Using These Email Fonts May Ruin Your Chance At Landing A Job

No, we’re not talking about Comic Sans.

Before hitting that send button, you better check your font. Using the wrong one could be the difference between a hiring manager reading your job application or skipping it.

According to Bloomberg, there’s a “right” and a “wrong” font to use in emails.

The right font should be legible, comfortable and “emotionally acceptable,” Bloomberg says. The shape of the letters and spacing dictate the ease of readership. And the most surprising part?

Sure, Helvetica’s hip. It’s the font of choice for trendy brands (and the default for Apple Mail). But while typeface dweebs gush over its uniformity, some say it makes for a bad email font because its inconsistent spacing is difficult to read.

Type designer Nadine Chahine tells Bloomberg, “The letters are too close together,” which “makes it too tight.”

But it’s not just Helvetica that gets a bad rap — Arial (which is sometimes called Helvetica’s “ugly bastard son”) is also a no-no font choice. Despite the fact that it’s the Gmail default, designers say it’s a bad choice because of the “ambiguous” letter shapes that tend to blend when grouped. The letters are often mirror forms of one another, making it difficult to discern when reading long text.

So, what fonts fit the criteria?

Georgia makes for a great reading font because of the serifs, which are those small protruding bits that edge off a letter. The additional stroke makes the letter more recognizable and according to experts, that helps the letters to look less ambiguous and easier to read.

Verdana is another great option because the spacing between characters is more even than with Helvetica or Arial, therefore easier for readers to process. Plus, the open shapes used in Verdana are more easily grouped for comprehension.

So, consider making your emails a little easier on the eye. Gmail offers six font options and customization for letter width, while Apple Mail has an even larger selection to choose from. Adjust your preferences so readers aren’t overwhelmed by your mail—and good luck with the job hunt!