The Real Welfare Queen

[Wait Wut]

16. #1 It's difficult to read.

Many people who create their own flyers/newsletters, etc. at home think because it's a fat font, that means it's more legible. Because that person has typed it themselves, they don't need to "read" it and just see big and bold. They don't see the mess that it truly is.

#2 It isn't as much "comic" as it is "childish scrawl". There are plenty of good "comic" fonts that you can download for free. A site that I've been using forever is: http://www.1001freefonts.com/ They provide both Mac and PC versions. There's even a section labeled "Comic" that will provide better solutions, if that's the direction you're going. Just don't go crazy with the fonts. Two or three fonts is all you really need. Using different versions of the same font will get you more attention and it will eliminate that frantic, scattered look that can give readers a negative feeling.

#3 Because I've been doing this for so damned long, I've developed the ability to "block out" text and see it as a graphic element instead of words. Comic Sans gives a piece the illusion of being messy. Go cleaner, more visually appealing and people will not only be able to read what you've typed, but subconsciously they'll be more receptive to what you're saying/selling.

Remember, just because MS is giving it away for free doesn't mean you should embrace it.

Edit to add a disclaimer: These days, some forms of "messy" are good, but only because they provide a more artistic look. A lot of the "grunge" fonts are fun to use. Just remember, those can be really, really hard to read and seem to super-annoy old folks.