Even for seasoned designers, choosing the best infographic fonts requires thoughtful consideration and maybe a bit of experimentation. The effort is worth it, as fonts can make or break infographics used in a marketing campaign or internal communications.
Nobody really knows exactly how many fonts exist in the world, and when it’s time to pick your infographic fonts, the choices can easily become overwhelming, even when you’re using a straightforward tool like Venngage’s Infographic Maker.
In business communications and marketing, the need to fit in with an existing brand identity adds another layer of complexity. Let’s review some good (and bad) infographic font examples and explore how to pick the best options for business communications and marketing.
Click to jump ahead:
- Infographic fonts categorized
- Branded infographic font choices
- Business infographic font choices
- Fonts to avoid in business infographics
- Business infographic font size guidelines
- Best free business infographic fonts
- Business infographic font FAQ
Infographic fonts categorized
Fonts are an important element of a perfect infographic. You can classify infographic fonts into three major groups: serif, sans serif and display. There are subcategories in each of those groups, and some fit into the display category and one of the other two.
Depending on brand identity and the story being told through the infographic, any of those choices can be appropriate when it comes to selecting infographic fonts for business communications and marketing.
Related: The Ultimate Infographic Design Guide: 13 Tricks for Better Design
Before settling in on some options, it can be helpful to understand the personalities of different fonts. As the infographic above illustrates, there’s diversity even within those personalities. For example, the professional fonts listed cover both serif and sans serif options.
A few things to consider when selecting fonts based on personality:
- Content: Serious topics aren’t a good match for playful fonts. This infographic published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is aimed at reducing suicide in teens, and while it’s designed to appeal to young people, the large, curvy font leans a bit too casual.
- Theme: The story you’re telling may fit with a visual metaphor or broad theme, and picking the right font for your infographic is one of the best ways to bring that to life. Holidays are ideal for that, as this Christmas-themed infographic illustrates.
- Length & legibility: Long and wide infographics allow you to use fonts that might otherwise be illegible at smaller sizes. This is especially true for display fonts like Pacifico, which is used in the section headings in the infographic below.
Branded infographic font choices
Branding can be expensive. It’s not unusual for large companies to spend upwards of six or seven figures to make (or remake) their logo, colors, fonts, illustrations and other aspects of their corporate identity.
Even for small companies or startups, the branding and rebranding process is usually costly and time-consuming. So, it’s understandable that companies want to reinforce their brands whenever they can.
Even when brand guidelines are simple, such as in the example below, font choices may be made for you, especially in the case of business infographics used for internal purposes, as this often helps to establish and reinforce the corporate story and mission.
Working with brand fonts is easy with Venngage’s Infographic Maker, which allows you to add fonts, colors, logos and other assets to My Brand Kit (exclusive to Venngage for Business).
Want to learn more about branding? This three-minute video sums it up.
Business infographic font choices
While you may have a bit more freedom in font choices for non-branded business infographics, there still are some unique considerations, and one of the most instructive when it comes to font choices is the purpose of the business infographic.
Here’s a look at some of the most common business cases for infographics and some ideal font examples for those purposes:
Social media
To make the necessary immediate impact, infographics for social media should have only one or two fonts at most. Consider superfamilies, such as Roboto and Merriweather that offer diversity in weight and style.
Sales pages
Take advantage of the high conversion potential of a sales landing page by turning part or all of it into an infographic. Be sure to choose fonts that are legible even in fine print like Verdana and Lustria.
Reports
Detailing annual revenue, monthly sales figures or upcoming financial projections are all candidates for business infographics. Because data is at the heart of reports, choose simple fonts with legible numbers like Open Sans or Roboto Slab.
Training & onboarding
New hires with a positive onboarding experience are far more likely to stay long-term, and using infographics can help set personnel up for success. Consider bold and friendly fonts like Archivo Black or Playfair Display.
PowerPoint
With Venngage’s Infographic Maker, you can export engaging slides for PowerPoint, bringing visual communications to your business presentations. Legibility is key, so consider simple fonts like Oswald and PT Serif.
Related: How to Make Better Infographics for PowerPoint
Fonts to avoid in business infographics
While most fonts have their perfect time and place, there’s no doubt that certain fonts would feel totally inappropriate for any business use. (We’re looking at you, Comic Sans.)
Some have an unprofessional vibe, while others are simply overused. If you find yourself opting for any of these fonts, chances are you’ve gone down the wrong path and should reconsider your choices:
Comic Sans
We’ve already roasted this font a bit, but it’s the poster child for unseriousness. There is no business infographic imaginable that would be made better by Comic Sans. Instead, try tastefully playful options like Amatic SC or Fredoka One.
Papyrus
It hasn’t yet achieved the universal disdain of the first font on this list, but Papyrus is a close second. A few years ago, it was the subject of a hilarious “SNL” sketch about how bad it is. If you’re looking for a modern take, consider PT Sans or Abel.
