Email marketers face endless design choices, but perhaps none as subtly impactful as fonts. Should you play it safe, or venture out with something fresh and custom? Let's break down how to choose.
What Exactly are Email-Safe Fonts?
Email-safe fonts are tried-and-true options, like Arial, Georgia, Helvetica, Times New Roman, that render consistently across email clients like Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail. They are totally reliable and always show up exactly how you expect.
Custom Fonts: On Brand, But Risky
Custom fonts (Roboto, Montserrat, Open Sans) express your brand's personality and can make emails pop. The catch? Many email clients do not support them. And even clients that do can render these fonts unreliably. Unsupported fonts will default to safe options, sometimes causing unexpected layouts.
Best Practices for Font Selection
- Mix and Match Wisely: Use custom fonts sparingly, like headers or key CTAs, with safe fonts for main content.
- Use Branded Fonts in Images: Images render the same across email clients so you can be as creative as needed with fonts. But beware, image-heavy emails can cause other issues related to deliverability, load times, and accessibility.
- Always Set a Fallback: Specify safe backups (font-family: Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif;).
- Test Across Platforms: Preview across Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail to ensure consistency.
Font Choices by Message Type
- Promotions & Newsletters: Clean sans-serif fonts like Arial or Verdana.
- Formal Content: Serif fonts (Georgia, Times New Roman) convey authority.
- Brand-driven & Fun: Custom fonts for headers paired with safe body fonts.
Size & Accessibility
Use 14–16px for body text, 20–24px for headlines. Prioritize high-contrast colors for readability.
The Bottom Line
Choosing fonts is about reliability, readability, and brand consistency. Blend safe and custom fonts strategically, test thoroughly, and enhance your audience's reading experience.
