Even if you're not the sort of person who cares about print fonts - honestly I'm baffled by the rather passionate arguments over why this sans serif font is better, or why this font has certain superior qualities - we can all generally agree that a certain few fonts are awful. Comic Sans for example has ascended to a level of hatred that's hard to imagine for what is simply just a way of depicting the alphabet. Papyrus is another font that gets a bad rep, and for rather good reason, but who created it? And why?

1. Choose fonts that match branding.
2. Prioritise legibility for readability.
3. Consider emotion and context.

An Unpopular Font

Papyrus was created by Chris Costello. Born in the 1960's as the son of a professional sign painter, Costello developed an interest in fonts and typography from a young age due to his father's work. Having studied advertising and design in an art school, Costello created Papyrus almost by accident at the age of 23, when he was doodling with pen and paper. Supposedly thinking about the Middle East and the Bible at the time, the result was a rather stylised design that had an antique look.

Costello then sold Papyrus, his first font, to a British company called Letraset, which created transfers for other typeface artists and designs, for 750 pounds, roughly $2500 USD today. Papyrus remained obscure for over a decade, until the rise of computers. Letraset, with their transfers becoming obsolete due to technology, began licensing out the fonts they owned. Papyrus was picked up by Microsoft, who wanted to expand their word processing software. With Papyrus still in use by Microsoft and many word processors today, Papyrus is available on over a billion computers worldwide. And that's just for Windows. It's not including other software manufacturers who also use it.

Having sold away the rights for Papyrus quite some time ago, Costello hasn't received anything else for creating one of the world's most famous, infamous, and generally recognisable fonts. If he received even a fraction of a cent for each computer that used Papyrus, he'd probably be a millionaire. Still, Costello's not bitter, nor is he embarrassed of his creation. He does however think it's always a great conversation starter.

Font Influence on Promotional Items

The font choice on promotional products can have a significant impact on how the product is perceived by potential customers. Here are four ways in which font choice can affect the effectiveness of promotional products:

• Branding: Font choice is an important part of branding, as it can help to convey a brand's personality and values. For example, a playful font might be appropriate for a children's toy brand, while a more traditional font might be more appropriate for a financial services company.
• Legibility: The most important factor in font choice for promotional products is legibility, as a font that is difficult to read will make it harder for people to understand the message. Fonts with clear, simple designs are generally the most legible.
• Emotion: Different fonts can convey different emotions, with serif fonts like Times New Roman being associated with tradition and authority, and sans-serif fonts like Arial being associated with modernity and simplicity. Script fonts like Brush Script are often associated with elegance and sophistication.
• Context: Font choice should also be influenced by the context in which the promotional product will be seen. For example, a font that is appropriate for promotional pens might not be appropriate for branded t-shirts.

Best Fonts for Corporate Merchandise

Choosing the right font for a promotional product can be a challenge, but there are several fonts that are generally considered to be effective for this purpose. Here are four fonts that are commonly used on promotional products:

• Arial: Arial is a sans-serif font that is known for its simplicity and legibility. It is a popular choice for promotional products because it is easy to read and can be used in a variety of contexts.
  Times New Roman: Times New Roman is a serif font that is associated with tradition and authority. It is often used on promotional products for financial services companies and other businesses that want to convey a sense of stability and reliability.
• Comic Sans: Comic Sans is a playful font that is often used on promotional products for children's products or events. It is not appropriate for all contexts, but it can be effective when used in the right context.
• Impact: Impact is a bold, sans-serif font that is often used on promotional products that need to grab people's attention quickly. It is not appropriate for all contexts, but it can be effective when used in the right context.

Summary

In summary, font choice is an important part of creating effective promotional products. The font choice should be influenced by factors such as branding, legibility, emotion, and context. Arial, Times New Roman, Comic Sans, and Impact are all fonts that are commonly used on promotional products and can be effective when used in the right context. By understanding the impact of font choice on promotional products, businesses can create products that effectively convey their message and brand personality.

Originally seen on: http://www.fastcodesign.com/3055865/meet-the-man-who-created-papyrus-the-worlds-other-most-hated-font