No more Comic Sans

The other day we received a letter announcing a phase release in a new residential community in Irvine. It was set entirely in Comic Sans — except for the logo of the Company-Which-Must-Not-Be-Named.

I do believe there are appropriate uses of Comic Sans, but those instances are few and far between. The font’s prevalence in professional and business correspondence is quite astounding. I have no shortage of choice words about said font, but I shall refrain from using them, because I know that, yes, I have sinned too. Therefore, allow me to quote the about page in Ban Comic Sans:

Like the tone of a spoken voice, the characteristics of a typeface convey meaning. The design of the typeface is, in itself, its voice. Often this voice speaks louder than the text itself. Thus when designing a “Do Not Enter” sign the use of a heavy-stroked, attention-commanding font such as Impact or Arial Black is appropriate. Typesetting such a message in Comic Sans would be ludicrous. Though this is sort of misuse is frequent, it is unjustified. Clearly, Comic Sans as a voice conveys silliness, childish naivete, irreverence, and is far too casual for such a purpose. It is analogous to showing up for a black tie event in a clown costume.

Be sure to check out the Ban Comic Sans Flickr Pool.

Filed under: Design, Pet Peeves, Web