The Best Fonts for Books
Consider all the places you see type today; almost every minute of the day is spent reading something. Readability and being “on message” are two main reasons to care about fonts, as well as where to buy fonts if you are formatting the book yourself.
Readability
Serif fonts help pull the text together, making it easier for the eye to move and recognize one letter to the next, while sans-serif fonts should be reserved for headings or other limited uses.
Being “On Message”
What do you want the reader to feel when they read your book? The author wants the text to look inviting and welcoming. Imagine a book meant to evoke the reader’s emotions, and the body text is Helvetica!
Best Fonts for Body Text
As you’ll see, the designers of typefaces created after the invention of the printing press knew a thing or two about readability, as evidenced by the fonts we use today, which were mostly created in the 14th-17th centuries, or at least based on that classical style.
We polled our book designers, and one of the top choices for the body of a book is the friendly and warm “Caslon.”
The Caslon font was created in 1722 by William Caslon I, an English type engraver, and was widely used by the British Empire and the American colonies. Caslon is a good choice not only for historical novels, but for any project that requires a solid and dependable feeling.
Other good font choices are:
Jenson is based on a text face designed by Nicolas Jenson in Venice around 1470 for headings and short lines of text, but it is now widely used for book text.
Best Fonts for Headings, Chapter Titles and Other Uses
Sans-serif fonts work best for titles and headings, and you’ll want one that’s at least semi-bold to stand out on the page. Script fonts aren’t always the best choice for chapter titles, as many are too decorative to be readable.
How to Choose a Font
Consider your book’s message and tone, and use italics for emphasis (e.g., to add emotion to an expression). Bold should be reserved for headings; underlining words in a book is uncommon.
How to Purchase Fonts
The best fonts for books are designed to provide the best reading experience for the reader; wise font selection will improve your book’s readability. If you’re using Adobe InDesign, you’ll need to purchase a special font for bold and italics.
What is the best font for book publishing?
Serif fonts are easier on the reader’s eye than sans-serif fonts; the stroke leads the reader’s eye from one letter to the next, making them preferable in the body of a book. The “serif” is the decorative stroke that finishes each end of a letter (think Times Roman). Serif fonts are easier on the reader’s eye than sans-serif fonts; the stroke leads the reader’s eye from one letter to the next.
What font size are books printed in?
Though some agents and editors may prefer other serif or sans serif fonts such as Arial or Courier New, Times New Roman with a 12 point font size is the industry standard.
What font is most pleasing to the eye?
According to The Next Web, Helvetica, along with Georgia, is one of the most easily read fonts. It is a sans-serif font and one of the world’s most popular typefaces u2014 a modern classic.
Is Garamond a good font for a book?
u201cClassic typefaces such as Old Style fonts Caslon, Bembo, and Garamond work well for text type because they have not only stood the test of time, but they were also invented for the purpose of uninterrupted reading.u201d
What is the most common font for books?
Baskerville, Bembo, Garamond, Janson, Palatino, and Times Roman (although this is more of a newspaper font) are the most commonly used typefaces for book body text. Sans serif fonts can be difficult to read for an entire book.
What font size is best for a book?
A font size of 9 to 11 point is a good reading size for the body text of a common A5 trimmed book (depending on font choice), but a larger book may require a larger font and increased line spacing.
What is the standard size font for books?
The most common font size for fiction and non-fiction printed books is between 10 and 12. Basic font selection recommendations: Fiction, memoirs, and (auto)biographies: A classic serif font that is easy to read is the safest choice.
What are the 4 major font types?
What are the four main font types?
- Fonts with serifs. Fonts with sans serifs. Fonts with scripts. Fonts with display fonts.
What is the most relaxing font?
Serif. Simple but respectable. For many of us, Google is the gold standard for stability and reliability, and its serif font has a calming effect.
What is the most eye catching font?
Download and Use These 5 Eye-Catching Web Fonts
- Rhinos Rocks Brush Font is a highly stylized font that works best when used sparingly.
- Spark Pro Decorative Typeface WebFont.
- Air Balloon Font.
- Weisshorn Typeface.
- Indulge Script Font.
What font should my book be in?
Use a Standard Font ( Times New Roman or Arial ) The most common web font is the non-serif font Arial, which both work well. Don’t use anything else for your manuscript.
What font is best for books?
The Only 5 Fonts You’ll Ever Need are the Best Fonts for Books.
- If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
- Baskerville for Literary Fiction
- Sabon for Romantic Fiction
- Garamond for Thrillers and Airport Page-Turners
- Caslon for Academic Non-Fiction
- Utopia for General Interest.
What font is used in Harry Potter books?
In the Harry Potter books, Adobe Garamond is a font, not a character.