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Tips for Using Light Fonts in Web Design
Light fonts are thinner or slimmer than most fonts. Because they are thinner, they should be handled differently than you would other, bolder fonts. You will find some light fonts on the web, but not in large quantities.
For those who know how to use light fonts, they can be very attractive. When light fonts are misused, however, they can look terrible. Here are some basic tips to help you avoid disaster and instead design successfully with light fonts.
Less is More
Light fonts are lovely when used sparingly. Writing a large amount of text in a light font can actually make your page look cluttered and hard to read. When you keep the text short, light fonts will stand out and draw attention to themselves.
Keep It in the Titles
Text bodies are most readable when they are in a standard serif font. When a light font is also serif, it can become difficult to read. Also, using a light font in large quantities for a body would break the first rule as stated above: too much light font text is cluttered. However, light fonts make lovely titles, subtitles, navigation buttons, and tags.
The Larger the Better
Thin curved lines can make a beautiful addition to any page, if they are large enough. In general, any light font smaller than 14 pt. are very difficult to read online. You might be able to use a smaller size on business cards, but not online. The larger the text, the better it will show off the light font design.
Strong Contrast is Best
White on black and black on white are the very best color combination for light fonts. This is also true for your business cards. The stronger the contrast, the more easily it can be read. If you use colors, keep them very dark on a light background or very light on a dark background.
Some Examples
If you would like to see some examples of light font types, here are a few free fonts you can find online:
New Garden
Geo Sans Light
Existence Light
Walkway
Secret Code
Jalane Light
Keep in mind that since there are only a few web safe fonts, images of light fonts are your best bet right now.
About Tara Hornor
Tara Hornor writes about marketing, advertising, branding, graphic design and desktop publishing. Tara works for PrintPlace.com, an online printing company that offers brochures, posters, postcards, business cards and more printed marketing media.
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26 Responses
you are right @Luis, I use District thin a lot
Thank you for fonts. thats simple and good for design.
Thanks for the tips, very useful….
Thanks for the tips and good examples!
I really appreciate articles such as this, light fonts are often overlooked and replaced by bolder more in your face typography to catch a visitors attention. Brilliant post.
@Luis – I haven’t had a chance to use District Thin yet, but I agree that it is an awesome thin font. Thanks for the suggestion!
@Saeed – Glad you enjoyed the fonts!
@Eko – You’re welcome. Glad I could help!
@David – Thanks!
@Rod – Thank you! I agree that thin fonts are too often overlooked; they make for such a nice, clean design!
These were really helpful tips! Thanks for sharing.
@Brett – I’m glad you found these tips helpful!
Really helpful tips u have provided in the post. For a successful design, color is just as important as the graphic itself. Thanks for sharing.
@Tom Johnson – You are right that color is important as well. Glad you enjoyed the tips!
Nice articles and nice examples for the explanations thanks friends…Its really helpful…
District Thin is another great light font. (Basically the whole District-Family is pretty awesome)