The impression does matter, and fonts are the evidence you require. Let’s take this post as an example. If you find this post’s font complicated and difficult to understand, you would have left it within a few seconds. Since you are still here, this means the font used here doesn’t bug you.
The same applies to your official or academic documents and emails. If you don’t use the right signature font, you might make it look dull and unprofessionally organized. Not to mention, it will leave a wrong impression on the reader. Essentially, your documents or emails need the optimal tone to look appealing and relevant in the eyes of the reader.
Otherwise, the reader might interpret you as an amateur and unprofessional if you use stylish and off-the-track fonts. In addition, switching among different fonts now and then is not a wise idea either. So, let’s check out how you can create an aesthetic look with your document font and which fonts are the most appropriate.
Why Does a Document Signature Font Matter?
The first impression is always critical. Smart Data Recovery has mentioned that Times New Roman is one of the leading fonts for legal and official documents. Well, there are visible reasons behind that. Let’s check what Times New Roman would look like:
What’s the best signature font for documents?
As you can see, the font appears to be subtle and clear. Thus, the document will offer better readability compared to cursive-styled fonts. Apart from choosing the right font, the size of the font also plays an important role in the readability of any document. After all, excessively small font sizes would make no sense, no matter how important the document is.
On the other hand, too large font sizes can make the entire document boring and lengthy. Hence, you must be careful about choosing the right font size besides picking up a suitable signature font for your document or email.
On top of that, a professional document should reflect its ethics. If you choose fashionable fonts, your document will lack professionalism. Hence, select the right fonts for your official or professional documents and emails for improved readability and quick response.
Guide to Select a Signature Font for Documents and Emails:
Maintaining an image among your clients, employees, and other parties is the key impression of any business. Your business documents will also reflect your company values and identity. How to pick the best signature font for your official or legal documents?
With countless options available, it will be challenging for you to select one, two, or more fonts for your business. Here’s what you can keep in mind while choosing your signature font for documents, emails, and other digital components:
Font Legibility:
Let’s start with the type of font you should pick up, which should be legible. It means that the font must be easy to read and won’t be any stress for the reader’s eyes. Discard too-much styled fonts or cursive ones to be on the safe side.
Additionally, there might be better options than personalised fonts. For example, your preferable font might work well on your Windows PC. However, chances are that your client might receive the document in an incompatible font on his/her Mac computer. And, the document will be useless.
Therefore, you should choose a signature font compatible with most operating systems. Try web-safe fonts such as sans serif. This font is not ornate and is compatible with most digital platforms, websites, and operating systems. Both Mac and Windows devices support this type of web-safe font.
Size:
What should the signature font size be for your professional emails and other documents? Too small fonts won’t catch the attention of the reader. On the other hand, too large fonts will appear to be out of place. If you can’t decide on the size of a document font, then a safe range of 11 to 13 will do the trick.
Colour:
Are you considering using bright colours like red or yellow to compose a document or email? Unfortunately, these won’t work for your professional or legal documents. And, your company documents might look cheap instead of white-collar ones.
Best, stick to the classic black or navy blue. Use one or two colours throughout the document for colour consistency. In addition, avoid switching colours too often so that the reader doesn’t lose interest in the document.
Most Suitable Fonts for Official & Legal Documents:
Remember what document you will create before you check out the best signature fonts for documents and emails. For instance, a clear and legible font is mandatory if it’s a sales report. Moreover, pay attention to the font if you need to communicate with other businesses.
Concentrate on your target audience if you need to curate campaigning and branding content. Certainly, this will help you determine how to shape the company’s reputation. Now, let’s review the best signature fonts for your document needs:
Arial (compatible with 100% of Windows and 99% of Mac computers)
Arial Narrow (compatible with 88% of Windows and 95% of Mac devices)
Helvetica (100% compatible with Mac computers but only 7% compatible with Windows PCs)
Calibri (compatible with 83% of Windows and 38% of Mac computers)
Times New Roman (compatible with 99% of Windows and 97% of Mac devices)
Verdana (compatible with 100% of Windows and 100% of Mac computers)
Courier New (compatible with 99% of Windows and 95% of Mac devices)
Arial Black (compatible with 98% of Windows and 96% of Mac computers)
Garamond (compatible with most Windows PCs and Mac devices)
Open Sans (compatible with most Windows and Mac operating systems)
So far, you have the 10 best signature fonts for your professional and legal documents and emails. We have used a font size of 12 for every font here. Now, you can change that accordingly.
Reasons to Avoid Heavily-Styled Fonts:
Creative fonts are tempting, and they look nice on selected documents. However, you should stick to a particular font for specific official documents. You can come across a lot of fancy fonts on the internet, and you might download them on your device.
Still, using them on your document or email template is not wise. Here’s why you should avoid such fancy fonts for your legal or professional digital signature documents:
Readability Issues:
Mostly, stylish fonts could be clearer to understand. They might be distracting, and the reader’s focus can drift away from the main content of your document. Hence, you must use an easily understandable font.
Thus, the email’s recipient or the document’s reader should be able to read it easily. Additionally, they should be able to spot all the essential information in your signature document or email.
They might be interested in scanning the email to retrieve contact details. Using a legible font increases the chances of quick and accurate scanning. And, you can keep them pleased.
Affect Your Organisation’s Brand Identity:
Your document or email signature is nothing less than your online business card. Therefore, the professionalism you select to land the best font for your business tells a ton about your brand and its values.
The risk of selecting a decorative font is that it might make your document look cluttered. So, don’t take that risk and pick up an uncluttered, sophisticated, yet simple signature font.
Compatibility Factors:
Are you sure your official document signature won’t change on the reader’s side? Fancy fonts might not be compatible with every digital platform, website, or operating system. Hence, the reader might not be able to understand your document or email signature if he/she hasn’t installed it in the system.
So, refrain from using fancy, custom or cursive fonts to keep such risks away.
Final Words:
A document or email signature might come at the end of your content, but it’s extremely important. The reader or recipient will pay attention to it for your company and contact details. Hence, your attention to detail will be worth it. So, pick the right signature font to carry the brand identity, professionalism, and personality.
And, all these go a long way. Apart from choosing the best signature font, figure out the most appropriate document style for different purposes.