Typefaces give words a tone of voice. The font chosen for a communication plays an important, if subtle, part in our identity. Communications are most effective when the content is consistent in both meaning and appearance, and brands are most effective with a consistent tone of voice that becomes familiar across many encounters.

When choosing a font for your communications, consider one that fits the personality of your design and supports the message. Within a single communication, it is recommended that no more than two different fonts be used.


Libre Baskerville

This traditional serif font traces its heritage to a typeface designed in 1757 by John Baskerville whose aim was to improve legibility over older serif faces. By increasing the contrast between thick and thin strokes, and giving the letterforms a more regular shape, his design has become a classic. A research study showed that the use of the Baskerville font increased the likelihood of the reader agreeing with a statement over other typefaces: it conveys authority and intelligence.

Libre Baskerville is an updated and redrawn version of the font created by Argentinian type designer Pablo Impallari. This new version has a taller x height, which optimizes its legibility on screen, while still working beautifully in print. It is a free, open-source font, making it easily downloadable without license restrictions.

Libre Baskerville Roman
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Libre Baskerville Italic
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Libre Baskerville Bold
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To ensure consistency, please only use the Open Type format of Libre Baskerville. In cases where it is not possible or practical to use Libre Baskerville, these fonts may be substituted: ITC New Baskerville, Baskerville Old Face, or Caslon.


Source Sans Pro

Source Sans is a humanist style sanserif font designed by Paul D. Hunt as Adobe’s first open-source typeface family. The font is available in a wide variety of weights and includes the fullest set of international characters. Source Sans is characterized by an open, upright design that is neutral and friendly. It draws inspiration from the clarity of American gothic typeface designs, but it has been simplified and enhanced to create a pleasant reading experience in both long passages and short text strings. It is optimized for both print and web applications and is highly legible at all sizes.

Source Sans Pro Regular
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Source Sans Pro Italic
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Source Sans Pro Extra Light
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Source Sans Pro Extra Light Italic
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Source Sans Pro Light
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Source Sans Pro Light Italic
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Source Sans Pro Semi Bold
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Source Sans Pro Semi Bold Italic
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Source Sans Pro Bold
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Source Sans Pro Bold Italic
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Source Sans Pro Black
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Source Sans Pro Black Italic
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It is a free, open-source font, making it easily downloadable without license restrictions. In cases where it is not possible or practical to use Source Sans Pro, these fonts may be substituted: Open Sans, Calibri, or Arial.


Rockwell

Rockwell was designed in 1934 by Frank Hinman Pierpont and published by the Monotype Foundry. It is based upon several earlier geometric typefaces from the early 20th century, including Litho Antique distributed by a St. Louis type foundry. Slab serif fonts retain a bold, nostalgic and somewhat casual air, recalling their original use on posters and handbills. Today, this mono-weighted face is well suited to headlines and other display applications that require a confident tone. It should not be used for body text.

Rockwell Regular
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Rockwell Regular Italic
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Rockwell Bold
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Rockwell Bold Italic
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Rockwell is included with many desktop publishing licenses (Microsoft Office), or is available to purchase in both web and desktop versions.


Readability

Use lower-case letters

The ascenders and descenders of lower case letters make it easier for the eye to understand the shape of words.

CAPITAL LETTERS ARE ALL THE SAME HEIGHT, MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT TO READ.

Use all caps with care, reserving them for headlines, callouts or other display situations; never for large blocks of text.

Maximize contrast

There should always be a high degree of contrast between the text and the background it is printed or viewed on. Contrast is greatest between very dark and very light colors. On white or light colored backgrounds, type should be in a dark color. When reversing out copy from a background color or image, pay attention to the type size and weight to ensure the text is always legible.

Left justified text

Columns of text should be set “Left justified/ragged right” to improve readability. In this style, it is easier for the eye to find the beginning and end of each line, and the spaces between the words are equal.