With easy-to-read fonts, your brand message comes through loud and clear. The fonts you choose are a key component of your website design, quickly conveying your brand identity to visitors and potential customers. Choosing readable fonts can impact everything from how your brand is perceived to the accessibility of your content across both print and digital channels. What could be more important than that?
With so many fonts to choose from, though, the selection process can be overwhelming. So, first, understand what makes a font easy to read, then discover 12 simple fonts to use on everything from your small business website to print marketing materials.
- Easy-to-read fonts are vital for effective branding and design because they ensure your message is clear, accessible and engaging for all audiences.
- Key features of readable fonts that work across digital and print formats include clear letterforms, balanced spacing and distinct characters.
- The most readable fonts include Georgia, Helvetica, Roboto and Verdana, each offering excellent readability and versatility for business use.
What makes a font easy to read?
Whether you’re looking for flyer and brochure fonts or social media and website fonts, the most readable fonts share key features that optimize their clarity and accessibility. Typographic readability factors include:
- X-height: This is the relative height of lowercase letters compared to uppercase. Taller lowercase letters (like ‘x’) improve legibility on screens, while in print, they provide a balance that’s easier for reading longer texts.
- Stroke contrast: This is the variation between thick and thin lines. Fonts with minimal contrast are easier to read on-screen, while higher contrast fonts can look great in print without losing their clarity.
- Letter spacing (kerning): This is the space between individual letters. Balanced spacing stops text from looking cramped and makes on-screen scanning easier. It also helps readability in print, especially in denser paragraphs.
- Character distinction: Easy-to-read fonts have clear differences between letters like ‘i’, ‘j’, ‘1’ and ‘l’. This prevents confusion in digital text and improves accuracy in printed signs or body copy.
- Serif or sans-serif: Serif fonts are more traditional fonts that include small decorative strokes and work well for body text. Sans-serif fonts are simpler and more streamlined, making them a better choice for website design and mobile content. Experts generally agree that sans-serif fonts are easier to read on digital devices, while simple serif fonts are best for printed marketing materials.
Why are legible, simple fonts important for businesses?
Ever struggled to read text on websites or flyers because of the font? Frustrating, right? For businesses, the right font isn’t just a design choice—it’s a key part of getting your brand message across. Here’s why using easy-to-read fonts is non-negotiable for businesses…
Improved communication
Easy fonts ensure your message is understood instantly, while overly decorative fonts can confuse your message, increase misinterpretations and even send potential customers away.
Research by Thomas Bohm from User Design, Illustration and Typesetting highlights common mix-ups among similar-looking letters and symbols. For example:
clear / dear
CS5 / CSS
105 / IOS
Z2 / 22
To maintain credibility and deliver a clear message every time, opt for readable fonts and explore fresh font trends.
Posters with readable sans-serif fonts
Accessibility and inclusivity
Not everyone views your website or marketing materials the same way. Research by Thomas Bohm found that as people age or face vision challenges, confusing fonts can lead to mix-ups like:
i / j
B / 8
0 / O / o
Accessible font design helps people with dyslexia, visual impairments or cognitive challenges consume your content more easily.
Learn more about appropriate font choices in our guide to the best fonts for signs.
Enhanced branding
Your brand fonts are among the first things people notice about your brand. A legible font conveys professionalism and trustworthiness, whereas a confusing font might make your branding seem outdated and your business unreliable.
Use bold, high-contrast fonts for logos and signage, and simple fonts like sans-serifs for digital body copy or small print.
Easy-to-read fonts on branded business cards
Stronger user experience (UX)
The easier your content is to read, the more likely users are to stay on your page, absorb your message and take action. In web design, readability equals usability—legible fonts enhance navigation, reduce eye strain and improve retention rates.
Top 12 easy-to-read fonts for businesses
1. Georgia
Great for: Printed materials like flyers, postcard fonts and website body text.
Georgia is a serif font, meaning each letter has an embellishment in the form of a small line. Despite serif fonts being more decorative, they can still be a good choice for websites. Because Georgia was originally designed for Microsoft and created with low-resolution screens in mind, it’s one of the easiest fonts to read on desktops and mobile sites.
2. Helvetica
Great for: Brand names, headlines and logos.
Along with Georgia, Helvetica is considered to be one of the most readable fonts, according to The Next Web. This sans-serif font is one of the world’s most popular typefaces and is considered a modern classic.
3. PT Sans & PT Serif
Great for: Branding and multi-platform consistency.
Can’t decide whether serif or sans-serif is for you? ParaType comes in both, so you can experiment to see the difference or use a combination of the two. PT Sans and PT Serif work together beautifully.
4. Open Sans
Great for: Web and mobile body copy.
What makes this popular sans-serif font read so well is partly the kerning—the amount of space between characters. According to Google, Open Sans is “optimized for print, web, and mobile interfaces, and has excellent legibility characteristics in its letterforms.”
5. Quicksand
Great for: Mobile-first branding and modern designs.
With so many customers using smartphones and tablets to access online content, it’s paramount that your font choice works on small screens. Quicksand, a sans-serif font from Google, does well on mobile devices. Its geometric shapes were designed to communicate friendliness.
6. Verdana
Great for: Large blocks of text on screens.
Verdana is another go-to sans-serif font for web design because of its readability. Like Georgia, it was created specifically for computer screens. It’s a solid font choice for large blocks of text.
7. Rooney
Great for: Brands with a fun or friendly tone.
Part of your brand identity is its personality, and that personality should also be reflected in your font. A custom serif font like Rooney could be a perfect fit if your brand is lighthearted and unconventional. The font’s designer, Jan Fromm, says that “rounded shapes and soft curves” leave the reader with an “overall impression of warmth and smoothness.”
8. Karla
Great for: Minimalist web design and modern brands.
Karla is a tidy and simple sans-serif font that Google describes as “popular and quirky,” making it another good pick for distinctive, fun-loving brands.
9. Roboto
Great for: Mobile-first designs and apps.
Created by Google for use with its Android mobile operating system—and now also used for Chrome—Roboto is a little bolder than some typefaces. Google calls it “modern, yet approachable.” So, if that sounds like your brand, give this readable serif font a go.
10. Ubuntu
Great for: Tech brands and start-up culture.
If you’re looking for a distinctly modern sans-serif font, try Ubuntu, which comes from the South African word meaning “humanity.” This is a humanist-style typeface, meaning that it references calligraphy and the way humans write by hand.
11. Lato
Great for: Professional websites and brand identity.
Art and design resources Creative Bloq named Lato one of the 10 best Google Fonts for websites: “The semi-rounded details of the letters give Lato a feeling of warmth, while the strong structure provides stability and seriousness,” which is ideal for a business website.
12. Futura
Great for: Bold headers and clean branding.
Another factor to consider when choosing your business font is the tone of your content, whether digital or printed. Futura is one of those fonts that can be used for both formal and casual contexts. It’s always sharp and clean, and when your goal is readability, that counts for a lot.
Key characteristics of easy-to-read fonts
The 12 fonts we’ve covered are some of the most readable fonts, but they’re not the only options. You can find plenty of easy fonts that suit your brand perfectly. Just be sure to look for:
- Clear letterforms: Avoid fonts with overly decorative or intricate designs that can blur characters.
- Good spacing: Fonts with balanced spacing between letters (kerning) prevent text from looking cramped.
- Distinct characters: Choose fonts where letters like ‘O’ and ‘0’ or ‘i’ and ‘j’ are easy to tell apart.
- Appropriate weight: Opt for medium-weight fonts—too thin or too bold typefaces can be hard to read.
- Simple design: Sans-serif fonts often work best for screens, while serif fonts can add elegance to print without sacrificing legibility.
By keeping these traits in mind, you’ll find the easiest font to read that complements your brand style.
Body text in brochures needs easy-to-read fonts
Ready to put these fonts to use?
The right font does more than look good—it makes your message clear and your brand unforgettable. The easiest fonts to read are simple, clear and balanced, ensuring your audience stays engaged.
Use these easy fonts to create custom business cards, signage, branded stationery and promotional products. With VistaPrint supporting all 12 of these easy-to-read fonts, you can print everything your business needs to shine.
Simple fonts FAQs
Why are fonts important for branding?
Fonts show off your brand’s personality. The right font can make your business memorable and professional. Easy-to-read fonts ensure your message stands out, whether on your website, business cards or branded merch.
Why is font readability important for design?
Readable fonts keep your audience engaged and your message crystal clear. It’s as simple as that.
What makes a font “easy to read”?
Clear letterforms, good spacing and clean designs are key to easy-to-read fonts. Easy fonts avoid confusing characters like 0/O or i/j and look great on any screen or printed material.
Are serif or sans-serif fonts easier to read?
It depends on where you’ll use it. Sans-serif fonts such as Roboto are great for screens, while serif fonts like Georgia shine in print. Choose a readable font that fits its use and your brand style.
What are the best fonts for signs?
The most readable fonts for signs include Verdana, Helvetica and Futura, especially when printed in bold, high-contrast colors.
Which fonts are best for logos?
Fonts for logos should be bold, distinctive and easy to read at different sizes. Sans-serif fonts such as Helvetica and Futura work well for modern brands, while simple serif fonts like Georgia can create a trustworthy impression. Try VistaPrint’s Logomaker to test which readable font suits your brand best.
