Fonts can make or break a design. Some fonts are best for online publications while others are best for print. Fonts can be bubbly or they can be creepy. Too many fonts can become distracting.

This page includes four font lessons that will improve your graphic design skills.

FONTS PART 1: FONT TYPES

In Part 1, you will learn about the different types of fonts, how and when each type of font is used.

Click here to copy the slide deck for this lesson.

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A Serif font has feet on the ends. These little feet make the printed word easier to read. A Serif font will clearly show the difference between the letter l and the number 1.

A Sans Serif font is typically easier to read online. Sans means without. Therefore, this font is without the “feet” or ends of the letters

Display and Handwriting fonts are excellent for short amounts of text such as titles and headers; however, they are not good for body text.

Google Fonts

  1. Go to fonts.google.com.
  2. Click on Categories to filter by font type.
  3. On Slide 4, filter by each Category:
    • Write the names of two Serif fonts on Slide 4.
    • Write the names of two Sans Serif fonts on Slide 4.
    • Write the names of two Display fonts on Slide 4.
    • Write the names of two Handwriting fonts on Slide 4.

BONUS POINTS: Change the font name to that font.

Fonts - list fonts as types

Using Fonts

Fonts can be used in Google Slides in text boxes, as well as Word Art. Changing fonts and adding more fonts is the same for both. The activity for this section uses Word Art, therefore, it will be used in the example images.

Inserting Word Art & Changing the Font Type

  1. Go to Slide 5 of Fonts - The Importance of Font and Color Part 1.
  2. Select Insert.
  3. Click on Word art.
  4. Type a title, saying or phrase.
  5. Use Enter on the keyboard to Save. Use Shift + Enter to write multiple lines.
  6. Select the Word art.
  7. Select the font of your choice or More fonts for more font choices.

 Adding More Font Types

  1. Go to Slide 6.
  2. Select the text.
  3. Click on the font name in the format menu.
  4. Select More fonts.
  5. Check the font(s) you want to add.
  6. Select Done.

Font Styles

As stated before, using too many fonts is bad. To add variety, use different style choices such as bold, italicize, underline, etc. If a font has an arrow, click on it to view more style choices. This arrow offers more choices than the text format menu.

View more Font Styles

  1. Go to Slide 7.
  2. Select the text.
  3. Click on the down arrow next to Arial.
  4. Click side arrow next to the font.
  5. Select a style.
  6. You can also use  Bold and Italicize or more style choices.

Adding fonts from the Google Fonts catalog

Fonts Practice 1

Did you complete Slides 4-7 on Fonts - The Importance of Font and Color Activity Part 1? Yes? Then let's move onto the next lesson.

FONTS PART 2: FONT PAIRS

Whether you are designing a presentation or a yearbook, using Font Pairs is crucial. In this lesson, you will gather a slide deck of font pairs.

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Font Pairs

Too many fonts on a page or in one file can become distracting. Stick with 2 fonts in various sizes and styles.

Lorem Ipsum

Before we begin the Fonts Part 2 Activity, let me explain what the strange language in the example is.

When graphic designers work, their focus is on the design, not what the actual words say. That job is given to someone else when the design is done.

Instead the graphic designer user a lorem ipsum generator the correct word, sentence or paragraph length. We will do the same on our slide deck of font pairs.

# of Fonts in a Font Pair

In Example Pair 1, I used FontJoy.com to identify a title, subtitle, and body font. In Example Pair 2, I used FontPair.co to identify a title and a body font. I deleted the text boxes for subtitle because it was not needed.

Fonts Practice Part 2

Use these websites to select 5 font pairs. Add each font pair to the following 5 slides. Pairs can be 2 or 3 fonts depending on the website you use.

FONTS PART 3: COLOR THE QUOTE

By the end of the Part 3, you will create multiple iterations of an original Color the Quote artwork that use Word Art, font pairs, and color combinations.

Multiple Iterations

An iteration is repetition with modification. Look at the three following images. Each iteration has the same words and objects; however, the color, fonts, and placement of the Word Art and objects are changed. Each iteration gets better OR makes you feel more confident about the quality of a previous iteration.

After you complete Slide 15, Duplicate the slide and make changes to the color, font, and placement of the Word Art and objects. Duplicate the slide again and make more changes. Which of your iterations do you prefer?

Additional Skills Needed for Practice Activity

You may have noticed that I have included free practice activities on this website. Below are a few skills not directly related to fonts that will help you will "The Importance of Font and Color Choice" Activity.

Duplicate Slides

  1. Right-click on a slide in the Filmstrip view.
  2. Select Duplicate slide.

Zoom

When you need a closer view of the text, it is crucial to zoom in to view the writing.

Choice 1: Icon

  1. Select the zoom icon.
  2. Select a magnification.
Choice 2: Shortcuts
  • Zoom in CTRL + ALT and +
  • Zoom Out CTRL + ALT and -

Fonts Practice 3

Follow the directions on Slides 5-8 of the Fonts - The Importance of Font and Color Part 3 to create an original design.

The key is to create three different iterations of the same quote and object three different ways using different font pairs, color combinations, and placement.

Fonts - The Importance of Font and Color Activity (2)

FONTS PART 4: EDIT THEME

Professional quality work does not mean extra work. Shortcuts that make our design better are ALWAYS allowed. In this short lesson, you will learn how to add your font pair to the Google Slides THEME page.

Open the THEME Page

  1. On a new slide deck, click on the Slide menu.
  2. Select Edit theme.
  3. Go to the THEME page, which is above Layout.

Change the Font Pair

  1. Click on Click to edit theme title style.
  2. Change the font.
  3. Click on the big box to select all levels.
  4. Change the font.
  5. Click on the white X to exit the Edit theme.

Add Layouts

Test your work. Add multiple layouts.

Fonts Practice 4

Does every layout you add have the same font pair?

 

YOUTUBE PLAYLIST

  • Typography Tutorial - 10 rules to help you rule type by The Futur
  • An Intro to Typography by Karen Kavett
  • Beginning Graphic Design: Typography by GCFLearnFree.org
  • Typography: Lesson TWO by Karen Kavett
  • How to Add More Fonts in Google Docs and Slides

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Design Tools

Precision will give your graphic design a professional touch. Learn how to use built-in Google Slides design tools in the next lesson.

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Updated December 30, 2022.