Rules for applying fonts in the brand book
What should be in the typography section: minimum vs what actually works
Most brand books limit themselves to listing typefaces and a couple of examples of headings with subheadings. This is sufficient for recognition, but not enough for a designer to typeset independently, without consulting the brand book author.
A working typography section covers three levels:
- Hierarchy — how many levels of headings, subheadings, and text exist, and what font size each has for print and screen separately;
- Metrics — tracking (letter spacing) and line spacing (interline) for each level, not the general "don't stretch the letters";
- Conditions of use — minimum font size for small text, flysheets, labels on packaging, footnotes in contracts.
Without metrics, a brand starts to "breathe" differently in the hands of different executors: one designer intuitively compresses the line spacing, another stretches the letters in the heading for the effect of airiness. Both are right in taste and both are wrong in regulation.
Print and numbers — not the same font, but two different sets of rules
This is probably the main confusion in mid-level brandbooks: the typeface is one, but the physics of the medium is different. Paper absorbs ink, screens emit light, and the same point size on these media is read differently.
| Parameter | Digital media | |
|---|---|---|
| Base size of main text | 9–11 pt | 14–18 pt (desktop), adaptation for mobile |
| Minimum size of slashed typefaces | 4 pt monochrome / 5 pt color | is determined by contrast and WCAG, usually not below 12px for main text |
| Minimum size of serifs | 5 pt monochrome / 6 pt color | serifs on screen are "eaten" when scaled, use with caution below 14px |
| Vouroutka (light text on dark) | 5–7 Fri | requires font size increase by 1-2px relative to standard text |
| Line spacing | by 1,3–1,5 times larger than font size | by 1,5 times larger than font size, sometimes even larger for long texts |
| File color model | CMYK, resolution 300 dpi | RGB, vector formats for logo |
The difference in 300 dpi versus screen pixel density is not a technical detail for prepress department, but part of the brand guidelines. If the brand book does not specify color model and resolution, the printer may end up with a misaligned print: gray text on screen becomes muddy brown on offset due to incorrect CMYK conversion.
Minimum font size: official standard and practice
GOST R ISO 24509-2021 sets the probability of readability at 80% under corresponding viewing conditions — this is a reference for the minimum readable size, not a recommendation to set text exactly at this boundary. In practice, for digital printing the minimum is 8 pt, for offset printing — 10 pt, if talking about dense text blocks such as instructions or contracts. For web, the lower boundary for comfortable reading is 12px for main text, while taking into account accessibility standards (WCAG) for 50+ audience it is recommended to plan for no less than 16px and provide scalability without loss of layout.
Tracking and leading: why numbers matter more than descriptions
The formulation 'use tight tracking for headings' guarantees nothing — tight for one designer means 1%, for another 10%. In a normal brandbook, heading tracking is limited to a specific range, usually from -2% to -4%, and does not exceed 25 units in either direction, so that letters do not fall apart or visually stick together.
The same applies to leading: the rule 'the line spacing should be comfortable' is not a rule but a wish. The working formula is leading at 20-30% greater than the font size, that is, for text 16px the spacing should be around 20-21px. This is the only way to guarantee that a paragraph does not turn into a solid gray mass in long texts — brochures, annual reports, landing pages with large volumes of content.
What to do if there is no corporate font: the rule of replacement, not improvisation
This situation occurs constantly: a partner designs a joint material in PowerPoint without the established brand font, or a counterparty prepares a document in a system where custom fonts are not supported. A good brandbook does not leave this to the discretion of the executor, but prescribes the chain of replacements:
- The main brand font — for all materials where there is a technical possibility to install it;
- A system font substitute, as close as possible in proportions and character (for example, for Montserrat this could be Arial or Helvetica, for PT Serif — Georgia or Times New Roman);
- A universal fallback option for Office documents and presentations, which is included in the standard Windows and macOS package.
Without this chain in the brandbook, any deviation from the brand font is perceived as a violation, although in fact this is a forced and anticipated situation. The lack of replacement rules is one of the reasons why employees begin to ignore the brandbook entirely: if it does not respond to a real case, people stop referring to it.
Typical mistakes in applying brand fonts
- Using more than two or three fonts at once — an optimal combination that actually works, this is the combination of sans-serif for headings and serif for the main text (Montserrat + PT Serif — a classic example), adding a third font is almost always excessive;
- Ignoring the difference between print and web — the same font size is used for both the catalog layout and the website;
- Manually stretching or compressing the font instead of using the variants from the font family — distorts letter proportions and undermines recognizability.
- Lack of a minimum font size for small text—footnotes and legal text are set 'by eye,' without consideration of print run or coloration;
- Font replacement without an approved chain—each designer chooses a similar font according to personal taste, and different company materials end up with three different 'similar to the brand' typefaces.
Checklist for typography review before publication
- Is the font size indicated separately for print and digital media for each hierarchy level;
- Does the size comply with the minimum threshold for the selected printing method and typeface category (serif or sans-serif);
- Does the tracking of headings exceed the specified range (usually -2% to -4%, no more than 25 units);
- Does the line spacing correspond to the formula 'type size +20-30%';
- Is the file prepared in the correct color model (CMYK for printing, RGB for screen) and at a resolution of at least 300 dpi for print;
- Is the font fallback chain specified and applied if the main font is unavailable;
- Is the 50+ audience and WCAG requirements taken into account when selecting the minimum font size for web.
