How to Choose the Right Fonts for Image Captions

         Are you thinking about adding a caption to one of your images? It may seem easy to pick a font and type in the text that you want to add – but there is a bit more to it than that. If you want the captions that you add to your image to stand out and attract attention – you need to choose the ‘right’ fonts. And to do that you need to look at several aspects:

1. Make sure the font is readable
- The font that you use must be readable; otherwise, the caption will be wasted on the viewer. Some fonts aren’t very readable at smaller sizes, while others may not be readable when placed against some types of backgrounds.
-  Because there are so many factors involved, the best way to make sure a font is readable is to place it on your image and see how it looks.


2. Let the font reflect the mood
- Ideally, the font should reflect the mood of your image, and complement it. For example, a rounded and casual font may fit a playful image, while a blocky and more format font may fit a business-oriented image instead.
- It may help to define the mood of the image, and the personality that you want for your font in advance – to make looking for the right font easier.


3. Think about the visual hierarchy
- The visual hierarchy is arguably the most critical factor to consider in image captions as it will affect the order in which the text is read, and also which parts are noticed first and given emphasis. It is essential to decide which information is vital and needs to be emphasised in advance, and work from there.
- While the font style does play a role in the visual hierarchy, its size and arrangement tend to be more important. The style can be used to contrast certain words or lines against the rest of the caption, however, to place them higher up in the visual hierarchy.

4. Avoid using fonts that are too conflicting or too similar
- Contrast is good, but the conflict is terrible – and you want the font in your caption to ‘fit’ together harmoniously. That being said using a font that is too similar isn’t ideal either, as the distinction may not be evident at a glance and that would defeat the purpose.
- Once you select the ‘right’ font (or fonts) to use in your caption, it should be relatively easy to add text to photo or any image. For example, you could use Movavi Photo Editor, as it will give you full control over the font style, size, colour, and other parameters.




             All said and done the right caption, paired with the right image, and in the correct font could transform your image. That being said it may take a bit of trial and error on your part – so be prepared to have to experiment with different fonts before you land on the right one.