🎨 The Complete Font Selection Guide
A Comprehensive Guide to Choosing Beautiful, Readable Fonts for Documents
🚀 Quick Start Guide
For Beginners: Simple Font Combinations
Purpose MS Word OneNote Notion Alternative
Calibri Bold (18- Calibri Bold (18- Default Sans Bold Arial Bold, Times New
Document Title
24pt) 24pt) (Large) Roman Bold
Section Calibri Bold (14- Calibri Bold (14- Default Sans Bold Arial Bold, Georgia
Headings 16pt) 16pt) (Medium) Bold
Calibri Regular Calibri Regular Default Sans Times New Roman,
Body Text
(11-12pt) (11-12pt) Regular Georgia
Consolas (10- Consolas (10-
Code/Technical Mono Courier New, Monaco
11pt) 11pt)
Calibri Regular Calibri Regular Default Sans
Captions Arial, Verdana
(9-10pt) (9-10pt) Regular (Small)
📏 Typography Hierarchy Guidelines
Font Size Recommendations (in Points)
Title: 28-40pt
Heading 1: 24-36pt
Heading 2: 18-24pt
Heading 3: 16-22pt
Body Text: 11-14pt
Caption: 9-11pt
Code: 10-12pt
Key Principles
1. Contrast is King: Ensure sufficient size difference between heading levels
2. Consistency: Use the same font sizes throughout your document
3. Readability: Never go below 9pt for any text that needs to be read
4. Hierarchy: Make it obvious what's most important through size and weight
🔤 Font Categories Explained
Sans-Serif Fonts (Clean & Modern)
Best for: Digital screens, modern documents, presentations
Calibri: MS Office default, excellent readability
Arial: Universal, professional, highly accessible
Helvetica: Designer favorite, clean and timeless
Open Sans: Web-optimized, very readable
Roboto: Google's font, great for Android-style documents
Serif Fonts (Traditional & Elegant)
Best for: Print documents, academic papers, formal writing
Times New Roman: Academic standard, traditional
Georgia: Screen-optimized serif, elegant
Garamond: Classic, sophisticated, literary
Cambria: Modern serif, readable on screens
Lora: Web-friendly serif, great for blogs
Monospace Fonts (Code & Technical)
Best for: Code, data, technical documentation
Consolas: Windows development, very readable
Fira Code: Programming favorite, includes ligatures
JetBrains Mono: IDE-optimized, developer-friendly
Source Code Pro: Adobe's coding font, clean
Courier New: Classic typewriter style, universally available
🎯 Font Combinations for Different Document Types
Academic Papers
Heading: Times New Roman Bold
Body: Times New Roman
Size: 12pt body, 14-16pt headings
Why: Traditional, formal, widely accepted
Business Documents
Heading: Arial Bold
Body: Arial
Size: 11-12pt body, 14-18pt headings
Why: Professional, clean, excellent readability
Creative Projects
Heading: Playfair Display
Body: Lora
Size: 12pt body, 18-24pt headings
Why: Elegant contrast, sophisticated look
Web Content
Heading: Montserrat
Body: Open Sans
Size: 16px body, 24-32px headings
Why: Screen-optimized, modern, accessible
Technical Documentation
Heading: Roboto Bold
Body: Source Sans Pro
Size: 12pt body, 16-20pt headings
Why: Clear, technical feel, great legibility
📱 Platform-Specific Tips
Microsoft Word
Default Font: Calibri (excellent choice)
Change Default: File → Options → General → Default Font
Best Practices:
Use styles (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.) for consistency
Set 1.15 line spacing for better readability
Use 12pt for body text minimum
OneNote
Default Font: Calibri 11pt
Change Default: File → Options → Default Font
Best Practices:
Use consistent formatting across pages
Consider larger fonts for handwritten notes
Use code font (Consolas) for technical content
Notion
Default Options: Sans-serif, Serif, Mono
Best Practices:
Sans-serif for most content
Serif for formal documents
Mono for code blocks and technical content
Use consistent font choice across workspace
♿ Accessibility Guidelines
Most Accessible Fonts
1. Atkinson Hyperlegible: Designed for visually impaired
2. Arial: Clean, widely supported
3. Verdana: Excellent screen readability
4. Open Sans: Web accessibility standard
5. Calibri: Microsoft's accessibility-focused font
Accessibility Best Practices
Minimum Size: 11pt for body text, 9pt for captions
Line Height: 1.5x font size for optimal reading
Color Contrast: 4.5:1 ratio for normal text
Font Weight: Regular for body, bold for headings only
Avoid: All caps, decorative fonts, excessive italics
🧠 Psychology of Fonts
Font Personality
Serif: Traditional, trustworthy, academic
Sans-serif: Modern, clean, approachable
Monospace: Technical, precise, systematic
Script: Creative, personal, informal
Reading & Memory
Familiar fonts: Faster reading, easier comprehension
Slightly difficult fonts: Better memory retention
Consistent fonts: Reduced cognitive load
Appropriate size: Optimal information processing
🔧 Common Mistakes to Avoid
Typography Don'ts
1. Too many fonts: Limit to 2-3 font families maximum
2. Tiny text: Never go below 9pt for readable content
3. Poor contrast: Ensure sufficient size differences
4. Inconsistent spacing: Use consistent line heights
5. Decorative overuse: Avoid fancy fonts for body text
6. All caps: Makes text harder to read
7. Justified text: Can create awkward spacing
Platform-Specific Pitfalls
Word: Relying only on default styles
OneNote: Inconsistent formatting across notes
Notion: Not utilizing the three font options effectively
🎨 Advanced Tips
Creating Visual Hierarchy
1. Use font weight: Bold for headings, regular for body
2. Leverage white space: Give elements room to breathe
3. Color strategically: Use color to emphasize, not decorate
4. Align consistently: Left-align body text, center titles
5. Group related content: Use proximity to show relationships
Font Pairing Principles
1. Contrast: Pair serif with sans-serif
2. Complement: Choose fonts with similar proportions
3. Hierarchy: Use size and weight to show importance
4. Consistency: Stick to your chosen combination
5. Purpose: Match fonts to your document's tone
📚 Quick Reference
Emergency Font Choices
Can't go wrong: Calibri, Arial, Times New Roman
Modern look: Open Sans, Roboto, Lato
Professional: Helvetica, Georgia, Garamond
Code: Consolas, Courier New, Monaco
Accessibility: Atkinson Hyperlegible, Verdana, Arial
Font Size Quick Guide
Presentation slides: 24pt minimum
Print documents: 12pt standard
Web content: 16px standard
Mobile: 14px minimum
Elderly readers: 14pt minimum
🌟 Key Takeaways
1. Start simple: Master a few good fonts before exploring
2. Consistency wins: Better to use one font well than many poorly
3. Readability first: Beautiful fonts mean nothing if they're hard to read
4. Know your audience: Choose fonts appropriate for your readers
5. Test your choices: Preview your documents before finalizing
6. Keep learning: Typography is an art that improves with practice
Remember: The best font is the one that serves your content and readers effectively. Start with
these guidelines, then develop your own style as you gain experience!
