When I design websites, either for myself or clients, choosing a body font is oddly time consuming. Before I began doing design work, I didn’t really see the differences between a lot of fonts. They were serif or sans-serif, narrow or round, etc. Now I find myself noticing every detail of each font I come across, which is very time consuming but also kinda cool.
There are three key things I always keep in mind when deciding on a body font. 1) It must be easy on the eyes. After all, you want people to enjoy reading your content. 2) Versatile fonts that come in multiple weights and styles are best. 3) The body font should fit in with the overall vibe of the website and brand. Choose a body font that goes with your alternative fonts (like headings) and most importantly, make sure you won’t get tired of it easily. Quirky fonts are fun but generally too distracting to use as the main font of your website.
This week, I turned to good old Google Fonts (learn about why we love Google fonts here) and gathered my top 5 picks for body fonts. Angela and and I are both pretty particular when it comes to body fonts, so we’ve collected quite a few favorites in many different styles, but today I’m narrowing the list down to the top 5.
1. Source Serif Pro – This is a very simple serif font that comes in 3 styles and gives off a classy vibe, in my opinion.
2. Open Sans – I see Open Sans a lot on websites, but I’m still not tired of it. I love this font because it’s clean, pretty, and takes on a different feel depending on what other fonts it’s paired with.
3. Lato – This is the default body font of the Genesis Framework, proving that default fonts don’t have to be ugly. ;)
4. PT Serif – Similar to Source Serif Pro, but a little softer. This is one of my go-to serif fonts.
5. Lora – There is something just lovely about the font Lora. It’s great for websites that are going for a more elegant feel.
Okay, now I feel kind of silly that I just reviewed these fonts using so many human characteristics. #designerproblems?
Share your favorite body fonts in the comments! :)
Carmen says
I love Lato & Open Sans. They’re so pretty & easy. :]
// ▲ itsCarmen.com ▲
Ashton says
Yay! I use lato on my site. I was feeling a little unsure about it, but happy to see it made your list. :)
Claire says
I use ‘Quicksand’, sans-serif on my blog, I love the look and simplicity of it :)
Katy says
Always love a good use of Lora!