# Why does everyone hate Comic Sans? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 20, 2009, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/493676 "2009-04-20T01:10:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2009, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/493676/41 "2009-04-20T20:20:23Z")
> [@zweisamkeit](#): > > i j p q > They look crooked to me. ‘j’ tilts to the left, as well as ‘p’. ‘i’ is more straight up and down and then there’s ‘q’ having to be different and lean over to the right. > > The smaller the font is, the harder it is to see the issues. They’re still there, though, dammit. Ah, I see. I just didn’t blow it up big enough to see the effect. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2009, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/493676/42 "2009-04-20T20:22:26Z")
They look crooked to me, too, almost as if they were in Italic…hey wait. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2009, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/493676/43 "2009-04-20T20:26:46Z")
> [@The\_Superhero](#): > > I can’t think of anything for which I’d willingly use Comic Sans, and I think it’s a pretty ugly typeface, overall. But I don’t have any particular seething rage for it, either. > > I’ll agree with you that Arial is a terrible typeface, but for a different reason. Helvetica is functional, though fairly dull and I’d rather use just about anything but Helvetica if I can help it…and Arial is just a cut-rate knockoff of Helvetica. If I’m going to use a dull typeface, I’d rather use the original than the knockoff. I agree on Arial, but Helvetica is a perfectly regal sans serif. Beautiful, clean, geometric, strong. Its form does not distract from content. Both Helvetica and Times New Roman get a bad rap for being “boring,” but they are perfectly designed fonts and exemplars of their respective styles. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2009, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/493676/44 "2009-04-20T20:31:50Z")
I don’t mind it for headings or such but it’s not a font for the entire book or paper. I actually found sans-serif fonts are the best for the web while serif fonts look better printed out. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2009, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/493676/45 "2009-04-20T20:38:37Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > I’m [FONT=“Arial Black”]never [FONT=“Arial Narrow”]certain [FONT=“Book Antiqua”]what [FONT=“Century Gothic”]font [FONT=“Comic Sans MS”]is [FONT=“Courier New”]best [FONT=“Fixedsys”]for [FONT=“Franklin Gothic Medium”]various [FONT=“Garamond”]occassions. [FONT=“Georgia”][FONT=“Impact”]So, [FONT=“Lucida Console”]usually [FONT=“Microsoft Sans Serif”]I’ll [FONT=“Palatino Linotype”]wind [FONT=“System”]up [FONT=“Tahoma”]mixing [FONT=“Times New Roman”]and [FONT=“Trebuchet MS”]matching.[FONT=“Verdana”][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT][/FONT] > Is that wrong? I’ll send the money, just stop with the ransom notes! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/493676/46 "2009-04-20T20:40:26Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > I don’t mind it for headings or such but it’s not a font for the entire book or paper. > > I actually found sans-serif fonts are the best for the web while serif fonts look better printed out. Traditionally, for long running lines of text, serifed fonts are generally preferred. For shorter lines of text (captions, headlines, titling), sans serifs offer a nice counterpoint. This is, of course, just a guideline. I agree that in screen fonts, serifed fonts can sometimes be a little bothersome as the serifs could get a little lost on the screen. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2009, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/493676/47 "2009-04-20T20:43:27Z")
> [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](#): > > Professional or amateur genealogists? Amateur. I’m a public librarian. I win the “most tedious wankers” contest _every time_, I don’t care how many audiophiles you have to endure. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Superhero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Superhero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Superhero)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2009, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/493676/48 "2009-04-20T21:27:34Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I agree on Arial, but Helvetica is a perfectly regal sans serif. Beautiful, clean, geometric, strong. Its form does not distract from content. Both Helvetica and Times New Roman get a bad rap for being “boring,” but they are perfectly designed fonts and exemplars of their respective styles. Yeah, you’re right. There’s nothing particularly wrong with Helvetica. As a matter purely of personal preference, I like Univers better as a general-purpose sans. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2009, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/493676/49 "2009-04-21T00:13:14Z")
I received a resume in Comic Sans recently. For a software developer position. I threw it away like it was on fire. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/493676/50 "2009-05-01T19:27:45Z")
Hope it’s not too late to bump, but the boy from Winnipeg I like and I recently came across a Comic Sans inscription _carved in stone_ on a ground-level plaque in the Botanical Gardens. Photos to follow, heaven help us. ---
**Author:** ![BrassyPhrase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea666f/32.png) [@BrassyPhrase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrassyPhrase)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/493676/51 "2009-05-01T23:37:14Z")
I am so embarrassed. I’m no graphic designer or anything, at all. But for a bunch Christmases and stuff, I’ve designed tshirts and made them with with iron on transfers. Made my dad a fake heraldry shield that he loved, made a bunch of tshirts that said “I survived Christmas '99” Did a Gordon Ramsay shirt for my coworker that loves him. I’ve surfed many MANY font types. And I’ve **used** Comic Sans serif once or twice for effect. When I read the thread title? I thought **Comic Sans** was some Doper nick. And I couldn’t figure out why it wouldn’t be in The Pit. D’oh moment. ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/493676/52 "2009-05-01T23:50:21Z")
