Bad Fonts: Why Comic Sans, Lobster, and Papyrus Are Hated

Contents:

• Not Egyptian Enough Papyrus
• Too Good Lobster
• Annoying Comic Sans

Design cannot please everyone. Its perception is largely subjective, and the assessment of quality often depends on the preferences of the target audience. In the professional environment, there are certain taboos associated with the use of fonts that are considered low-quality or outdated. Nevertheless, even such fonts can sometimes be found in various projects. It's important to remember that quality design is determined not only by its visual appeal, but also by its functionality and relevance to user needs.

We explore the histories of "bad" typefaces: the reasons for their failures and where they can still be found.

The Not-Egyptian-Enough Papyrus

If you're interested in design, you've probably encountered this font before. This font has become popular due to its unique style and versatility. It's ideal for a variety of projects, from web design to print. Many designers choose it for its ease of perception and elegance. If you're looking to make your project more appealing, using this font can significantly improve visual perception. Don't miss the opportunity to add this font to your collection and use it in your next projects.

Papyrus was created in 1982 by designer Chris Costello at the age of 23. This font was his first personal project. Soon, two years later, the rights to Papyrus were acquired by a British typeface studio, and the font was officially presented to the public. A Cyrillic version of Papyrus appeared in the early 2000s, designed by other designers. Papyrus became popular due to its unique style and characteristic handwritten look, which is often used in various design projects.

After its release, Papyrus quickly gained popularity and became widely used in various fields. However, when searching for information about Papyrus online, you will notice that many articles and discussions on the first page of search results claim that using this font is bad manners. The reasons for this opinion can be divided into two main aspects.

Decorative fonts, as a rule, do not retain their popularity for long - viewers quickly tire of them. Unlike neutral fonts such as Helvetica or Times New Roman, which remain relevant for decades, fonts with original shapes and textures are subject to fashion trends. For example, Papyrus, once overused, today evokes a sense of déjà vu and is associated with outdated designs. Therefore, when choosing a font for your project, it's important to consider its long-term appeal and versatility to avoid rapid obsolescence and loss of audience interest.

Papyrus is often criticized for its lack of authenticity. The font's name hints at its ancient roots, but the letterforms make it difficult to pinpoint the specific script it's attempting to imitate. Papyrus can be perceived as Egyptian, Greek, or Mesopotamian, depending on one's mood. However, the texture of the letters doesn't look very realistic—it's clear that the irregularities and details were created in a vector editor. As a result, Papyrus takes on a distinctive cartoonish appearance, making it less suitable for serious projects.

Despite criticism from designers, this font continues to find use in various projects, including famous works of art. A prime example of this font's use can be seen in the Avatar movie title sequence, highlighting its continued relevance and design versatility.

The title sequence for the first part of the film uses the Papyrus font, which has been adapted with minor modifications. However, in Avatar II, this font was abandoned in favor of a radically different one. This change highlights the evolution of the franchise's visual style and reflects the creators' desire for novelty and uniqueness in design.

Too Good Lobster

The Lobster typeface is often compared to Comic Sans on the English-language internet, receiving negative reviews from users. This comparison underscores its controversial reputation, which many consider unsuccessful. Despite its attractive design, Lobster is controversial among designers and users, making it a hot topic in the typography world.

At first glance, the font looks attractive and harmonious. It was created by designer Pablo Impagliari in 2010. The work was done to a high standard: over 600 letter combinations were developed, ensuring a perfect connection of connecting strokes that mimic handwriting. However, one mistake was made when releasing this typeface: it was made free for commercial use, opening up opportunities for wide application in a variety of projects.

The Lobster font gained popularity thanks to its carefully considered details. It proved to be a versatile tool for both professional designers and amateurs, who could easily download it and use it to decorate photographs or create website headlines. In its early years, when startups and online businesses were actively developing in the market, this beautiful and easy-to-use font was ideal. However, over time, Lobster became too widespread and fell into the category of design taboos, losing its freshness and originality. In modern projects, it is recommended to seek out alternative fonts to maintain uniqueness and stand out from similar solutions.

In Russia, the Lobster font is experiencing a second life, having become a popular element in memes. While it was once perceived as a stylish design statement, its extreme popularity has led to its use in ironic contexts. You may have seen these captions on social media, where Lobster has become a symbol of humor and sarcasm.

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The Annoying Comic Sans

Let's consider the most famous and least loved font – Comic Sans. The phrase "Never use Comic Sans" has become a veritable commandment for designers and has even reached the ears of people far removed from the design world. Since 2020, a movement has emerged advocating for a ban on this playful, "childish" font. Comic Sans is often criticized for its informality and inappropriateness for serious projects, making it an undesirable choice in professional environments. Despite its popularity in certain circles, many designers consider it inappropriate and even offensive for various types of content.

Comic Sans was created by Vincent Conner in 1994 with a specific purpose. At the time, Windows users might encounter a cartoon dog offering computer tips. Its dialogue required a standout font, and Comic Sans was perfect for the job. Although the dog is largely forgotten today, Comic Sans has become popular worldwide and is used in a wide range of applications, from educational presentations and business documents to advertising and informal events. Its playful style and legibility have made it recognizable and frequently used, which, in turn, has generated both positive and negative reviews. Designers point out several shortcomings of Comic Sans that negatively impact its perception. First, the line width in this font is constant, which leads to the formation of excessively large dark spots at the joints of strokes. Most fonts solve this problem by slightly reducing the line width at the joints. Secondly, the unique shape of Comic Sans's letters makes it difficult to create harmonious letter spacing, known as kerning. Some letters appear "crushed" together, while others are spaced too far apart. These characteristics make long texts printed in Comic Sans more difficult to read, and large headlines lack aesthetic appeal. As a result, using Comic Sans in design and typography is not recommended for serious projects.

In the 1990s, despite its shortcomings, Comic Sans gained incredible popularity. During this period, computers and printers began to appear in the public domain, which facilitated the active creation of documents, reports, postcards, flyers, and presentations. Some users even began launching their own websites. The default font list in Windows included standard typefaces and the only creative option—Comic Sans. This font attracted attention and became widely used, including in serious documents, which confirms its significant influence on graphic design at the time.

The rejection of Comic Sans stems not only from its design flaws related to line weight and kerning, but also from its frequent use in inappropriate contexts. Originally created to represent the direct speech of comic book characters, Comic Sans was widely used for school reports and advertising materials. As a result, the font was often difficult to read and inappropriate, which contributed to its negative reputation. The correct choice of font is essential for the perception of text, and Comic Sans has become a symbol of inappropriate design.

Despite its negative reputation, Comic Sans remains popular. It is used in unusual situations, highlighting its uniqueness. For example, Comic Sans can be seen on the memorial plaque for Kurt Cobain, installed in 2011, as well as on a poster for a 2020 concert. This font has generated controversy for its design qualities, but its popularity demonstrates that it still finds use in a wide variety of contexts.

Unfortunately, there are actually many more bad fonts than is commonly believed. Every year, new low-quality typefaces appear that make reading difficult, and some good fonts eventually become outdated and no longer relevant. However, as modern trends show, even so-called "bad" fonts can find a use. It's important to remember that font choice affects the perception of text, its readability, and the overall aesthetics of the design. Therefore, when choosing fonts, consider not only their appearance but also their functionality.

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