Does this bother you?
You don’t need to be a typography expert to recognise this font immediately. Yes, it is the one, the only, infamous Comic Sans, or what some people like to call “the font that used to be cool”. Some of you might be thrown into a fit of rage by simply seeing the article typed in this font. Others, though the minority, might shrug their shoulders in indifference. Most of you fall into a category somewhere in-between. But the question I’d like to pose today is: Is Comic Sans really that bad?
I, for one, used to love using Comic Sans when I was younger. But somehow, at sometime or another, everybody just stopped using it. Suddenly, I was made aware that not everybody had such positive things to say about the font. Sure enough, I had soon caved in to peer pressure and jumped on the bandwagon of bashing my dearly beloved Comic Sans (RIP). But before we go into a discussion of whether all the hate that Comic Sans is getting is warranted, let us first familiarise ourselves with a little background of the font in question.
Within four years of the font’s release, the font had sparked heated debate among designers regarding whether the font had been overused, and inappropriately at that. Some examples they brought up were the use of Comic Sans in a Dutch war memorial and in a printed advice for rape victims. (Not exactly what you’d expect of something so serious and sombre.)
And it’s prevalent use in memes has not helped its case either. In fact, it’s such a running joke that Comic Sans is a terrible font that there are memes solely dedicated to making fun of it. Case in point the examples below:
Additionally, Errol Morris, a New York Times essayist once wrote that "The conscious awareness of Comic Sans promotes — at least among some people — contempt and summary dismissal." This was proven in a study which found that statements printed in Comic Sans were less believable than if they were printed in five of the other fonts also tested in the study.
Some of you might be nodding now, having been reaffirmed in your stand that “Comic Sans is a terrible font, and should not be used.” However, before you pass judgement, let me first offer you a more positive, but probably unfamiliar, side of the picture.
Did you know that a 2010 Princeton University study had shown that presenting text in disfluent or “ugly” fonts actually helped readers retain more information? The study had found that the added difficulty in reading such fonts encouraged readers to process the material even more and improved cognitive understanding and recollection — something you might want to try for yourself when you’re studying for your next test.
Furthermore, there have been serious ongoing discussions as to whether Comic Sans helps dyslexic people to read. While there hasn’t been any conclusive evidence as of yet, with most research simply agreeing that the font should be in sans serif with further spaced letters, the British Dyslexia Association has recommended the use of Comic Sans. Then again, they also recommended fonts like Arial and Century Gothic, so maybe Comic Sans won’t be the first one on your list.
And Comic Sans still has so much to offer. Besides helping to develop the meme culture, as stated above, Comic Sans has also inspired much more creativity such as in the 2015 Undertale video game where a character was created around the font: a character named Sans who loves cracking jokes. (He’s a comic.) Nice wordplay, game developers.
But appreciation for Comic Sans goes beyond video games. In Netherlands, there’s a Comic Sans Day which has been held since 2009, dedicated to appreciating the font on the first Friday of every July. (Sounds like a great way to spend a Friday if you ask me). Some Dutch companies even change their website interface to be in Comic Sans in celebration of this day.
To conclude, it’s undeniable that Comic Sans has its drawbacks. But it’s equally important for us to consider its good points too instead of mindlessly hopping onto the “hate train”, just because everyone else is onboard. Ultimately, the answer as to whether we should stop using Comic Sans is a no. But should we use it appropriately? Yes.
So for all of you typing your next essay, or writing your resume for your job interview, stick with the safe option of not using Comic Sans (unless you’re applying for a job as a clown, in which case, go nuts).