Why do people lose their minds over typefaces and fonts?

Typefaces elicit strong opinions.

That was on display last month when the U.S. State Department announced it was returning to Times New Roman from the previously mandated Calibri. And who can forget the dustup over Comic Sans, the comic book-inspired lettering Microsoft introduced in 1994.

It quickly became overused, with critics labeling it – and those who used it – as childish and vacuous. Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert was ripped in 2010 when he chose Comic Sans to decry star player LeBron James’ decampment to the Miami Heat. At the time, TechCrunch blogger MG Siegler wrote: “Gilbert wrote the entire letter in probably the worst font ever to grace the computer screen.” Siegler praised the letter’s content, but it was the typeface that drew massive ridicule. So much so that, for a time, Gilbert’s Comic Sans debacle eclipsed the news of James’ departure.

Meredith Michael Smith, University Communications’ creative director, says typeface is an important component of good design. (University Communications photo)

So, people care about typefaces.

This is why one of the University of Virginia’s principal typefaces is Adobe Caslon, which was used in the first printed edition of the Declaration of Independence. 

Adobe Caslon is a serif typeface, meaning that on letters like T, E and L, there is a flourish at the end of the letter, giving it a formal feel. “That’s one of the reasons why it works for our brand,” University Communications Creative Director Meredith Michael Smith said. 

UVA’s other two official typefaces are Franklin Gothic – a sans serif, meaning no letter flourishes – and Bodoni.

“If you’re looking at a sans serif, you may be looking to express something a little more modern. You’re looking at functionality and clarity,” Smith said. “So, what’s really nice about our brand is that we have both. And because our brand is kind of a duality … we are old, and we’re modern … traditional and cutting edge.”

That duality extends to type: When her team designs something, their toolbox goes beyond photography, graphics and color to typeface.

Smith pointed to the University’s homepage as a prime example. 

“The headline currently reads ‘Excellent for a purpose,’” she pointed out. “We have the word ‘Excellent’ in a heavy Franklin Gothic, and ‘for a purpose’ in an italicized Caslon. That’s because we want the user, the reader, to understand the significance of the duality in that message.

(Illustration by John DiJulio)

“As your eye continues to read the statement, it has to adjust to the change in design and, therefore, tone,” Smith said. UVA is not excellent simply to be excellent, but for a purpose. She said it might seem like a simple aesthetic choice. “But truly, it’s a designer’s job to find those opportunities to elevate the language.”

Cavaliers owner Gilbert learned a hard lesson with his 2010 Comic Sans missive. But why do people get so heated over typeface?

“We are a very visual species. We react badly to anything that we don’t think is attractive,” Smith said. “People care about the aesthetics of the space that they are living in, in the space they put themselves in. Whether it’s right or wrong, we are going to have feelings about what we perceive as attractive or unattractive.”

Still not convinced? View these famous quotes and see how different typefaces might enhance or detract from the feeling.