Font Police

Font Police is patrolling the world for bad typography. We issue misdemeanours for spelling mistakes and lengthy sentences in our criticisms. This is a light-hearted humour site, with no offence intended. Send ideas to fontpolice@ followed by jyanet.com. (Please indicate if you would prefer to be anonymous.) Copyright ©2009–25 by Jack Yan & Associates. All rights reserved. Terms and conditions of viewing and privacy policy here.

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Never forget

One reason this sign might be disobeyed is the lack of kerning in the T-A-Y sequence on the second line, and the Y-O pair in the third. Credited to NamelessCynic.

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You're busted

Lucas de Groot’s Calibri Bold was not meant to be condensed electronically like this. It could have been better on two lines at their natural widths, which would have had more impact, or a proper condensed typeface could have been chosen, to avoid the horizontals being thicker than the verticals. Shake down, you’re busted by the Font Police. Via @[email protected] on Mastodon, used with permission.

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Fishing scam

There is no need to do an electronically condensed version of Arial Black, with terrible legibility thanks to the vertical strokes getting too thin, when there are perfectly good condensed typefaces out there.

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Census sensibility

If there is a chance of misinterpretation, don’t replace letters with symbols. People might just read the letters.

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Twee

When doing important signs, make sure all letters are in the same, legible, readable typeface.

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They’re in the queue

Don’t electronically condense your type to such an extent that the horizontals are thicker than the verticals when you can choose a condensed typeface. And leave enough room for all the letters.

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Congested

Even a subtle electronic condensing does not help with legibility—either use a proper condensed typeface or have smaller type in its natural proportions.

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Disoriented

When setting two blocks of text, make sure they are separated sufficiently so that there is no chance of ambiguity.

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Variable spacing

Plan your signage so that the letterspacing is more even across the entire line. Also referring this to our colleagues at Spelling Police.

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Water, not wind

Sometimes, it isn’t worth interrupting proper kerning just to have an unusual arrangement of letters, lest there be confusion about what one really means.

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Misaligned

Multiple charges here from the Font Police. There is such a thing as excessive capitalization. If not for all the caps, those second and third lines could have fit on to a single one. Make sure your leading does not cause confusion. Also, decide on whether your text is centred or left-aligned, and stick to one on a single sign.

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Mixed

Most of this sign is fine though we question the mixing of Arial in the numeral and Helvetica in the text below it. A misdemeanour only, but still jarring to those of us interpreting the rules more strictly.

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Ercrsms Mryhita!

Spreading cheer to you for this holiday season. Remember: there is a reason we put all the letters of one word on a single line. Consistency in typeface and point size is also important.

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What do the winners assemble?

Sometimes it is advisable to centre the text in signage, lest people think that the symbols you place near it should be read as letters. (Posted on Mastodon by CrazyMyra, used with permission.)

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Less than number one

Reported by IanTLS. We’re citing this one for the backwards U, the upside-down W masquerading as an M, and the 0 pretending to be an O. We don’t want to see what they’ve done to the Number Two sign.

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DIY

It is advisable to not share an initial cap with two separate words. Also we have concerns over the faux small caps in the bottom line. Use real ones—or not at all (or, do a better job simulating them, rather than just shrink down regular caps). (Posted by CrazyMyra on Mastodon, used with her permission.)

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Fusion cuisine

When putting signs side by side, remember to space them properly. Also, avoid stretching or condensing your type artificially, and use a proper apostrophe. Quite a few charges here from the Font Police. (Shared by Mark A. Rayner on Mastodon, where we found it, and reposted by him on Tumblr here.)