While the scope of your project could narrow your search by ruling out fonts that don’t have the range you need, or guiding you toward those that do, remember that there are no hard and fast rules to determine the font with the right aesthetic. That’s a matter of the font’s personality, but to some extent personality depends on familiarity.
-Many apps and websites still use a small selection of the most common fonts—a holdover from a time when this was the most practical approach to digital typography. It was once the case that using system fonts would be the safest choice because you could count on them to be in working order and available across most devices. Today, there’s no need to compromise by selecting a commonplace “workhorse” font. Web fonts tend to be just as reliable as system fonts, but with a greater variety to choose from. Try these examples: [Proxima Nova](https://fonts.adobe.com/fonts/proxima-nova), [Helvetica](https://font.download/font/helvetica-255), [Museo](https://fonts.adobe.com/fonts/museo), [Futura](https://fonts.adobe.com/fonts/futura-pt), [Brandon Grotesque](https://fonts.adobe.com/fonts/brandon-grotesque) (popular); [Arial, Times New Roman, Courier New, Helvetica, Times, Courier, Verdana, Georgia](https://www.cssfontstack.com/) (system); [Gibson](https://fonts.adobe.com/search?query=gibson&ref=tk.com&utf8=%E2%9C%93), [Gotham](https://www.typography.com/fonts/gotham/overview), [Classic Grotesque](https://www.monotype.com/fonts/classic-grotesque), [Montserrat](https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Montserrat) (web fonts).
+Many apps and websites still use a small selection of the most common fonts—a holdover from a time when this was the most practical approach to digital typography. It was once the case that using system fonts would be the safest choice because you could count on them to be in working order and available across most devices. Today, there’s no need to compromise by selecting a commonplace “workhorse” font. Web fonts tend to be just as reliable as [system fonts](https://fonts.google.com/knowledge/glossary/system_font_web_safe_font), but with a greater variety to choose from.
But if you’re still keen on finding an uncommon font to help your project stand out, there are dozens of commercial type foundries that sell proprietary fonts for either a flat fee or monthly rate. If you want a totally unique, bespoke typeface—and who wouldn’t—it can be expensive and time consuming, so start by reaching out to foundries for quotes. On the bright side, whomever you hire will probably handle many of the concerns listed in this guide. Among your free options, you could always look for a less commonly used web font. As a general rule, choosing a newer release means it won’t be in widespread use—at least not yet. We’re of course partial to [Google Fonts](https://fonts.google.com/). Take a spin through the directory to get a sense of just how many free web fonts are out there, and use the family specimen pages to view each font’s usage across the web.
“Designers provide ways into—and out of—the flood of words,” writes design critic Ellen Lupton, “by breaking up text into pieces and offering shortcuts and alternate routes through masses of information.” Beyond the personality of your font choice, well-designed layouts also use visual cues, regularity, and variation to guide readers naturally. And choosing type according to the length of the text can give readers lots of cues and shortcuts to help with navigation.
-For headlines and subheads, you can choose an expressive, unique, even idiosyncratic font—including [Display, Decorative, Handwritten, and Script styles](https://fonts.google.com/?category=Display,Handwriting). These unconventional, high-contrast designs tend to work well in this context because their details and visual complexity help to attract the eye. If you’d like to use a sans serif font for short bits of text, especially in large sizes, the regular weight tends to look a little out of place. Consider using the bold and compressed styles instead. If you prefer serifs, hairline serif fonts like [Playfair Display](https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Playfair+Display) or [Rufina](https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Rufina) tend to work well in short lines because their high stroke contrast tends to grab the reader’s attention.
+For headlines and subheads, you can choose an expressive, unique, even idiosyncratic font—including [Display, Decorative, Handwritten, and Script styles](https://fonts.google.com/?category=Display,Handwriting). These unconventional, high-contrast designs tend to work well in this context because their details and visual complexity help to attract the eye. If you’d like to use a sans serif font for short bits of text, especially in large sizes, the regular weight tends to look a little out of place. Consider using the bold and compressed styles instead. If you prefer serifs, hairline serif fonts like [Playfair Display](https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Playfair) or [Rufina](https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Rufina) tend to work well in short lines because their high stroke contrast tends to grab the reader’s attention.
Medium-length text, defined loosely as three to four paragraphs, is actually pretty flexible, which means you’ve got options. If you’re leaning toward a serif font, opt for something in the old style like [Quattrocento](https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Quattrocento), a transitional style like [Libre Baskerville](https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Libre+Baskerville), or a slab serif like [Arvo](https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Arvo). Prefer a sans serif? Then the best choice would be something in the Humanist or Grotesque style like [Cabin](https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Cabin) or [Raleway](https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Raleway), but even some geometric styles like [Montserrat](https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Montserrat) will work. Experiment by trying out a few of these and see what works best in layout.
-When typesetting longer sections of text—exceeding five paragraphs—a serif typeface is recommended. This is the traditional choice for book typography, but it also works well on-screen. Old Style or Transitional serif fonts, like [EB Garamond](https://fonts.google.com/specimen/EB+Garamond) or [Libre Baskerville](https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Libre+Baskerville), tend to be easy on the eyes for longer reading like news and magazine articles. While it’s possible to use a [Humanist sans serif](https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Open+Sans) font for long stretches of body text, the safer bet is a familiar serif design that readers can process quickly.
+When typesetting longer sections of text—exceeding five paragraphs—a serif typeface is recommended. This is the traditional choice for book typography, but it also works well on-screen. Old Style or Transitional serif fonts, like [EB Garamond](https://fonts.google.com/specimen/EB+Garamond) or [Libre Baskerville](https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Libre+Baskerville), tend to be easy on the eyes for longer reading like news and magazine articles. While it’s possible to use a [Humanist sans serif](https://fonts.google.com/?categoryFilters=Sans+Serif:%2FSans%2FHumanist) font for long stretches of body text, the safer bet is a familiar serif design that readers can process quickly.
## What matters when it comes to point size?
Several designers lent their expertise to the construction of this guide: Yuin Chien, Joana Correia, Dave Crossland, Natanael Gama, Octavio Pardo, Eben Sorkin, and Eduardo Tunni.
-This guide was originally published on [Google Design](https://design.google/library/choosing-web-fonts-beginners-guide).
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+This guide was originally published on [Google Design](https://design.google/library/choosing-web-fonts-beginners-guide).
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