Chancery Must Be Changed

I have just discovered a subconscious dislike for a typeface.

This is different than my distaste for Comic Sans, Curlz MT, Times New and Papyrus. I am fairly certain those typefaces are available and activated on my computer, but I'm not sure since I've never used any of them. Times New is pretty neutral and inoffensive. Though it's a little bulky and boring for design work. Papyrus seems to be a popular one for packaging of "spa" items like candles, lotions and whole wheat pasta. I can't even count how many times I've seen Curlz used for tweenaged items. It tends to be used as a logo for stores with names like "Schmoopies" and "Whirl-a-Girl". It's highly decorative and curly and cute, I give it that. I just don't see myself using it. And Comic Sans. I'm sure it was revolutionary when it was designed. It's sans serif but still round and soft. But I really can't get past it's background. In my experience, Comic Sans is a favorite of school teachers making signs. It just looks goofy. I can't take it seriously.

But the latest typeface I've realized is on my computer is Apple Chancery and I loathe it. It's really not fair to say I loathe it. But I do know that when I see it used, or Zapf Chancery for that matter, my brain responds like a robot. It's automatic. A little alarm goes off, "Typeface bad. Unprofessional. Must be changed. Change to anything else. Anything. Anything."

This happened a few weeks ago when I was at work and acquired a file from a sister organization. I was tasked with adjusting the design and changing phrasing so it applied to our company. Right on the front of the design was the friendly phrase, "A gift for you" set in a typeface that I couldn't put my finger on when I saw the printed piece. I thought it was going to be Lucida Calligraphy. All I knew is that the design could be vastly improved if that typeface were changed. I opened the file and saw it was Apple Chancery. I don't kow why, but I was somewhat incredulous. I couldn't even believe that someone would seriously use this font for real professional design.

Maybe it's because Chancery looks so much like the caligraphy that I learned in second grade. Maybe it's because, in my head, Chancery looks like one of the first fonts ever designed for a computer. I envision it being used on one of those old tiny black and white Machintosh all-in-ones, about the same time April Greiman was making that poster of herself. Even if Apple Chancery is a spot on replica of an olde time handlettering, it looks cheap to me.

You can't blame the font of course. It's been villified in my head because of how people use it. People see this font on their computer and it's kind of fancy, but not too fancy. You know, it's scripty but easy to read.

In an article I recently read about an ad campaign, someone commented that Zapf Chancery is better reserved for Kinkos wedding invitations. I think that summarizes it perfectly.