Light fonts are thinner or slimmer than most fonts. Because they are thinner, they should be handled differently than you would other, bolder fonts. You will find some light fonts on the web, but not in large quantities.

For those who know how to use light fonts, they can be very attractive. When light fonts are misused, however, they can look terrible. Here are some basic tips to help you avoid disaster and instead design successfully with light fonts.

Less is More

Light fonts are lovely when used sparingly. Writing a large amount of text in a light font can actually make your page look cluttered and hard to read. When you keep the text short, light fonts will stand out and draw attention to themselves.

Keep It in the Titles

Text bodies are most readable when they are in a standard serif font. When a light font is also serif, it can become difficult to read. Also, using a light font in large quantities for a body would break the first rule as stated above: too much light font text is cluttered. However, light fonts make lovely titles, subtitles, navigation buttons, and tags.

The Larger the Better

Thin curved lines can make a beautiful addition to any page, if they are large enough. In general, any light font smaller than 14 pt. are very difficult to read online. You might be able to use a smaller size on business cards, but not online. The larger the text, the better it will show off the light font design.

Strong Contrast is Best

White on black and black on white are the very best color combination for light fonts. This is also true for your business cards. The stronger the contrast, the more easily it can be read. If you use colors, keep them very dark on a light background or very light on a dark background.

Some Examples

If you would like to see some examples of light font types, here are a few free fonts you can find online:

New Garden

Geo Sans Light

Existence Light

Walkway

Secret Code

Jalane Light

Keep in mind that since there are only a few web safe fonts, images of light fonts are your best bet right now.



