Over the years, however, it was over-used. And over-used. To the point of internet infamy. Now Comic Sans is often mocked, and any professional caught using it runs the risk of being tarred and feathered.
One of my favorite graphics of a tongue-in-cheek poke at Comic Sans can be found here. It lists a handful of famous logos, and changes the typeface to Comic Sans. I laugh, and rage a little whenever I see it.
After years of hardcore mockery, people are finally starting to shy away from Comic Sans. But as you know, when one bad trend dies, another often takes its place.
I'd like to introduce you to my personal new-least-favorite overused Font: Papyrus
Another font designed to look a certain way. This one is supposed to be elegant. Exotic. Ancient. (hence the name)
Instead, it has been used and overused to the point of becoming the new Comic Sans.
Not only does Idaho use Papyrus in their Driver's Licenses and "Welcome to Idaho" signs, but my girlfriend even fell victim to the allure of this font when building her website.
Papyrus is one sneaky beast.
Are there any fonts you use on a regular basis that are worthy of note? Are there any fonts people use that drive you crazy? Feel free to call them out here, and we can all collectively ban the bad ones from our repertoire.
I like the font "You Murderer". It is the font I use for our Zombie Housewives logos. I just recently downloaded a bunch of new fonts. I don't like using the same ones and want to have a variety of choices.
ReplyDeleteThere's a Tumblr about papyrus called "Does Papyrus Belong Here". The answer is always no.
ReplyDeleteI hate papyrus because it's always used to imply "natural" or organic. Stop your vile attempted mental trickery, graphic designers!
As an Engineering Designer I find that anything that has an abundance of serifs to be terrible. My font of choice, symplex.
ReplyDeleteI use Comic Sans way too much, but as of late, I've been into Verdana. I despise anything in cursive though.
ReplyDeleteNever really had a problem with any font in particular. I just never really paid attention I guess. BUT, my employer decided that Century Gothic is the way to go as it "saves time and money". I don't understand exactly how the hell a font saves time, but whatever.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I see the Papyrus font I can't help hearing it in my head like Charlton Heston is reading it. I can't seem to make it stop.
ReplyDeletehaha, I kinda like Papyrus, but I understand the annoyance of seeing the same font get played out on potato chip bags and movie posters.
ReplyDeleteMy least favorite font is Times New Roman (reminds me of school papers).
Papyrus tries, but it will never be worse than comic sans. It doesn't even look right on the side of a 3rd grader's diorama.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I'm alright with Papyrus if it's used right. It's Comic Sans I'll always dislike.
ReplyDeletePapyrus doesn't bother me but my roommate has raged against it for about a year now. It is overused.
ReplyDeleteI use Sylfean (11.5pt) for my main blog =)
Though anything that looks like a teenager girls handwriting or cursive like Lucinda has got to go.
I can't believe I have an opinion about a font but I find that I do. I hate Tahoma. I had to do umpteen million process docs, all in Tahoma. It makes my eyes bleed. Make it go away!
ReplyDeleteI use Verdana. I like to think my dislike of Times New Roman is my own form of rebellion against boring tradition.
ReplyDeleteFight the power!
Sadly I love Tahoma....probably from too many process docs (sorry RG)
ReplyDeleteSadly I love Tahoma....probably from too many process docs (sorry RG)
ReplyDeleteFor some reason I really can't stand Times New Roman. Maybe because MS Word uses it as its default.
ReplyDeleteSo what are your favorites? My friend teaches a class in which his students have a "which font are you?" assignment.
ReplyDeleteI like Garamond but its so boring. I guess I'm boring.
But I'm no damn Comic Sans!
I don't remember their names, I just scroll to one that suits my mood. That may make me guilty of using Papyrus and Comic sans.
ReplyDeleteI really don't have one I particularly hate. I get more annoyed by poor spacing and huge paragraphs of text without breaks.
@G: well at least I know someone appreciates Tahoma process docs.. makes it all worth while
ReplyDeletegrrrr... comic sans...
ReplyDeleteNormally I don't give them much thought or worry, though I tend to bounce from sites with cutesy (unreadable) font overload.
ReplyDeleteDyslexie is a new font that's been developed that I like, even if I'm not dyslexic.
To be frank, I abhor just about any stylized font on a website, other than the title/logo. Most of the time, on blogs specifically, the shit is so hard to read, that you just want to gouge your eyeballs out.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I used to love comic sans and typed everything in it. I've grown to dislike it. I still enjoy papyrus but I think it has to be doc specific.
ReplyDeleteAs I tweeted you, I DESPISE times new roman. I don't like arial either. It's boring. Courier is annoying.
As of late I'm hooked on book antiqua, georgia, verdana, and for my blog trebuchet.
i love comic sans!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE papyrus! So sad to hear it's going down. I use it for meeting minutes and agendas...just to add some interest.
ReplyDeleteI'm tired of Algerian. It should be renamed something that would knock it lower in the alphabetical list. Then people wouldn't use it so much.
I HATE Curlz font with a deep and abiding passion of rage. I remember all the 12 year old girls using Curlz on their projects when everyone got computers back when I was in middle school. I thought it was kind of dumb back then. But then I started seeing signs in Curlz font all over the place. It so wants to be fussy and fun in that "everything I own is a nauseating shade of pink" kind of way, but all I see is the look on my 7th grade English teacher's face when he realized he needed to specify fonts since all the little princesses now have word processing.
ReplyDeleteCURLZ!!!!!!
OMG. I hate Curlz too. When I see it on a shop sign I hang my head in shame that someone effing paid for that.
ReplyDeleteAnd Papyrus.
And Comic Sans.
And I'm a font slut.
Just seeing Comic Sans makes me rage.
ReplyDeleteAnyone remember the font called BAZOOKA?
That was the first font that got my blood boiling.
Even Papyrus can't make vanilla wafers exotic. Sorry vanilla wafers bag designer.
ReplyDeletePs love that we all care so damn much about our fonts
I know it's boring and overused but I'm partial to arial. Until this article, it never occurred to me that I'm partial to a font--something else for me to obsess over!
ReplyDeleteOh gods, I've been in enough typeface, graphic design and logo classes to know how much Papyrus is loathed. It's funny, but there have been times while walking through the village i'll see a new interesting shop, about to go in when I notice their advertising/logo is printed in Papyrus.. and then I walk away. papyrus is just bad marketing haha.
ReplyDeleteMV Boli is Comic Sans fraternal twin in the font world, and I hatehatehate it. I'm an independent font kinda girl, love me some Bebas Nue, Synthetique, Malugua, Cumulus, Print Clearly, Champagne & Limousines and many others for poster & print design (which I freelance). As for every day use, I used to love me a pt.7 Verdana back in the day, but that got old pretty quickly.
I've been rocking some mid-weight Heveltica lately, and not because I'm trying to be a hipster, it's just a non-offensive standard sans serif.
I could talk fonts all day, which is either really sad or incredibly nerdy, or both.
Would it be horrible to admit that I like comic sans?
ReplyDeleteAnd to think I never noticed papyrus before, damn now it's going to stand out all the time like comic sans does.
ReplyDeleteIsn't weird how things like over-played fonts can drive us insane??!!! For me.... it's commercials. Holy crap!!! So far, comic sans hasn't brought me to the same depth of despair the commercials have.
ReplyDeleteSAND! It's the worst of all fonts in my opinion. I loathe Comic Sans and Papyrus but I feel that they have their place. Sand however does not belong in the universe. Ever. Back when I was studying graphic design years ago there was a florist called Cyril Cooke that I always walked past, with a huge sign written in Sand. I still have the nightmares.
ReplyDelete