From classic Calibri to eccentric Wingdings, computer users have over half a million fonts to choose from. But a new study finds that your choice of font can say a lot about your personality.
Adobe experts asked over 1,000 people about their thoughts on 13 of the most popular fonts, including Times New Roman, Arial, Comic Sans, and Verdana.
The results will be a relief for fans of Times New Roman, Calibri, and Arial. But if your favorite font is Comic Sans or Papyrus, this data may prompt you to choose a different font.
“Serif fonts, like Times New Roman or Georgia, are typically characterized by elegance and are often associated with formality and professionalism,” Adobe explained.
"While sans serif fonts, such as Arial or Calibri, are perceived as simpler and more accessible, with a clean and modern aesthetic."
The most popular and most hated fonts
In the survey, Times New Roman – a font first designed in 1931 – remained the most popular, chosen by 27% of participants. It was followed by Calibri (16%), Helvetica and Arial (both 12%), and Georgia (8%).
Men were 45% more likely than women to say their favorite font was Times New Roman, Adobe explained.
On the other hand, Wingdings was considered the most "embarrassing" font by 55% of participants, followed by Comic Sans (17%), Papyrus (11%), Lobster (8%) and Impact (3%).
“45% think Wingdings should be removed permanently, followed by Comic Sans at 15%,” Adobe added.
If you send a lot of emails, the study suggests using Times New Roman, which was associated by 64% of respondents with a trustworthy and professional business, ahead of Arial (15%), Calibri (8%), Verdana (3%) and Roboto (3%).
The least reliable fonts for business were Impact, Lobster and Wingdings, with less than 0.5% of participants considering them acceptable.
Times New Roman also dominates for readability, ahead of Arial, Calibri, Roboto, and Verdana.
Preferences by generation
The survey showed that fonts resonate differently with generations:
Gen Z adores Times New Roman the most, with more than one in three considering it their favorite font.
Gen X and Baby Boomers are 60% more likely to choose Arial, compared to Gen Z and Millennials.
This comes shortly after Microsoft's decision to replace Calibri as the default font for the first time in 17 years, with Aptos - a sans serif font, similar to its predecessor.
What does your font say about you?
Helvetica (Gen Z): Creative, organized, UX/UI Design work
Times New Roman (Millennial): Creative, organized, legal work
Calibri (Gen Z): Analytical, detail-oriented, tech-savvy
Arial (Gen Z): Creative, somewhat organized, digital marketing work
Impact (Baby Boomer): Practical, organized, work in advertising
Comic Sans (Baby Boomer): Creative, organized, working in education
Roboto (Gen Z): Creative, organized, works in UX/UI Design
Lobster (Gen X): Practical, organized, works in design
Courier New (Gen Z): Analyst, detailer, software developer job
Verdana (Gen Z): Practical, organized, tech-savvy
Georgia (Gen Z): Practical, organized, digital work
Wingdings (Baby Boomer): Social, organized, works in architecture
Papyrus (Baby Boomer): Creative, somewhat organized, works in art
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