Principle 08 of 08

Typography: two fonts, maximum

Most graphics that look amateur have a type problem, not a picture problem. The rules are short, and they'll fix more than you expect.

4 min read · No design background needed
Type that reads and sells

What typography actually is

Typography is how you choose and set your words: the typefaces, weights, sizes and spacing. Good type is readable at a glance on a phone, has a clear order, and feels like your brand.

The quick test

Count your typefaces. More than two? Then hold your phone at arm's length. Can you still read the smallest text?

The fix

Three steps to get it right

01

Pick two typefaces

One for headlines with personality, one for everything else that's easy to read. Stop there.

02

Use size and weight, not new fonts

Need more emphasis? Go bigger or bolder in the fonts you already have.

03

Never let AI draw your words

Set every word in your design tool, on top of the image. It's sharper, editable and actually spelled right.

Using AI?

Where AI gets it wrong

AI type looks slightly drunk: letters that melt at the joins, weight that drifts halfway through a word, spacing that breathes and then chokes. It's a picture of type, not type.

Paste this into your image tool to get a better starting point:

No text, letters, logos or words anywhere in the image.
Tell the AI what to fix

Name the problem in design words and give it one clear change:

“There are four fonts. Use one for the headline and one for everything else, and create the difference with size and weight.”

Your next move
  • Count the typefaces on your last three graphics.
  • Pick your two and save them in your brand kit.
  • Replace any AI-drawn text with real type.
  • Next up: Unity

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