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A study by Errol Morris found that people are more likely to believe something written in the Baskerville font than in other fonts. The study used a passage from physicist David Deutsch’s book and displayed it in different fonts. Comic Sans was considered the least reliable font. The United States Declaration of Independence was printed in Caslon, and Helvetica was created in Switzerland. A study found that diners assume chefs have more skill if their menus are printed in fancy fonts.
Getting someone to read your writing is one thing, but getting someone to believe your words is another. And telling the truth isn’t enough, according to a simple study conducted by well-known documentary maker Errol Morris. By having people read a passage from a book in a variety of fonts, Morris has found that readers are much more likely to believe something written in the Baskerville typeface than any of the other five fonts he used. Morris borrowed a passage from physicist David Deutsch’s The Beginning of Infinity and employed a program that displayed the passage in a different font each time it was opened. Readers were then asked if they agreed with what was said in the passage. They were not told that everyone was seeing the same passage in a variety of fonts, but were only asked to decide how reliable the passage was. Surprisingly, a clear majority trusted the passage when it was written in Baskerville type. For the record, Comic Sans was considered the least reliable font.
Character Facts:
The United States Declaration of Independence was printed in Caslon, a popular British typeface.
The Helvetica font was created in Switzerland; Helvetica is the Latin name for Switzerland.
At least one study has found that diners assume chefs have more skill if their menus are printed in fancy fonts.
