Fonts You Should Never Use on a Business Card

Fonts You Should Never Use on a Business Card

Everyone needs a business card. Whether you’re going back to work after your kids leave for college, or you’re a fresh college grad, you need a business card. Designing that business card can feel daunting because it’s full of important decisions. One of the most important decisions you must make during the design process is font selection. The wrong font can make you look boring, insensitive, or unprofessional. Keep reading to learn about some of the fonts you should never use on a business card so you can conquer this decision process.

Boring Fonts: Times New Roman

Times New Roman is a popular, common font. Most students will recognize it as the preferred font for academic papers. However, recent grads need to leave academia behind, and business professionals must raise expectations for themselves. This standard font is boring to look at. A boring font tells potential employers that you’re not creative or detail-oriented, which are soft skills that they want in employees. Show them you’re unique and choose something else.

Cultural Appropriation Fonts: Papyrus

As you look for a new font option, make sure you’re considering how people from different cultures and backgrounds might feel reading it. Some fonts, such as Papyrus, are poor attempts at cultural imitation and can even fall into appropriation. This may offend potential employers. Using culturally appropriated fonts can also make you appear insensitive and uneducated, which are not ideal qualities. Workplaces thrive on diversity, which requires people from all cultures and backgrounds to respect each other. Show them you have these qualities and choose a font without cultural elements.

Illegible Fonts: Bleeding Cowboy

While trying to look interesting and avoiding cultural appropriation, you’ll probably stumble onto fonts like Bleeding Cowboy. You may think this is the best option because it’s both unique and respectful. However, once you add design elements to your card, such as a colorful background, QR code, or foil accent, you and others may struggle to read this font. The dos and don’ts of designing business cards tell us this is a bad sign. Look through your font options again and pick something that is always legible.

You should never use any of these three fonts on a business card. Take the time to experiment with different fonts that are interesting, appropriate, and easy to read. Consult a professional graphic designer to create a winning card to help you get back into the workforce or get your first post-grad job.

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