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Why do we hate certain fonts?

showcase 66

showcase 66

New Member
I had a client/friend in here a little bit ago and he brought me a psd with the lettering he wants on his window.

Open the file and his top line is Brush Script and the rest under it is and I kid you not but comic Sans.
I threw up a little when I saw it. :covereyes:

First thing out of my mouth was I dont have those fonts. He says thats okay, I can send them to you.

No you don't understand, I dont have those fonts out of choice.

He couldn't understand why I wouldn't like the Brush Sript.

I mean, it is not a horrible font but it is on EVERYTHING. I told him to get in the truck and drove 1 mile up one of the main business roads around here, and pointed out every Brush Script sign. Turned around and came back. He never realized how many people use the same font.

I told him to go back and think of what he wants or I would come up with something for him.

It got me thinking though. Are the fonts we hate bad because of the way they are designed or is it just that we have seen them so many times that we just cant stand them.


Curious to see what fonts drive you nuts.
 
Circleville Signs

Circleville Signs

New Member
I think mostly it is a combination of overuse and terrible usage choice.

For example, when Bleeding Cowboys first came out I thought it was a really neat font, when used for certain things....

THEN....

EVERYONE and the brother started using it on EVERYTHING. Frank Fellers made love to it to the point where the poor font was found shivering and crying in a corner, muttering "no more Frank..Please, no more"....

Unfortunately for most fonts, once the point of saturation is reached there is no turning back for about 50 years. Futura is just now making a comeback...lol. (I know - I'm joking...Relax design Nazis)
 
Fred Weiss

Fred Weiss

Merchant Member
Circleville Signs said:
Futura is just now making a comeback...lol. (I know - I'm joking...Relax design Nazis)
Click to expand...

I once had the director of an art gallery ask me to design a poster using a font with an "edgy" look. After he rejected a few tries, I asked him to show me what he was calling an edgy font. He opened a magazine and went straight to an ad that was done in Futura.

One man's edgy is another man's modern geometric.

I thought Brush Script was great when I paid Gerber $280 for a plug in board of it in 1983. Used it quite a bit. But those days are gone and it has been way too over used to remain in my choices. Comic Sans is a different story and should be outlawed. :cool:
 
oldgoatroper

oldgoatroper

Roper of Goats. Old ones.
Yeah, wasn't Brush Script (and Commercial Script) great back then? I mean... the computer automatically joined up the letters for you... !!!! Life just didn't get any better, then....
 
Fred Weiss

Fred Weiss

Merchant Member
oldgoatroper said:
Yeah, wasn't Brush Script (and Commercial Script) great back then? I mean... the computer automatically joined up the letters for you... !!!! Life just didn't get any better, then....
Click to expand...

As long as you could remember which keys gave you the left and right close shape characters. :ROFLMAO:
 
Gino

Gino

Premium Subscriber
If used correctly, they'll all work for a customer.

I can't tell you how many times I've bitten my lip and used garish lettering styles, putrid color combinations and horrid pictures and the customer was still pleasantly surprised and happy as to how their project turned out.

My theory is simple, I only have to look at it for a day or two while it's being worked on in the shop. Once it's out the door, I never have to look at it again. Then they have to look at it everyday for the rest of their life.

Why try to brainwash someone out of something they perceive as being nice ?? You could easily lose a sale, get bad feedback or lose future work.

Had a guy one time come in and his logo was all caps in brush script. Reflex blue with a black outline and shadow. All secondary copy was black helvetica. I've never seen anything more horrible or disgusting. I was about ready to trash it and ask him to start over, when he said.... my wife designed this on her new computer and I think she did a great job. The letters look almost 3D and it just looks great. So, I replied, yeah, you're right. It looks really good. When do you want us to letter your truck ?? Oh no, I want you to make 25 sets up in blue and black and about 35 sets in red and black. We're changing our whole fleet over and we'll be putting them on as we clean the old stuff off.

How many trucks do you need this for ?? 60 ?? :omg2:​

Yep, 60 to start and I'll pay cash up front. Will that get me a little discount ??

The guy had a very heavy Yugoslavian accent and had some really nasty tattoos which looked mean. He had a head shaped like a bullet and had literally thousands of dollars on him. Ever since then, he comes in and pays cash up front, tells me some lousy jokes and I just grin all the way to the bank.

Say what you want..... but I like brush script :rolleyes:​
 
the graphics co

the graphics co

New Member
It isn't so much the fonts that upset me (except comic sans), it is generally misuse of a font that causes the physical illness. but, like Gino said, if they have cash and they are already in love with it, or their wife designed it, who am i to change their mind.
 
showcase 66

showcase 66

New Member
Gino said:
If used correctly, they'll all work for a customer.

I can't tell you how many times I've bitten my lip and used garish lettering styles, putrid color combinations and horrid pictures and the customer was still pleasantly surprised and happy as to how their project turned out.

My theory is simple, I only have to look at it for a day or two while it's being worked on in the shop. Once it's out the door, I never have to look at it again. Then they have to look at it everyday for the rest of their life.

Why try to brainwash someone out of something they perceive as being nice ?? You could easily lose a sale, get bad feedback or lose future work.

Had a guy one time come in and his logo was all caps in brush script. Reflex blue with a black outline and shadow. All secondary copy was black helvetica. I've never seen anything more horrible or disgusting. I was about ready to trash it and ask him to start over, when he said.... my wife designed this on her new computer and I think she did a great job. The letters look almost 3D and it just looks great. So, I replied, yeah, you're right. It looks really good. When do you want us to letter your truck ?? Oh no, I want you to make 25 sets up in blue and black and about 35 sets in red and black. We're changing our whole fleet over and we'll be putting them on as we clean the old stuff off.

How many trucks do you need this for ?? 60 ?? :omg2:​
Yep, 60 to start and I'll pay cash up front. Will that get me a little discount ??

The guy had a very heavy Yugoslavian accent and had some really nasty tattoos which looked mean. He had a head shaped like a bullet and had literally thousands of dollars on him. Ever since then, he comes in and pays cash up front, tells me some lousy jokes and I just grin all the way to the bank.
Say what you want..... but I like brush script :rolleyes:​
Click to expand...

Well said Gino.

If it wasnt a friend of mine, I would have done it for him. I really dont have those fonts loaded but will use them when that is really what they want. Now if they pay up front cash, Then damn straight I will do it.

and Fred. PLEASE DONT DO IT!!!
 
rjssigns

rjssigns

Active Member
Why try to brainwash someone out of something they perceive as being nice ?? You could easily lose a sale, get bad feedback or lose future work.


Ding ding, give Gino a big ol ceegar!:rock-n-roll:


Couldn't have said it better myself.
 
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