Need font advice, suggestions, guidance

[Patsfan99]

Though I was an art major in college, I never got the chance to take any formal design classes... so I have a question for those of you who have...

I'm putting together a menu for a local restaurant that will be opening soon... the main menu is one that will be above the registers, like a Panera or something, however I'd like to adapt the same look for the takeout menus and any subsequent identity materials the restaurant uses.

I'm trying to find three fonts that I can package together and use throughout their stuff... I'd like a contemporary feel, but not too avant garde... one font for the main category headings, one for the items, and one for the item descriptions...

my question is are there any rules/guidelines for fonts in a situation like this? you know, like script always for headers, followed by sans serif for items, then serifed for descriptions? or like it's common knowledge that if the items are sans, then the next category below should be serifed?

anyone either know suggestions or places I could find these "rules"?

thanks.

[slapshot]

I don't know if there are specific font rules for signs, but just keep this in mind...the signs are not directly in front of the customer.

You need to use simple fonts with big counters (like a display font) so it's easier for the customer to read. Italic fonts or those embellished with swirls are too distracting to be read easily.

[dfwabel]

ClearviewHwy is the new font for most new US interstate signs, that might be the best for descriptions, even in a smaller font size. Although most newspapers use a serif for headlines, my eyes never caught them. I remember that while the Tampa Tribune used serif fonts, the St. Pete Times used sans-serif and it always caught my eye in terms of headlines or in your case, "Main Category Headings". Best of luck.

[Davidson]

you shouldnt mix serif and sans in body text.

[ltravisjr]

I only had a couple design classes within my major, but one thing I seem to recall is that sans fonts are most appropriate for headings while serif fonts are appropriate for body text.

LT

[andrewharrington]

While it's true that serif fonts are more legible over large passages of text, I don't think that's the best option here.

If this were me, one option would be to use the same font throughout. I would use a bold version for the headings and items, and the text version for the descriptions. I might do the headings in all caps to differentiate them.

My favorite suggestion is to choose a display font that fits the theme of the restaurant for the headings, like a script if it's fancy or something like Lithos pro if it's a South American joint, then use one font for the names and descriptions, bold for the names, text for the descriptions.

I think Trade Gothic Bold and Trade Gothic regular would be my choice for the names and descriptions. That or Akzidenz Grotesk Black and Akzidenz Grotesk light.

[Davidson]

I only had a couple design classes within my major, but one thing I seem to recall is that sans fonts are most appropriate for headings while serif fonts are appropriate for body text.

LT

my 4 years of graphic design education, my 4 years of proffesional design, my typographical qualification from the istd, my own experience as a font designer and my spidey senses tell me thats not always true.

although, to be honest neither is my first comment.

these might help you out though:

http://desktoppub.about.com/od/typerules/T..._Guidelines.htm