> [@mr.jp](#): > > Where I live it is routinely used for serious scientific presentations. And I’m the only one who even notices. It’s ridiculous. > > Hmm, I’m looking for a new font to use on messenger. Any of you font people have a suggestion to make? I like palatino linotype, which I have not set up as default on this computer. Hmmmm ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2009, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/493676/53 "2009-05-01T23:53:25Z")
Todd Klein (a long-time comic letterer) wrote a good article [about Comic Sans](http://kleinletters.com/Blog/?p=3599). Unfortunately the average person isn’t likely to notice a lot of his problems with it. But you want to know why it looks rushed and uneven? Because it was drawn in a week, with a _mouse_ ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2009, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/493676/54 "2009-05-02T04:40:09Z")
A relevant [video](http://www.collegehumor.com/video:1823766). Sometimes, Comic Sans is what you need. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2009, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/493676/55 "2009-05-02T17:37:24Z")
I’ve been hoping someone would post that link, **Kobal2**. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/493676/56 "2009-05-03T01:23:53Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Exactly. I answer e-mails from geneaologists all day. We have three or four who write exclusively in Comic Sans. Two of them have e-mail backgrounds. One does it in purple. How else is the grapist supposed to learn about his family [del]tree[/del] vine? ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/493676/57 "2009-05-03T19:03:02Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I thought a smiley would be overdoing it. 😉 > > By the way, a møøse once bit my sister. We apologize. The preceding poster has been sacked. The thread will now resume in a completely different style. The Achewood strip referenced earlier reminded me of another strip I saw some years ago (sadly, I can’t remember what strip) where one of the characters was wandering around town looking at signage and muttering to himself, “Hobofont … Hobofont … Hobofont …” ---
**Author:** ![Sentient\_but\_Dumb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Sentient\_but\_Dumb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sentient_but_Dumb)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/493676/58 "2009-05-03T23:32:18Z")
Graphic designer here. I can definitely be counted in the hate crowd when it comes to Comic Sans. I have to agree with what others have mentioned; it’s hated because of overuse and misuse. It’s been a system font since '94, so it’s always been one of the only choices for a “fun” font for most. That’s all well and good, but I’ve seen it used in professional communication, and that drives me crazy. In my case I think it bothers me because I’m already so conscious of anything related to design in print, video, or on the web. There are a few other fonts that I’m really sick of, though. Papyrus. Don’t get me started. My friends are well aware of my feelings toward this font, as I will shake my fist and verbally curse it any time I see it. Brush Script. Another system font that’s overused. [Copperplate Gothic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copperplate_Gothic). I don’t quite hate this font yet, but I’m getting close. Used sparingly it can be fine, but it’s already far too common in business names and movie titles. There are others, but I’ll spare you my whining. I’ve recently been doing some research into typography to fill in some gaps in my education, and it’s amazing how in depth it can be. A professional type designer can spend months or years working on a single font. It’s not enough to worry about the spacing between letters in general, individual pairs are also carefully scrutinized. In the better quality fonts, the italic set isn’t just a tilted version of the normal font, but is designed separately. You can tell the quality of a font by increasing the size of the letters up to around 72pt or so. At that size the detail of the shapes is more apparent, and you can see how much care the designer put in. That’s why Comic Sans looks awful at larger sizes; it was put together to look okay when fairly small on screen. Really though, if you absolutely need a fun font and you don’t want to spend the big bucks to get a really well made one, go to somewhere like [dafont.com](http://dafont.com) and just grab a free font. Odds are it will stand out a bit more, and it may save a graphic designer’s eyes from bleeding. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2009, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/493676/59 "2009-05-04T13:50:11Z")
> [@](#): > > I happen to find seriffed fonts annoying to read on a computer screen - gimme arial or verdana over TNR & Georgia any day. On printed paper though, seriffed fonts read way better than sans-serif. Go figure. **Hint:** Clear Type. Ok, you need to have Windows XP (or Vista I guess) and an LCD rather than a CRT screen, but, with those in place, the Clear Type setting vastly increases readability, and, to my eye, gives back to the seriffed fonts on screen the same advantage they have on paper. Frankly, I find trying to read anything of any great length, on screen or off, in a sans-serif font (even a nice tasteful one) to be quite a pain. Sometimes, if the HTML coder has not used some CSS setting that makes it impossibly difficult, I will change the browser font settings just to get the text to display in TNR. Of course, Microsoft being Microsoft, they left Clear Type turned off by default, and hid away the setting in an obscure place, but it is well worth finding if you have not done so. (In XP, go to the Appearance tab of Display Properties, and click Effects and set it at “Use the following method to smooth the edges of screen fonts.”) (There are also Clear Type utilities floating around online that enable you to tweak it to get the best results. On some systems this may be worth doing.) I am sure most people know this, but it seemed worth saying. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2009, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/493676/60 "2009-05-30T18:22:34Z")
[XKCD](http://xkcd.com/590/) 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/493676.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-everyone-hate-comic-sans/493676.md?page=4)