Creating beautiful typeface is an art form, and as with most art, there are no absolutes. Unfortunately that means that there are no hard and fast rules that you can follow to create something beautiful or meaningful. But the good news is that when it comes to mixing fonts, there are some principles you can incorporate that will help you create effective designs and help you avoid a painful mix of regretful font choices.

4 Tips for mixing fonts in design

Stick with the classics

The most popular and timeless typeface principle is to pair a sans serif header with a serif body. It’s a classic combination that’s almost impossible to mess up. Notice the almost… – remember – sticking comic sans in any of your designs is never going to work. Consider yourself warned!

Avoid conflict

Great design is all about creating harmony and that should be the goal of your font choices as well. If say, your body font choice is a fun and flirty type then try not to pick a heading that is all about business. Choosing fonts that have conflicting personalities will confuse your audience. Choose typefaces that have the same mission to keep your content in context.

Don’t cast a showstopper

When it comes to pairing font in your web design it’s a good idea to avoid any font with too much ‘personality’. Picking a flamboyant typeface that dominates the page will take focus away from the message. After all, you don’t want to stop the show – you want the show (and the reader) to keep moving!

Less is more

Too many fonts will create discord. Like most things in design – less is more! Focus on creating a powerful design with just a few fonts and you’ll avoid a messy or unsightly website with too much tension and unnecessary clutter.