear structure of a sans serif, enhanced by calligraphic overtones. The result is both legible and inviting.
Perfect Pairs:
Serif Fonts
Serif fonts are some of the most traditional designs and evoke feelings of steadiness, longevity, trustworthiness and a sense of authority.
Archer® by Hoefler & Co.
A dynamic and versatile slab serif typeface that combines elegance and readability. Archer’s distinctive and refined shapes make it ideal for a wide range of websites.
Perfect Pairs:
Egyptian Slate™ by Monotype
The openness of Egyptian Slate’s letterforms allow for strong slab serifs with no loss of legibility. This is a straight forward, no nonsense design.
Perfect Pairs:
Sabon Next® by Linotype
Sabon Next is patterned after classic Renaissance typefaces. The design is reader friendly, while maintaining all the grace and elegance of some of the earliest printing typefaces. It makes a statement, without calling attention to itself.
Perfect Pairs:
Neue Swift® by Linotype
First drawn as a legibility typeface for publication design, Neue Swift is an upgraded and improved version of the original. It’s distinctive, yet easy on the eyes characters make it a natural for web pages and small screens.
Perfect Pairs:
FF Kievit® Slab by FontFont
FF Kevitt Slab is a highly legible font due to its clear and distinct letterforms, balanced proportions, generous spacing, and optimum stroke contrast. It ensures easy reading and comfortable comprehension in digital environments.
Perfect Pairs:
Macklin™ by Monotype
The Macklin font family is strong, adaptable and an excellent choice for websites. The simple shapes, open counters and apertures are wide and clear make it a good choice for short blocks of text copy.
Perfect Pairs: