1. Attract attention
2. Create differentiation
3. Set a mood
4. Build hierarchy

1. Attract attention: The first use of display typefaces was to attract attention—to pull a reader into an advertisement, brochure, or poster. The most successful designs do this without being overpowering. They usher the reader into the accompanying text without distracting from it.

2. Create differentiation: Because they are often distinctive in design, display typefaces can create brand and product distinction. Good choices can make products and services stand out from the crowd. The right typeface, used consistently, can go a long way toward creating a powerful brand.

3. Set a mood: Display typefaces can evoke a mood or emotional response. The font Arnold Boecklin is the quintessential Art Nouveau typestyle (figure 1), while Wanted (figure 2) creates a feeling of the Old West. There is, however, a caveat when attempting to set a mood with display typefaces: It’s easy to be hackneyed. Using Old English for antique store signage or a sans serif italic to indicate speed, for example, are worse than stale.

4. Build hierarchy: Display typefaces can bring order and structure to complicated content. Use display type to divide large documents into manageable sections, highlight important or recurring points, and distinguish the body of the information from its infrastructure—headers, footers, and menus. If the display type does not distract from the main text, an added benefit is that the document “feels” shorter when broken into small bite-sized segments, making it more reader-friendly.

Appropriateness to delivery vehicle: The most appropriate display typeface for a small-format print environment will probably be a different design than one that is best at very large sizes. And both of these might not be appropriate for display copy on screen or in presentations.

The best font for presentation graphics, for example, is a sans serif (because it is more legible than a serif design), bold weight (to enable high levels of visibility), of condensed proportions (to obtain the maximum number of words in the smallest space).

While the best typefaces for on-screen use are also sans serif designs, faces with condensed proportions are not good choices. Designs with large x-heights and open counters should be sought out. Large x-heights will take advantage of the limited digital real estate of screens. Robust or decorative typefaces like Aftershock or Snap that might make excellent choices for posters and brochures would probably not be good decisions for display type on screen (figure 3).

Newspapers, which are almost always read under less than ideal circumstances, require sturdy, industrial strength designs like Bookman or Franklin Gothic for headlines, while a catalog for women’s clothing would do better with a more supple design like Berkeley Old Style (figure 4). The same Berkeley Old Style, however, might not be the best choice for a web page banner, while Lucida Sans might be (figure 5).

Appropriateness to content: A birth announcement would be expected to use different typefaces than a poster announcing a company picnic. And a financial newsletter will be best served by yet different typefaces.

For that birth announcement, ITC Kristen (figure 6) or Young Baroque would be good choices. The poster for the company picnic might benefit from a robust face like Artiste or ITC Juanita (figure 7). The financial newsletter? Try heads in Mentor Sans Bold and text in its serifed sibling, Mentor Roman (figure 8).

Appropriateness to audience: It’s a pretty safe bet that counterculture display faces like Panic and Schizoid will not appeal to an over-60s reader or that Edwardian Script and Modern No. 216 would resonate with a potential customer for skateboards (figures 9 and 10). Typefaces like Democratica and Modula Ribbed from Emigre or Fink Brush from House Industries can be great display typefaces—but probably not for the readers of the quarterly financial reports of an international banking firm (figure 11).

Copy length
Copy length should have a bearing on choice of a display typeface. Long blocks of display copy should be inviting and relatively easy to read. Traditional designs, because they are based on standard text typefaces, are usually the best choices where display copy runs more than a few words. Charter Bold, Mendoza Roman Bold, or even the Ultra weights of faces like Novarese and Mundo Sans can be excellent choices for even relatively long blocks of display copy (figure 12).

There is a great deal more freedom of choice in short copy blocks. Since many of the decorative display typefaces are not paragons of legibility, they should be avoided in display copy that runs longer than a half-dozen words. In short copy blocks, however, they can be the perfect choice. Buccaneer or Curlz won’t win any contests for typeface legibility but they are very effective display faces in short blocks of copy (figure 13).

Harmony and counterpoint
Display type can either complement or contrast with the text copy. A dramatic change in typeface will create the most emphasis. Figure 14, below, shows a few excellent typographic contrasts.

A display typeface can also complement text design. The simplest—and most reliable—choice here is to use a bold weight of the typeface used in the text copy.

The weight you use to create emphasis should also be the result of a conscious decision and not just a click of the mouse. Using the next heavier weight in a family might not be the right choice. In some typeface families, weight changes are subtle. The next weight up from the basic text design may be too light to make a strong statement, and using it will simply distract the reader … instead of highlighting an important point.

Of course, typeface styles can and should complement each other. Serif typefaces from the same typeface category will normally work well together. Figure 15 shows a selection of typeface combinations that are from the same category and are certain to be pleasing counterparts.

In either case, the typeface used as the emphasizer should also be bolder and have about the same x-height as the face used for the rest of the text copy.

Warning: Using a sans serif design as a display typeface with copy set in a different sans serif face almost never works.

Three display type guidelines
1. Use typefaces that have legs. There are well over 100,000 fonts to choose from, but many will have a short life … and then become about as fashionable as poodle skirts. Try to choose typefaces that will still look fresh years from now.

2. Decorative faces push the “appropriateness” envelope much sooner than more conventional designs. Use with sensitivity toward your medium, message, and audience.

3. The basic “goodness” test for display type: Is it readable? Is the headline a collection of words— and not just a bunch of letters? Shoot for the former, avoid the latter.