The Ten Most Over Used Fonts in Design

You've seen them over again. They haunt you when you sleep and when you design. No matter how many times you tell your designers not to use these fonts, they still use them anyway. You cringe when someone asks you what you think of their logo design that includes one of these fonts. We bring you the ten most over used fonts in design. All of these fonts are over used and should be avoided like the plague. They are listed in no particular order.

Over used font #1: Times New Roman

Microsoft uses Times New Roman as the default for Word, the most popular word processing software. Newspapers like to use Times New Roman. It's commonplace on many websites. The funny thing about Times New Roman is that sas much as it's over used it probably will continue to stay in style for quite some time and will always be over used.

Over used font #2: Arial/Helvetica

Arial on the PC (Helvetica on MAC) is typically the first choice for designers that are tired of Times New Roman. The only problem is that after using Arial on everything from publications to websites to designs, it becomes the next over used font. If you're looking for a new font to use instead of Arial, try using Myriad (iPod, Macs, etc)

Over used font #3: Impact

You'll find Impact on billboards, posters and logos. It's bold, but too narrow to be practical. Despite its drawbacks, it comes preloaded on millions of Windows machines and therefore has quickly become over used. Search for better bold fonts on www.dafont.com or your favorite font website.

Over used font #4: Papyrus

This font looks different then the standard typefaces that most people are used to seeing. To an amateur designer, this is a font that seems to be natural to gravitate toward. Particularly in church environments and Christian circles this font really gets over used. Although it may seem decorative and stylish, avoid the desire to use this over used font.

Over used font #5: Comic Sans

Think party invitations. Think fun. Think goofy. Comic Sans is commonplace in these areas—over used. This is another font that comes standard on PCs with Windows and unfortunately you find it everywhere.

Over used font #6: Copperplate

Copperplate is one of those less realized over used fonts. Although it doesn't approach the amount of usage that Times New Roman and Arial do, it still creeps its way into a lot of designs and logos. It's the first choice for people that want an all caps font and because of that, it's over used. There are many flavors of Copperplate and Copperplate Gothic, avoid them all.

Over used font #7: Bank Gothic

Bank Gothic runs a close second to Copperplate for an all capital letter font. In fact the two fonts are fairly similar which is why they both are over saturated in designs.

Over used font #8: Garamond

Most will agree that Garamond is a better choice than Arial and Times New Roman, but that's about it. It's slightly less used than those two fonts but that's about it. Garamond finds its home on a lot of web sites and designs.

Over used font #9: Brush Script

Sports, particularly baseball, like to use Brush Script. It tends to be the first choice for script fonts and therefore has long since been considered over used.

Over used font #10: Courier

Courier is another font that will probably always exist and be in use but still makes the top ten over used list. Courier is unique to our top ten list in that it's the only font that has evenly wide letters. The letter i takes up as much space as the letter c or o. This was one of the early fonts used in DOS and other command based operating systems.

Additional Over Used Fonts: Bauhaus, Bazooka

Next time you see someone use one of these fonts, just send them the URL of this web page and then they'll know not to use that font again. If you have other fonts that you think should make the list of most over used fonts, then shoot us an email.