Taking Back Comic Sans: How And Where To Use The Cursed Font

You must be lying if you say you like Comic Sans. This child-like typeface is so irritating that it should be literally banned – and there is already a petition running for that. When you tell its name to a layperson, you'll probably get a giggle, but mention it to an experienced designer, and you'll probably receive a disgusted expression.

Comic Sans, which was created for a specific reason, has since become a symbol for shoddy typography all over the world.

Though this typeface has its time and place, and in most cases, that time and place is not on your website or anything related to it.

If we talk about a website, any website, it is like a salesperson marketing your firm throughout the year, all over the world, so you would hope the salesperson is professionally dressed.

If you are planning to use this, then DON’T! Using comic sans for your website content is just like digging your own grave.

Well, as an experienced designer, you definitely do not want to hear about where and how to use this ugly typeface, but sometimes a piece of information can do no harm. And for all newbies out there, who think that it can be fun to use comic sans, this article is especially for you.

But before jumping straight to the point, we would like to take you through the history of comic sans, and why even we have this curse in the first place.

History of Comic Sans

Comic Sans was first developed by Vincent Connare in 1995, during a pivotal period in computing history. It was created to work with Microsoft Bob, but it was finished too late to be included in the application. Ironically, Comic Sans has its beginnings as a botched Microsoft project.

It's not surprising that Microsoft had a failed product, but it seems implausible that Comic Sans would be the only surviving artefact of that failure. Nearly every single computer user understands what Comic Sans is now, despite the fact that it was created decades ago.

Though Comic Sans' existence has a purpose - a very unique because of the way it is. It is preferred by some artists designing entertainment media because the typeface resembles the print found in comic books. However, the lettering would be a good choice for some type of animation if it didn't have any stigmas tied to it. 

Let’s see where else we can use comic sans.

How And Where To Use Comic Sans?

1. Comic Books

When used in a comic book, Comic Sans looks appealing. Well, it’s a no-brainer, but here we are. Before the digital world, comic books were one of the major sources of entertainment, and still are for many.

In the early days of comic books, there was a need for compelling handwriting, and since comic books were known for being printed on newspaper stock with bleed-through inks, they had to adopt a style that was appropriate for their target demographic.

Well, yeah, there was no Comic Sans at the time, but the typeface was influenced by the handwriting of some of the masters. Thus, if you are planning to come up with a new comic book, then comic sans can work out for you.

2. Dyslexia

Whatever your feelings on Comic Sans, you can't disregard the fact that it is a social design success story. Its informality, disfluency, and readability have led to unexpected and beneficial applications, such as the British Dyslexia Association and the Dyslexia Association of Ireland recommending it as an accessible typeface for dyslexics.

Though it is said that comic sans is good for learning for people with dyslexia, it may or may not be the ideal font for them. However, the fact that it works well for certain members of that group is enough to believe the typeface a success.

Apart from this, psychological research led by Daniel Oppenheimer at a public high school in Chesterland, Ohio, showed that comic sans has helped students to perform better as compared to commonly used fonts like Helvetica.

3. Comical Settings

The font's humorous character makes it inappropriate for a serious setting, and writing messages using Comic Sans may be a bit of a laugh. But, it can be used in comical events like writing about Comic-Con or on a new comic release, and even on holiday greeting cards to lighten up the mood.

But remember, not to use it for clients or customers. It has the ability to attract attention for all the wrong reasons, and it may make an otherwise professional message look childish, which is why you need to be extra cautious if you are planning to integrate it for a professional footprint.

However, for amusement, it's primarily a matter of personal taste whether you like or dislike Comic Sans. It all depends on how much pleasure a basic yet goofy typeface can provide.

4. Comic Sans Hate Website

Well, this can be really fun, especially for people who think this font type gets on their nerves. It is the perfect example to show why there is no use for such fonts in corporate websites. Let’s take you through some websites that really despise Comic Sans, and you will really love the names.

Comic Sans Criminal - This website can be ideal for people looking for ideas to use comic sans. Here you can learn about the font's history and make a promise to never use it wrongly.

The Comic Sans Project - It is a Tumblr dedicated to converting current company logos to Comic Sans. Genius, indeed!

Ban Comic Sans - This website has been advocating for the abolition of comic sans for years and is still going strong. We can’t wait to see whether or not they will succeed.

Wrapping Up

Designers frequently discuss different typefaces and their applications in terms of why it was even created, do these even feel satisfying to use, whether or not people who created them picked the correct font, or how some peculiar font can interact with a professional brand.

Some typefaces are more common and easy to recognize than others. So, next time be careful of using disfluent fonts like comic sans on your corporate website. And if you still want to, try to use them in holiday cards for Halloween or Thanksgiving, which can be somehow taken as fun.

That’s all for today! Stay tuned at Pixel Dino to know more about typefaces and video content!