Impact
This isn’t a bad font, but it is extremely outdated, becoming popular in the 1990s when the web was brand-new. It’s now become ubiquitous as the meme font. If you’re searching for a professional-looking heavy font, consider Archivo Black or Rubic Mono One.
Times New Roman
Another font that is so outdated that your business infographic would immediately read as behind the (pun intended) times. There are newer options that speak to the simplicity of this font, such as PT Serif and Playfair Display.
Business infographic font size guidelines
Choosing the fonts you’ll use in your infographic is only part of the battle. It’s also important when designing a good business infographic to think about the size of every text element to ensure you’re telling your story in the best way.
As the final step in the above infographic indicates, creating a visual hierarchy is a crucial element to making sure readers connect with the information and that they understand intuitively how to read your business infographic.
There’s no single point size each element should have; rather, think about sizes for each element as relative to the entire infographic or to the other text on the page.
Most business infographics will have several types of text that may appear repeatedly, though some, like the main title, will show up only once. Think about how many types of text you will have and try to limit your font choices to no more than two or three.
That could mean picking fonts with lots of weights and styles. The infographic below uses just two fonts (Lobster Two and Archivo Black), varying sizes and weights to tell the story.
The specifics will depend on your content, but here’s a good rule of thumb for sizing infographic fonts from largest to smallest based on the example above, though the relative sizes are more important than the actual numbers:
- Main title: Archivo Black 60 pts with Lobster Two 40 pts, bold and italicized
- Section header: Archivo Black 40 pts
- Highlight text: Lobster Two 40 pts, bold
- Body text: Archivo Black 13 pts
- Labels/descriptors: Archivo Black 13-21 pts
Establish a maximum text size and a minimum type size, and then assign each element a size depending on the flow of your content. In the example above, similar-sized text elements are used to create an unmistakable visual flow.
Best free business infographic fonts
Finding a great font for your business infographic doesn’t have to be an expensive prospect. In fact, while some beautiful fonts do cost money, there are tons that you can work with today that won’t cost a penny.
Fonts are built into our Infographic Maker tool for free. For example, here are a few fonts we’ve added recently.
Here’s a look at the best free business infographic fonts and how you can get your hands on them:
Recursive
This sans serif font includes seven versions that range from light and airy to bold and authoritative. Recursive is a futuristic font that’s ideal for businesses with tomorrow in mind. Use it with Roboto or Open Sans.
Work Sans
A sans serif, Work Sans has nine weights, each with an italic version, making it incredibly versatile. This is an ideal font for projects that will cross over digital and print uses, and it pairs well with Montserrat or Poppins.
Museo Slab
While the full family comes with a fee, Museo Slab 500 is available for free, and its chunky serifs are ideal for banking and finance. Pair it with Josefin Sans for high contrast.
Prata
This elegant serif font offers just one version, but this modern take on a traditional serif can be used for a huge range of business cases, from annual reports to employee handbooks. Pair it with Oswald for a streamlined look.
Bungee
A display font that takes its cues from industrial signage, Bungee is ideal for business infographic titles, social media or other uses where grabbing attention in a word or two is vital. Mix it with Lato or Roboto Slab.
Business infographic font FAQ
Still have questions about picking fonts for your business infographic? We’ve got answers:
What are the best fonts for business infographics?
For most infographics, it’s necessary to combine multiple fonts or use fonts that include several weights and versions. Infographics that don’t include much text have a bit more freedom, but even then, it’s wise to consider font superfamilies like Merriweather or Roboto.
How many fonts should you use in an infographic?
No more than three fonts should be used in an infographic. Creating a cohesive story is challenging when more than three are used, and giving the reader a clear visual structure is important. Vary sizes, weights and styles to add visual interest and guide the story.
Where can I find free fonts for a business infographic?
The best source for free fonts is Google Fonts. You can also use the built-in fonts in Venngage’s Infographic Maker. Test out font pairings and add the ones you like to My Brand Kit (paid plans only).
In summary: Remember your brand when choosing business infographic fonts
Regardless of whether the business infographic you’re creating is for internal or external audiences, ensuring it tells your brand story is the most important thing. That doesn’t mean making sure it’s matchy-matchy with what’s in your corporate guidelines, however.
The choices seem endless (and they pretty much are), but if you can keep the brand identity your company has or is trying to create in the front of your mind, it should be easy to pick which fonts to use, where to place them and how large to make the text.
As long as you don’t choose Comic Sans or Papyrus, the variety of free fonts available should make the process of bringing your business infographic to life a rewarding one.
Ready to get started with your own business infographic? Start creating in seconds with our easy-to-use editor and professional templates that run the gamut from HR to finance and everything in between.
