# Best fonts for formal personal letters...? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 20, 2006, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fonts-for-formal-personal-letters/340832 "2006-01-20T16:05:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fonts-for-formal-personal-letters/340832/1 "2006-01-20T16:05:33Z")
I’m writing a number of letters to suppliers for my forthcoming wedding at the moment - I want the letters to look elegant and classy, but not too business-like. What fonts would dopers recommend for that classy look? I want to avoid the usual suspects (Times, Arial etc), but don’t want anything wacky or too obviously “try-hard” - classy, restrained and understated is more my style… … any ideas?! ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fonts-for-formal-personal-letters/340832/2 "2006-01-20T16:25:14Z")
New Century Schoolbook Palatino Bodoni Book ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fonts-for-formal-personal-letters/340832/3 "2006-01-20T16:54:13Z")
“My” font is Goudy Old Style; I love it. I also recommend trying Georgia. It’s not quite my style (I prefer Palatino Linotype to Georgia) but it could be one you like. ---
**Author:** ![McDeath\_the\_Mad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a3d4f5/32.png) [@McDeath\_the\_Mad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/McDeath_the_Mad)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fonts-for-formal-personal-letters/340832/4 "2006-01-20T17:08:53Z")
Tahoma or Verdana all the way baby! MtM ---
**Author:** ![Corii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Corii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corii)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fonts-for-formal-personal-letters/340832/5 "2006-01-20T17:16:18Z")
I like Bookman Old Style, but Garamond is similar and nice as well! ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2006, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fonts-for-formal-personal-letters/340832/6 "2006-01-20T18:46:29Z")
I like Garamond and High Tower Text. Definitely use a serifed font, at any rate. ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2006, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fonts-for-formal-personal-letters/340832/7 "2006-01-21T19:20:21Z")
Thanks all - I like Georgia, looks great for the address header - and I’m gonna work through some of the others and see what comes out best 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2006, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fonts-for-formal-personal-letters/340832/8 "2006-01-21T20:52:06Z")
Garamond is one of my favorite fonts. I use it on all my papers. ---
**Author:** ![Brynda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e79b87/32.png) [@Brynda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brynda)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2006, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fonts-for-formal-personal-letters/340832/9 "2006-01-21T21:47:13Z")
Another vote for Garamond. I re-did my CV in Garamond and it looks fabulous! I use it for anything professional I do. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2006, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fonts-for-formal-personal-letters/340832/10 "2006-01-21T22:06:29Z")
Why…Comics Sans MS, of course. What? ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2006, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fonts-for-formal-personal-letters/340832/11 "2006-01-21T23:23:22Z")
I second Bookman Old Style. Dignified, yet friendly. ---
**Author:** ![mks57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@mks57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mks57)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fonts-for-formal-personal-letters/340832/12 "2006-01-22T15:41:51Z")
My favorite is [Caslon](http://www.textism.com/textfaces/?id=5). I like the style of the older typeface designs. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fonts-for-formal-personal-letters/340832/13 "2006-01-22T15:54:40Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > Why…Comics Sans MS, of course. > > What? You forgot to mention the kitten clipart. ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2006, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fonts-for-formal-personal-letters/340832/14 "2006-01-22T22:00:05Z")
The designer’s rule of thumb is serif fonts for print and sans-serif for a monitor (for ease of reading). ---
**Author:** ![Ty\_Cobb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ee59a6/32.png) [@Ty\_Cobb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ty_Cobb)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fonts-for-formal-personal-letters/340832/15 "2006-01-23T00:56:23Z")
Palatino has class. I use it on resumes. For announcements, I usually prefer novelty fonts, but I don’t recommend them. You have to be a bit brassy to pull that off. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fonts-for-formal-personal-letters/340832/16 "2006-01-23T01:01:20Z")
In my office we’re required to use Trebuchet supposedly because it gives a “professional” look. I don’t like it much myself. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fonts-for-formal-personal-letters/340832/17 "2006-01-23T02:37:01Z")
Wingdings! ---
**Author:** ![Bernard\_Marx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@Bernard\_Marx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bernard_Marx)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fonts-for-formal-personal-letters/340832/18 "2006-01-23T07:05:52Z")
Garamond, of course. I wrote my thesis in it. I’m convinced that it was the font that got me over the line… Thesis committee: “Well, he obviously knows very little about engineering, but _my_ what a nice font!” ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fonts-for-formal-personal-letters/340832/19 "2006-01-23T12:32:13Z")
> [@Bernard Marx](#): > > Garamond, of course. I wrote my thesis in it. I’m convinced that it was the font that got me over the line… > > Thesis committee: “Well, he obviously knows very little about engineering, but _my_ what a nice font!” And then he was hired by one of the Big Three automakers to make cars. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2006, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fonts-for-formal-personal-letters/340832/20 "2006-01-23T16:05:23Z")
If you have to use any really small point sizes (like 8 pt or thereabouts), I find that Tahoma is the nicest and most legible at small sizes. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-fonts-for-formal-personal-letters/340832.md?page=2)