Fonts Say It All: Adobe Study Maps How Americans Perceive Typographic Choices

Adobe's study of more than 1,000 Americans finds that Times New Roman remains the most popular typeface, chosen by 27% of respondents. Calibri (16%), Helvetica and Arial (each 12%), and Georgia (8%) round out the top five among 13 fonts tested, including Comic Sans, Wingdings and Papyrus. The survey also identifies the fonts participants consider the most cringe-worthy, with Wingdings topping the list at 55%.\n\nExperts say serif fonts such as Times New Roman or Georgia are typically associated with formality and professionalism, while sans serif fonts like Arial or Calibri are seen as more casual and modern. The results also show notable gender differences: men were 45% more likely than women to say Times New Roman is their favorite.\n\n\n\nBeyond preference, the study evaluated how fonts influence business perceptions in emails. Times New Roman was associated with a reputable business by 64% of respondents, far ahead of Arial (15%), Calibri (8%), Verdana (3%), and Roboto (3%). Fonts such as Impact, Lobster and Wingdings drew broad skepticism, with fewer than 0.5% viewing them as acceptable for business use. For legibility, Times New Roman also led, followed by Arial, Calibri, Roboto and Verdana.\n\nGenerational trends emerged: Gen Z favored Times New Roman more than other groups, while Gen X and Baby Boomers were 60% more likely to name Arial as their favorite font than Gen Z and Millennials.\n\nMicrosoft recently replaced Calibri as its default font for the first time in 17 years with Aptos, a sans serif designed for legibility across languages. Microsoft described Aptos as a versatile font with simple letterforms, bold geometry, and higher legibility at small sizes.\n\nThe study underscores how font choices influence impressions of credibility and professionalism in digital communication, reinforcing the ongoing debate over which typefaces are appropriate in emails, presentations and online content.