A working typography section covers three levels:
- Hierarchy — how many levels of headings, subheadings, and text exist, and what font size each has for print and screen separately;
- Metrics — tracking (letter spacing) and line spacing (interline) for each level, not the general "don't stretch the letters";
- Conditions of use — minimum font size for small text, flysheets, labels on packaging, footnotes in contracts.
Without metrics, a brand starts to "breathe" differently in the hands of different executors: one designer intuitively compresses the line spacing, another stretches the letters in the heading for the effect of airiness. Both are right in taste and both are wrong in regulation.
Print and numbers — not the same font, but two different sets of rules
This is probably the main confusion in mid-level brandbooks: the typeface is one, but the physics of the medium is different. Paper absorbs ink, screens emit light, and the same point size on these media is read differently.
| Parameter | Digital media | |
|---|---|---|
| Base size of main text | 9–11 pt | 14–18 pt (desktop), adaptation for mobile |
| Minimum size of slashed typefaces | 4 pt monochrome / 5 pt color | is determined by contrast and WCAG, usually not below 12px for main text |
| Minimum size of serifs | 5 pt monochrome / 6 pt color | serifs on screen are "eaten" when scaled, use with caution below 14px |
| Vouroutka (light text on dark) | 5–7 Fri | requires font size increase by 1-2px relative to standard text |
| Line spacing | by 1,3–1,5 times larger than font size | by 1,5 times larger than font size, sometimes even larger for long texts |
| File color model | CMYK, resolution 300 dpi | RGB, vector formats for logo |
The difference in 300 dpi versus screen pixel density is not a technical detail for prepress department, but part of the brand guidelines. If the brand book does not specify color model and resolution, the printer may end up with a misaligned print: gray text on screen becomes muddy brown on offset due to incorrect CMYK conversion.
Minimum font size: official standard and practice
GOST R ISO 24509-2021 sets the probability of readability at 80% under corresponding viewing conditions — this is a reference for the minimum readable size, not a recommendation to set text exactly at this boundary. In practice, for digital printing the minimum is 8 pt, for offset printing — 10 pt, if talking about dense text blocks such as instructions or contracts. For web, the lower boundary for comfortable reading is 12px for main text, while taking into account accessibility standards (WCAG) for 50+ audience it is recommended to plan for no less than 16px and provide scalability without loss of layout.
Tracking and leading: why numbers matter more than descriptions
The formulation 'use tight tracking for headings' guarantees nothing — tight for one designer means 1%, for another 10%. In a normal brandbook, heading tracking is limited to a specific range, usually from -2% to -4%, and does not exceed 25 units in either direction, so that letters do not fall apart or visually stick together.
The same applies to leading: the rule 'the line spacing should be comfortable' is not a rule but a wish. The working formula is leading at 20-30% greater than the font size, that is, for text 16px the spacing should be around 20-21px. This is the only way to guarantee that a paragraph does not turn into a solid gray mass in long texts — brochures, annual reports, landing pages with large volumes of content.
What to do if there is no corporate font: the rule of replacement, not improvisation
This situation occurs constantly: a partner designs a joint material in PowerPoint without the established brand font, or a counterparty prepares a document in a system where custom fonts are not supported. A good brandbook does not leave this to the discretion of the executor, but prescribes the chain of replacements:
- The main brand font — for all materials where there is a technical possibility to install it;
- A system font substitute, as close as possible in proportions and character (for example, for Montserrat this could be Arial or Helvetica, for PT Serif — Georgia or Times New Roman);
- A universal fallback option for Office documents and presentations, which is included in the standard Windows and macOS package.
Without this chain in the brandbook, any deviation from the brand font is perceived as a violation, although in fact this is a forced and anticipated situation. The lack of replacement rules is one of the reasons why employees begin to ignore the brandbook entirely: if it does not respond to a real case, people stop referring to it.
Typical mistakes in applying brand fonts
- Using more than two or three fonts at once — an optimal combination that actually works, this is the combination of sans-serif for headings and serif for the main text (Montserrat + PT Serif — a classic example), adding a third font is almost always excessive;
- Ignoring the difference between print and web — the same font size is used for both the catalog layout and the website;
- Manually stretching or compressing the font instead of using the variants from the font family — distorts letter proportions and undermines recognizability.
- Lack of a minimum font size for small text—footnotes and legal text are set 'by eye,' without consideration of print run or coloration;
- Font replacement without an approved chain—each designer chooses a similar font according to personal taste, and different company materials end up with three different 'similar to the brand' typefaces.
Checklist for typography review before publication
- Is the font size indicated separately for print and digital media for each hierarchy level;
- Does the size comply with the minimum threshold for the selected printing method and typeface category (serif or sans-serif);
- Does the tracking of headings exceed the specified range (usually -2% to -4%, no more than 25 units);
- Does the line spacing correspond to the formula 'type size +20-30%';
- Is the file prepared in the correct color model (CMYK for printing, RGB for screen) and at a resolution of at least 300 dpi for print;
- Is the font fallback chain specified and applied if the main font is unavailable;
- Is the 50+ audience and WCAG requirements taken into account when selecting the minimum font size for web.
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