# why does everyone hate comic sans?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/363920
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [July 10, 2006, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/363920 "2006-07-10T19:56:10Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2006, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/363920/21 "2006-07-11T03:08:41Z")
Comic Sans is often used in architectural cad drawings to convey a hand-lettered look, but usually in all capitals, i.e. “2x12 FLOOR JOISTS @ 16” O/C"
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### Author:  [@Othersider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Othersider)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2006, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/363920/22 "2006-07-11T03:19:12Z")
> [@bouv](#):
>
> A quote from an editor I worked on a college literary and news magazine with:
>
> “Comic Sans is for dumb sorority girls to use in their AIM profiles.”
>
> I then looked at the buddy info for what few sorority girls were actually there…out of the four, three had comic sans.
Uncanny. I never thought about it before, but you’re right. I checked the profiles of all my buddies that were online that might be construed as “sorority girls”, and I had roughly the same ratio of Comic Sans users. :smack:
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### Author:  [@ErinPuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ErinPuff)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2006, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/363920/23 "2006-07-11T03:38:17Z")
Last semester someone in one of my classes turned in her final paper in Comic Sans. (Another person used size 14 font to make the page count and didn’t see anything wrong with that–sadly, I don’t think the professor really cared.)
I wrote papers in Comic Sans too… in fifth grade.
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### Author:  [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2006, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/363920/24 "2006-07-11T04:42:50Z")
> [@Jess](#):
>
> No kidding. I didn’t know about the hate for this font. I kinda like it – to the degree I like any font. It’s readable and attractive. I use it on my business website.
Hey, no offense or anything, but if I saw Comic Sans on a business website I would not be able to take it seriously to the point of wondering if it’s even _safe_ to give them my money. To me it screams uneducated and unprofessional. To tell the truth every immediately recognisable novelty font that comes with Windows does the same, but Comic Sans louder than most. It’s right up there with Papyrus (another terrible font), clip art and WordArt.
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### Author:  [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2006, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/363920/25 "2006-07-11T05:16:43Z")
I use it in some very informal memos and anoucements to my associates (minions)…but then again I am typically writing to Brittney, Britany, Britnee…Ashly, Ashlee, Ashley and Ashlie…oh and Bryan, Brian, Biff and Skippy too…
just my $.02,
tsfr
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### Author:  [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2006, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/363920/26 "2006-07-11T05:54:07Z")
There are people out there who care about fonts enough to a) learn their names and b) hate them? Wow.
That said, I’ve seen and used Comic Sans every once in awhile and have never heard any compliants. I’d never use it for a paper or anything though.
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### Author:  [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2006, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/363920/27 "2006-07-11T07:50:29Z")
Ugh, I can’t stand Comic Sans anymore because it’s got to be the world’s most over-used font. I do use it though - when I’m trying to make a “friendly” document for work. Most of the truck drivers I work with aren’t as nerdy as me and don’t make the same connection between Comic and tacky, glurgy crap. Of the standard Windows fonts, it is the most informal and friendly looking and I use it when I want to pass a message on to the drivers that they might otherwise find intimidating (like how to use the new automated phone system). I also use it in some documents for co-workers who I know love it. I never use it on personal documents or at home, or in any documentation that’s being sent out to customers.
Comic sans on a website is best complimented by a black background, multi-coloured text and flashing, spinning animations. Or in emails composed in Incredimail. Mmm-mmm, classy.
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### Author:  [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2006, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/363920/28 "2006-07-11T11:27:49Z")
It was used (strangely enough) in one of our publications to students and on our office website. Against the rest of the corporate font (Arial size 10) it looked childish and unprofessional.
Add that to the other complaints about emails with multicoloured signature lines in Comic :rolleyes:
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### Author:  [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2006, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/363920/29 "2006-07-11T12:25:43Z")
> [@FlyingRamenMonster](#):
>
> Hey, no offense or anything, but if I saw Comic Sans on a business website I would not be able to take it seriously to the point of wondering if it’s even _safe_ to give them my money. To me it screams uneducated and unprofessional. To tell the truth every immediately recognisable novelty font that comes with Windows does the same, but Comic Sans louder than most. It’s right up there with Papyrus (another terrible font), clip art and WordArt.
None taken – I can except constructive criticism. As I said, I knew nothing about any prejudice against the font when I built the website (the first and only website I’ve ever built). I just used it because it looked pretty (like all those sorority girls, I guess). I’m a wedding and event planner, so my website targets brides and I may be safer with a ‘cute’ font than other businesses – plus I have no clipart or Wordart on the site. It’s actually a pretty stark website, other than pictures of our work. That’s why I wanted a pretty font – because it looked awfully plain with an ordinary one. I certainly don’t want to look unprofessional, though, so maybe I should change it. What would be a good alternative? Ariel, maybe? I use that one a lot. It’s pretty plain, though. What about Verdana? That one’s kind of pretty. Any warnings against it?
