Typography is often treated as a finishing touch, chosen after the colours and layout are settled. In practice, it does far more work than that. Most of what a visitor meets on a website is text, and the shape, size, and spacing of that text set the tone before a single sentence is fully read. A tall, narrow headline feels different from a wide, rounded one, just as a short, direct paragraph feels different from a long, formal one. Type is voice, made visible.
Choose Type for Reading, Not Just for Looks
Start with the body text, because that is where most reading happens. Choose a typeface with clear letterforms, generous spacing, and a comfortable size on both large screens and phones. Then check it in real passages, not in a single headline.
Limit yourself to two typefaces in most cases: one for headings and one for body text. A third can work for short labels or captions, but every additional font adds visual noise and makes the page harder to keep consistent. The pairing should feel related, not identical. Contrast helps readers tell a heading from a paragraph at a glance, while a shared quality, such as a similar warmth or sharpness, keeps the page feeling like one design rather than two designs placed side by side.
Use Size and Spacing to Guide the Reader
Size, line spacing, and paragraph spacing are part of typography, not extras added later. Headings should be clearly larger than body text, but not so large that they dominate the page or push useful content out of view. Line spacing should give each line room to be followed without effort, and paragraphs should be short enough that a reader can pause and return without losing their place.
Test your choices on a phone, where narrow columns and small screens expose weak spacing quickly. Fix the type first, and the message usually becomes clearer without rewriting it.
Keep Type Consistent With the Whole Brand
Typography should agree with the rest of the identity. A playful, rounded headline sits uneasily beside a severe, formal colour palette, and a thin, delicate font can disappear against a bold, high-contrast design. That is why type works best when it is planned with colour and layout from the start. For the wider picture, see building a brand identity from scratch, and for colour, read choosing brand colors with purpose.
Finally, write down your type rules in the same short guide that holds your colours and logo notes. Record the fonts, the sizes for headings and body text, the line spacing, and the cases where italics or bold are allowed. When those rules are written down, new pages stay consistent, new contributors have a clear starting point, and the brand voice stays recognisable from the first headline to the last line of small print.