What Are the Best Fonts for Signs and Banners?

Your favorite font might appear attractive on paper or on screens; however, it doesn't ensure it will look as great on large format signs such as banners and yard signs.

In this article, we’ve shared the best fonts for yard signs, banners, street signs, and posters. We picked them because of their excellent legibility and versatility, since they don’t deviate from most brand guidelines.

Best All-Around Fonts

Gotham, Montserrat, and Proxima Nova are so versatile and easy on the eye that they work well for most large signs. But on the flip side, they are heavily overused and often seen as a “safe choice.

Gotham

This font is well suited for modern designs, thanks to its angles and straight lines. It also has wide apertures and tall x-height, making it highly legible even from a great distance.

(Note: In typography, the x-height is the distance between the baseline and the mean line of lowercase letters.)

Gotham is notably versatile that it has been used in many rebranding efforts, from fashion brands like Tom Ford and Chanel to media companies such as Twitter.

Proxima Nova

Another sans-serif font, Proxima Nova is great for headlines and large texts, thanks to its modern proportions and geometric appearance.

Proxima Nova is the closest font to Gotham, making it a good alternative for large prints.

Montserrat

If your large format sign only has a short message, you’ll never go wrong with this sans-serif font known for its geometric appearance, elegant simplicity, and a nice large x-height that gives it great legibility.

Montserrat is widely used around the world because it is completely free. Also, many companies and individuals use this font for personal and commercial projects.

Best Fonts for Yard Signs

Yard signs are small and portable signs often used to promote events, businesses, and political candidates. Typically, they are not text-laden, which makes Garamond, Trajan, and Futura excellent fonts for them.

Garamond

If you’re looking for something classic and elegant, consider using Garamond, which has become a staple for books, posters, and signage, even though it dates back to a 16th century Parisian engraver named Claude Garamond. Now that’s a font that has stood the test of time.

Trajan

If you’re into making a bold statement, Trajan is a great font for yard signs. Its bold and simple appearance is also associated with law and history, which is quite fitting since its design is inspired by the imperial Roman letters chiseled into stone.

Futura

This font has a rounded shape and a low x-height with tall ascenders, giving this an appearance of efficiency and simplicity.

Although Futura is commonly used when small text is needed, in recent years it’s becoming increasingly popular with large format signs as well.

Check out this letter font size calculator to learn more about the ideal font size and viewing distance for your signage.

Best Fonts for Large Banners

Arial, Helvetica, and Bebas work great for wide format printing because of their excellent legibility even from a great distance..

Arial

This font is easy to read in multiple sizes, from letters and documents to oversized banners and advertising flags. No wonder it is the default font in Google Docs.

This easy-to-read contemporary font is an excellent option if you want to create banners with a clean and legible design

Helvetica

This classic font is often used in promotional prints and political campaign signs. Thanks to its clean lines and simple shapes, it won’t detract from any design or content.

On the flip side, Helvetica is not suited for texts in small sizes. .

Bebas Neue

Bebas Neue’s tcondensed and fold form makes it excellent for headlines and captions. It also has a clean but “blocky” look that works great for banners and other large format signs.

Best Fonts for Street Signs

These fonts are readable and eye-catching enough to draw the attention of passersby. They also give this “street sign” vibe without looking too casual and unprofessional.

Anton

Anton is a geometric sans-seif typeface combined with the traditional styles found in sans-serif fonts. You’ll never go wrong with this font if you want your street sign to appear big, bold, and chunky.

Arvo

Arvo’s main selling point is its excellent readability, making this font suitable for street signage and digital screens. However, it’s mostly used in bold statements and headlines rather than the body text.

Cabin

This font incorporates some elements of the geometric sans and modern proportions, making this ideal for street signs.

Best Fonts for Posters

They work well with posters because they are readable and complement printed materials with text and images.

Gilmer

Inspired by popular typefaces like Future and Avant Garde, this font has a geometric appearance, sharp edges, and small stroke contrast. It also has a contemporary look that makes it excellent for modern designs.

Brandon Grotesque

Despite being around since the 18th century, Brandon Grotesquet can give your design a modern look. Moreover, it works great for posters because of its higher x-height, which gives it excellent readability.

Aleo

If you’re looking for a contemporary typeface with excellent legibility and strong personality, Aleo might be a great choice. In addition, it has a sleek appearance and semi-rounded details that complement posters with a modern design.

Conclusion

The right font not only makes the text readable, but it also supports the tone of voice and personality of your brand. Additionally, it can influence the way viewers understand and feel about the message in your large format signs. If you need help in the design process, eSigns can assist you in many ways. Feel free to use our intuitive design tool and templates, ask for our design services, or request for PDF proof before printing your sign.