Display vs Text Fonts: Navigating the Challenges of Two Typographic Worlds
Introduction
Typography isn’t just about beauty—it’s about function, tone, and communication. In type design, one of the biggest creative and technical forks in the road is choosing whether to craft a display font or a text font. Both categories serve unique purposes, demand different design principles, and come with their own set of challenges. In this article, we’ll explore the critical differences between them and the design hurdles you’ll face in each.
Text fonts are made for readability in body copy, often used in books, websites, apps, and editorial design. Think 9–12pt sizes across hundreds of words.
Display fonts, on the other hand, are intended for larger sizes—logos, headlines, posters, packaging. They’re visual statements, built to grab attention.
Challenge: Designing a display font allows for more visual experimentation, but it has to be carefully balanced to remain legible at large sizes. Text fonts require strict consistency, subtlety, and a deep focus on function.
Display fonts are playgrounds for personality—sharp serifs, unique ligatures, extreme contrast, or quirky proportions are welcome. In contrast, text fonts need to be more restrained, prioritizing simplicity and rhythm over flair.
Challenge: In a display font, you can push boundaries—but it’s easy to go too far. In a text font, maintaining personality without compromising readability can be difficult, especially when designing italics or bold weights.
Text fonts live and die by their spacing. Letterforms must be spaced to flow harmoniously over paragraphs. Kerning, sidebearings, and x-height all demand precision.
Display fonts, while more flexible with spacing, often need custom kerning pairs—especially for headline usage—so they look balanced in a variety of layouts.
Challenge: It takes far more time to test and fine-tune spacing for long-form text fonts, while display fonts often need more visual testing across different layouts and branding uses.
Text fonts often need extensive glyph sets: uppercase, lowercase, numerals, punctuation, multilingual support, diacritics, small caps, tabular figures—the list goes on. Display fonts may be more stylized and limited, but sometimes require ornamental alternates or decorative ligatures.
Challenge: For text fonts, designing and maintaining consistency across hundreds of glyphs is a massive undertaking. For display fonts, the challenge lies in keeping the style coherent across unique, high-impact glyphs.
Text fonts must be tested in long paragraphs, different sizes, various screen resolutions, and print outputs. Display fonts require visual mockups—think billboards, web headers, packaging.
Challenge: Text fonts can perform differently depending on screen or print medium, making testing more labor-intensive. Display fonts may look perfect in Figma but break apart when used in real-world layouts.
Conclusion
Whether you’re designing a highly functional text typeface or a bold display font, each path requires a distinct mindset. The balance between aesthetics and utility shifts, but both challenge your skill in craft, consistency, and creativity. As a type designer, mastering both opens the door to creating fonts that not only look stunning but also work seamlessly—wherever they’re used.
