We are more likely to remember information when it is written in a hard-to-read

font, according to psychologists at Princeton and Indiana universities.

Researcher Connor Diemand-Yauman and his colleagues wanted to explore how fonts
affect how much we remember from the text we read. They found that learning mate
rials set in slightly harder-to-read fonts produced significantly higher scores
in students assignments.
Arial vs Comic Sans
The researchers presented 28 participants with information about three species o
f aliens, and gave them 90 seconds to learn the features that identified them. F
or half the participants, the information was presented in clear 16-point, black
Arial font. Information for the remaining participants was presented in Comic S
ans or Bodoni fonts, both in grey and 12-point.
Participants were later tested on the identifying features of the alien species.
Those who had learnt from the harder-to-read fonts answered 86.5 per cent of qu
estions correctly, compared with 72.8 per cent by those who learnt from the easy
-to-read fonts.
The researchers replicated the findings in a similar study at a school in Cheste
rland, Ohio.
Levels of processing
So why did the participants remember more about the harder-to-read samples?
Diemand-Yauman suggests that when we find something easy to read, we tend to tak
e it as a sign that we already have mastery of the material. But when fonts make
reading slightly harder, we often doubt whether we instantly get it.
As a result, we are more likely to go over the information again to make sure we
fully understand it. This encourages deeper processing in the brain, which make
s us remember more about the text.
But that doesnt mean you use Cloister Black for your reports from now on.
Improving readability
One of the main challenges of writing is producing a document that people actual
ly read. The participants in the studies above were more likely to read than nor
mal. This is because text was given to them by people in authoritative positions
(psychologists, teachers) and in test conditions.
But your report isnt an experiment. And your target audience may not feel obliged
to read your piece at all, especially if its that little bit harder to read, or
its set in an inappropriate font.
Besides, theres more to business writing than getting people to remember the deta
ils in your documents. It is about setting a good impression too. Much like wear
ing a suit, your clients will judge your written output on presentation, and one
way to get this right is to use the best fonts.
Serif vs sans serif fonts
Serif fonts are those with the twiddly strokes at the ends of characters (eg Tim
es New Roman, Minion). There is an argument that serif fonts are more distinctiv
e than sans serif fonts (without strokes, eg Arial, Calibri), and are therefore
easier to read. However, there are plenty more studies that show there is no dif
ference between them in terms of legibility.
Interaction designer Alex Poole thinks most mainstream typefaces are equally leg
ible. He says, It makes much more sense to argue in favour of serif or sans serif
typefaces on aesthetic grounds than on the question of legibility.
Fonts help to set the tone of your professional identity. For business writing,
they need to be formal but approachable; sensible but not staid; and consistent,
not erratic. Thats why at Emphasis we prefer Arial, a sans serif font, because i
t is plain, clear and simple just the qualities we recommend in writing.