You're putting the finishing touches to a brand identity. The logo feels strong, the colour palette is working and you're happy with the layout. But something's off and you can't quite put your finger on it.
You tweak the spacing, adjust the weight, move things around. The problem persists. Then it hits you: the fonts aren't working together. They're both great typefaces, but the relationship between them is creating a low-level visual friction that's quietly undermining everything else.
That's an issue because font pairing is where many design projects succeed or fail. The choice of which typefaces to combine is one of the most consequential decisions you'll make. Yet it's an area where even experienced designers can fall into familiar traps.
To help you navigate this tricky turf, we asked six experienced designers and typographers to share the mistakes they see most often and, crucially, what to do instead. You can also follow the advice in our font pairing guide.
01. Pairing fonts that are too similar
Our first mistake is choosing two fonts that are almost, but not quite, the same. Two geometric sans-serifs, for instance, that share a general feel but differ in small details: a slightly different x-height here, a slightly different terminal there.
"Pairing two geometric sans-serifs that are very similar doesn't look like a choice, it looks like a mistake," says Charlie Beeson, design director at FutureBrand. "Viewers get hung up on those tiny yet jarring differences in x-heights or terminals, creating a visual itch."
Alice Munday, design director at Curious, agrees. "Using two fonts that are too similar in style can create a disjointed feeling and the decision to be different feels like it lacks intention," she says. "Why use both if they do the same job?"
Instead, make the contrast deliberate. If you're pairing type, the relationship should be immediately readable. As Charlie puts it: "If the hierarchy isn't obvious, it reads as an accident."
02. Not defining clear roles for each font
Even a well-chosen pairing can fail if the roles of each typeface within the system are left vague. When designers don't know when to use which font, inconsistency creeps in across touchpoints and the system quietly unravels.
Natasha Lucas, a designer specialising in visual identity, puts it clearly. "Problems arise when these roles are left undefined," she explains. "Designers may begin using typefaces interchangeably, or introducing unnecessary variation across touchpoints. This creates inconsistency, weakens the coherence of the brand, and can dilute recognition of the brand voice over time."
Mat Desjardins, founder and creative director at Pangram Pangram, echoes this, explaining that function must always trump aesthetics. "Don't pair fonts just because they share surface traits like sharp terminals or quirky details," he stresses. "Focus on how they behave: proportions, spacing, texture, and purpose within the layout."
Alice adds: "When font pairings contrast each other well, it sharpens the overall design. Each font elevates the other and has a clear role to fill. You aren't just looking for something totally different, but something different enough to make the other even better."
03. Pairing fonts that are too loud
Another mistake to avoid is pairing two loud, expressive display fonts that both demand attention simultaneously. As Charlie puts it: "This is like hiring two lead singers for the same gig; they just end up shouting over each other. When everything is a hero, nothing is, and the system lacks hierarchy and harmony."
Mat concurs. "You like one expressive font, then another, and think: why not use both? But unless there's a very specific concept behind it, combining two loud voices usually creates tension, not hierarchy. A display face can bring character and presence, while a body font should focus on clarity and rhythm. When both try to stand out, they end up competing instead of working together."
In the ideal scenario, one font leads, the other supports. Or as Mat puts it: "Let one speak, and make sure the other knows when to stay quiet."
04. Pairing two serifs unthinkingly
Pairing two serif typefaces isn't automatically a mistake, but it's territory that demands real expertise and commitment. Riccardo De Franceschi, creative director at Dalton Maag, offers a vivid analogy. "It's a bit like wearing a jacket and a pair of trousers of slightly different colours," he says. "Pulling it off requires complete commitment, and detailed knowledge of the nuances."
And here's a particular danger to look out for. "If the two serifs look too close in origin, but feel too different in expression, it can be especially confusing for the reader," Riccardo cautions.
His recommendation is to sidestep the risk altogether by using a super-family that includes both serif and sans-serif variants designed to work together. "Keeping it simple and opting for a super-family that includes both sans and serif families that were designed to work together will deliver a more polished user experience," he says.
Riccardo points to Aldgate and Bankside, both from the Dalton Maag library, as examples: "They both deliver a healthy visual contrast, but feel like they belong together as harmonious pairs."
05. Neglecting hierarchy
Even when you do commit to a single typeface family, there's still a common mistake to avoid: treating every weight and size as interchangeable. This will typically produce a design that feels flat and undifferentiated.
"It's a mistake to ignore the potential of hierarchy by using the same font style and weight across headers, subheads and body copy," says Jenny Truong, associate creative director and lead designer at Park & Battery. "It can make the design feel flat and monotonous, lacking in visual distinction between elements. It's vital to take advantage of the font family's full range of weights and styles, as these bring personality and contrast to even the most neutral typefaces."
What to do instead? "Sticking to no more than two or three distinct type styles is the sweet spot," Jenny advises. Take particular care with sizing, capitalisation and letter spacing, as these help to make designs visually dynamic."
06. Pairing fonts at all
Sometimes, the best pairing decision is not to pair at all. "One of the most common mistakes in font pairing is assuming that every brand needs multiple typefaces," says Natasha. "In many cases, a single typeface is enough to create a distinctive and highly functional identity system. Introducing additional fonts without clear consideration can dilute brand recognition and create unnecessary complexity for execution."
Eleni points out that typography can also solve this problem from within a single typeface, through optical size variations designed for different scales. "If a single typeface design doesn't work well across varying sizes or weights, it's still possible to maintain a cohesive typographic hierarchy by using a typeface with optical size variations," she says.
She points to Haas Recast as a practical example: a typeface that includes a tracking axis for tighter spacing in titles and more open spacing in text, allowing it to serve multiple purposes within the same layout while maintaining a cohesive hierarchy.
Key takeaway
If you take thing away from this article, it's this. Whether you're pairing two typefaces or committing to one, the underlying principle is the same: every typographic decision should be deliberate, legible and justified.
As Natasha puts it: "Strong typography systems are not built around quantity, but purpose." In short, if you can't explain why each typeface is there and what job it's doing, it probably shouldn't be there at all.