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### Author:  [@SkeptiJess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkeptiJess)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2006, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/363920/30 "2006-07-11T12:26:55Z")
Shite! Ignore the glaring typo/ mispelling in the first line. Apparently it’s too early for me to be posting.
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### Author:  [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2006, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/363920/31 "2006-07-11T12:30:11Z")
Is it only me who thought this thread was going to be about Horatio?
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### Author:  [@kittenblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kittenblue)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2006, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/363920/32 "2006-07-11T12:48:59Z")
Would people hate it less (or use it less) if it had another name? Something more substantial-sounding, like Athens or Compendium or Manchester? I’m just pulling words from thin air here…if these are names of real fonts (and how could they not be, with 4 gajillion fonts out there) I apologize. But I sometimes think people hate it because of the name.
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2006, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/363920/33 "2006-07-11T12:57:30Z")
> [@pseudotriton ruber ruber](#):
>
> Is it only me who thought this thread was going to be about Horatio?
Now that I would have understood immediately. 😃
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### Author:  [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2006, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/363920/34 "2006-07-11T13:28:23Z")
I use Comic Sans as default at work for one reason and one reason only, ‘a’.
Comic sans is the only easily available font (that I know of. Feel free to educate me) that has an ‘a’ that resembles a handwritten ‘a’. When children are learning to write they need to see the actual shape of the letter around them.
In my experience the only people who handwrite ‘a’ in that shape are teenage girls who feel artistic.
If Comic Sans continues to be the only font without the ‘a’ then I will use it.
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### Author:  [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2006, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/363920/35 "2006-07-11T13:34:22Z")
**I like to use this font. It conveys an immediate sense of friendliness and approachability**
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### Author:  [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2006, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/363920/36 "2006-07-11T13:36:46Z")
> [@ThisSpaceForRent](#):
>
> I use it in some very informal memos and anoucements to my associates (minions)…but then again I am typically writing to Brittney, Britany, Britnee…Ashly, Ashlee, Ashley and Ashlie…oh and Bryan,\*\* Brian\*\*, Biff and Skippy too…
> _bolding mine_
You got a prblem with that name, pal? :dubious:
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### Author:  [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2006, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/363920/37 "2006-07-11T13:44:30Z")
[Peruse at you leisure](http://www.free-fonts.com/handwriting_fonts.html).
[fontgarden.com](http://www.fontgarden.com/) specializes in handwriting fonts.
Try, also, [fontfreak.com](http://www.fontfreak.com/index3.htm)
It can be difficult to navigate, and contains popups, but it’s got tons of fonts, although a great deal of them are novelty-types.
For $9 (US) you can make a font from your own handwriting at [Fontifier](http://www.fontifier.com/).
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### Author:  [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2006, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/363920/38 "2006-07-11T14:46:22Z")
> [@calm kiwi](#):
>
> I use Comic Sans as default at work for one reason and one reason only, ‘a’.
>
> Comic sans is the only easily available font (that I know of. Feel free to educate me) that has an ‘a’ that resembles a handwritten ‘a’. When children are learning to write they need to see the actual shape of the letter around them.
>
> In my experience the only people who handwrite ‘a’ in that shape are teenage girls who feel artistic.
>
> If Comic Sans continues to be the only font without the ‘a’ then I will use it.
Century Gothic.
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### Author:  [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2006, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/363920/39 "2006-07-11T15:13:43Z")
> [@Jess](#):
>
> None taken – I can except constructive criticism. As I said, I knew nothing about any prejudice against the font when I built the website (the first and only website I’ve ever built). I just used it because it looked pretty (like all those sorority girls, I guess). I’m a wedding and event planner, so my website targets brides and I may be safer with a ‘cute’ font than other businesses – plus I have no clipart or Wordart on the site. It’s actually a pretty stark website, other than pictures of our work. That’s why I wanted a pretty font – because it looked awfully plain with an ordinary one. I certainly don’t want to look unprofessional, though, so maybe I should change it. What would be a good alternative? Ariel, maybe? I use that one a lot. It’s pretty plain, though. What about Verdana? That one’s kind of pretty. Any warnings against it?
Well, it’s hard to say without seeing your website (plus I’m no web designer) but generally you shouldn’t rely on the font to add visual interest to a site. A solid colour scheme and layout work much better. The main font used for text and such should be readable and visually appealing but shouldn’t attract attention. An [Old-style Roman/serif typeface](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serif#Old_Style) would probably be better since they convey a sort of warmth and informality (which would be important for a wedding planner’s site) while still looking professional. With headings and stuff you can be less restrained as long as things are still readable. I’m just a design student who knows a little typography, though. I think since your website represents your business it may well be worth it to hire a web designer, who has both technical know-how and a good understanding of how everything comes together - there is a whole lot involved that most people would not even think of.
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### Author:  [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)
#### Post date: [July 11, 2006, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/363920/40 "2006-07-11T18:49:19Z")
I am appalled that students in higher ed would hand in papers using Comic Sans! Of course my thesis was printed in Courier :eek: but we didn’t have many choices back in my day.
Trebuchet is my choice at work. A little more casual but not fun!
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