As a freelance designer, one of my greatest pet peeves is seeing anything written in comic sans. In fact I think it should be banished from existence, and made a punishable offense to use it. It's an overused font that screams "Hey! Look at me! I don't know how to design and look professional!" It just pains me to see small businesses use comic sans for their logos, websites, and stationary. Don't they realize how badly they're hurting their image with such a childish, amatuer looking typeface? I would love to help design something new for these people, but I don't know how to tell them their logos and typography sucks without being an asshole about it. Comic sans was originally invented because in the early days of computers and Internet, cartoonists were using linear and serif based fonts for their comic strips and it looked awkward. So comic sans was made readily available and it spread like the plague.
It is one of the few fonts where the 'a' looks like a handwritten 'a' and that makes it useful for helping your child learn to read. Other than that, it is pretty ugly.
oddly, i find it easier on the eyes then anything with serifs. i used to have it set as my browser's default. but then i like dragonlands, firefly, and romulan. i wouldn't want to try and read anything very long printed in dark crystal, but i love it for some kinds of signage.
Serifs were originally put on certain letters to help guide the reader's eye from letter to letter. This is why serif fonts like Times Roman are commonly used for long paragraphs seen in newsprint and novels. But sans serif fonts are proven better for words to be recognized quickly and immediately (like reading signs as you're driving down the interstate for example). Typefaces have personalities of their own. They are carefully selected for the brand and the brand's appeal.
people shouldn't be teased and put down just because they cant afford a better font........instead they should be applauded for trudging through life without cutting their own throats.... fonticide is no joke
well its not just "brand", and as for serifs, they had something to do with carving stone, but then some people liked the effect.
