Choosing a Corporate Typeface

tr2005

tr2005

New Member
When working on brand identities, do you find it's best to choose a different font for a corporate typeface to what is used in the logo?

Say you have one typeface for body copy, and then maybe another for headings etc... should they both be different to what is in the logo? Or should at least one be the same?

Or does it vary?

I've read mixed opinions on the matter. I used to have it so that the same font that was used in the logo would often be used in body copy or headings as well. But lately I'm thinking it's nice to have them different. Otherwise I suppose the logo wouldn't stand out quite as much? And do you think it looks a little too repetitive having them the same?
 
I think it really depends. I'd personally say that it's important to pick a main 'body' font that supports the main branding font (if there is one), but you also need to ensure you select something that's legible, easy to read and supports the logo font, but it doesn't necessarily have to be the same family. Using Helvetica for example, may work for a logo, but Helvetica isn't actually that great a font for large blocks of text, so you'd need something that's easier on the eye.

I'm rebranding and have picked the main font for the logo and headings – it's websafe, but it's also a display font, so it's not intended to be used for blocks of text. I have a couple of options for body fonts, but the main thing is I'm picking a font that has a clean, geometric, almost scientific feel to it to support the rest of my branding. If I could have used the same family for convenience I would, but as this isn't an option I've had to look elsewhere.

So long as the two fonts/families work together then go with it. There's no hard and fast rule about this sort of thing.
 
I do both, it just depends on the identity. You can't do the same thing for every brand. Saying that, when I do use the same font or font from the same family, I tend to use a different weight for the body text than what was used for the brand.
 
It varies, and the general appropriateness of the logo font for blocks of text is one factor that will dictate the outcome. Brand guidelines also usually identify a system font for basic documentation so it's not unusual to find (for example) Helvetica used for marketing materials, etc., backed up with Arial for general desktop use (practical considerations coming before design choices in some instances).
 
thanks for all the responses! That's helped clear things up a bit.

So if I had one font used in a logo, then another (e.g. a display font) used for headlines etc, and then a third font for body copy... would that be too many? As I get the impression any more than 2 typefaces in a design is too many, but when one of the typefaces is in the logo, does that really 'count'? If that makes sense!
 
If you use a font that is the same as the one in the logo, yes it still counts. The general rule with design is to use a very maximum of 3, so 3 different fonts, colours ect. If you ever use more than 3 you should have good reason to, it would need to be a necessary part of the design.
 
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