Use Comic Sans on a poster and a designer will spot it before they’ve read a word. I’d spot it too. As a designer, I wouldn’t use it for a school fête, never mind a serious notice.
Designers have good reasons to hate it. But somewhere along the way, the joke stopped being about the font.
The problem with Comic Sans was never that people could use it. The problem was that designers began treating the people who did as the punchline.
It started with a cartoon dog
In 1994, Vincent Connare was working at Microsoft when he saw an early version of Microsoft Bob. It was meant to make computers easier to use. A cartoon dog called Rover popped up to help, speaking in little speech balloons.
I never met Rover. But a cartoon animal appearing on your screen to explain your computer sounds very Microsoft. The same people would later give us that fecking paper clip.
Rover’s speech balloons were set in Times New Roman.
Connare thought it looked wrong. Rover was a cartoon character in a speech balloon. He wanted lettering that looked as though it belonged there.
So he drew something closer to the lettering he knew from comics. It was loose, informal and made for that sort of conversation. He called it Comic Sans.
It was finished too late to go into Bob. Microsoft used it elsewhere, including in the Windows 95 Plus! pack. Before long it was sitting in font menus where anyone could choose it for anything. Microsoft’s account of the font traces those early uses.
What’s actually wrong with Comic Sans?
The first clue is in the name. It’s called Comic Sans. Nobody has hidden what it was made to look like.
And it does look like comic book lettering. The rounded shapes, the uneven strokes, the way the letters seem drawn rather than typeset. That’s fine when a cartoon dog is talking to you. It’s much harder to take on a serious notice.
Comic Sans on a war memorial
There’s a war memorial in Geffen, in the Netherlands, with lettering cut in Comic Sans. The stone commemorates victims of war violence. The local council said the people behind it chose the font because it suited the rounded stone and could be read from a distance. I can understand wanting the words to be clear. The council’s explanation was reported at the time.
Photo: Jacqueline Hermans / Omroep Brabant.
Comic Sans made sense for a cartoon dog’s speech bubble. On a war memorial, it’s bonkers. The parking sign below is nowhere near as solemn, but parking signs still depend on looking clear, authoritative and serious. Which brings me closer to home.
Comic Sans in the wild
I found this example in Teddington, practically in my own backyard.
Someone went to the trouble of having a sign made in aluminium, matching the colours and layout of the official parking sign above it, then chose Comic Sans for the warning.
From a distance, it looks perfectly official. Up close, it feels like someone has said, “Right, that’s it,” and gone online to order a sign. It may be the most delightful example of passive aggression I’ve ever seen on a parking sign.
That clash between the message and its tone is exactly where Comic Sans goes wrong.
Friendly isn’t the same as appropriate
Plenty of fonts are friendly. Comic Sans is different because it brings the voice of a comic into whatever you write. Even if the subject has nothing funny about it, the lettering still suggests that kind of voice.
It also looks childlike. Put it in the wrong setting and that causes several problems:
- The message loses credibility before anyone has read it.
- On a serious subject, the choice can look tone-deaf.
- Readers start wondering why someone chose Comic Sans instead of taking in the information.
Good typography should let the reader focus on the message, not distract from the actual information.
Don’t hate the player, hate the game
As a designer, I wouldn’t use Comic Sans for any job. Not one.
No paying client has ever asked me to use Comic Sans. I’ve had plenty ask for something childlike or playful for a product. That’s a normal brief. Comic Sans has never been my answer to it.
It’s become the butt of its own joke. Think of Ellen DeGeneres, Will Smith or Blake Lively. They’re still famous, but their public image now follows them around like a bad smell. Comic Sans has that problem too. Put it in your work and people may remember the font before they remember what you made.
I make my living selling fonts. People pay me because they trust my judgement on type. Using Comic Sans in a client’s work would give them a reason to question it. I don’t fancy becoming the joke either.
Some designers use it deliberately because they’re in on the joke, yet react differently when someone chooses it without knowing the baggage that comes with it. It’s a bit of design gatekeeping: irony gets a pass, but ignorance gets laughed at.
Papyrus went through something similar. The original Avatar logo used a modified version of it, and the choice became the subject of an entire Saturday Night Live sketch.
How hating Comic Sans became a thing
Once Comic Sans was everywhere, designers started seeing it in places where it looked ridiculous. Dave and Holly Combs turned that frustration into a campaign called Ban Comic Sans. They made a website, stickers and T-shirts. I can see the appeal. If someone insisted I set a serious piece of work in Comic Sans, I’d want to complain too.
The campaign made a point about choosing a font to suit the message. But “Ban Comic Sans” was also a much better slogan than “Think about what you’re designing before you pick a font”. It spread because people could join in without knowing much about type.
In 2019, the Conservative Party used Comic Sans in a Brexit graphic urging MPs to come together and get Brexit done. A political party asking Parliament to take it seriously definitely shouldn’t use lettering that looks like it belongs in a cartoon speech bubble. I think that’s a terrible font choice. I don’t know who picked it, but the Conservative Party put it out. That tells me plenty about their judgement.
The Combs eventually made that distinction themselves. Dave said they hadn’t intended for people to be picked on for using the font. They still disliked Comic Sans. I’m with them there.
Comic Sans came bundled with Microsoft software. It was already in the font menu, and it looked friendlier than the more formal choices, so people picked it for just about everything. You didn’t have to go looking for it.
Nobody was forced to use Comic Sans.
Microsoft put it within easy reach, and people kept choosing it. The more often designers saw it in the wrong places, the easier it was to make the font a punchline. The mistake was making everyone who used it one too.
Before I laugh at someone for choosing Comic Sans, I should at least listen when they tell me why they chose it.
What about people who find it easier to read?
Some people with dyslexia say Comic Sans is easier for them to read. I’m not going to argue with someone about what works for them.
The British Dyslexia Association’s 2018 style guide lists Comic Sans among several sans serif options. It also gives advice on font size, spacing and layout. Listing it as an option doesn’t establish that it’s the best font for dyslexic readers.
If you’re making something for a particular group, ask what helps them read it. Comic Sans may be the answer for some people. It won’t be the answer for everyone.
Does Comic Sans help you remember what you read?
There’s another defence of Comic Sans: it makes people work a bit harder to read, so they remember more.
A 2011 study found better recall when some material was made harder to read. Comic Sans was among the fonts used, which is how the claim became attached to it.
But the researchers used other fonts too, along with changes such as italics. A later review of the research found that results across studies were inconsistent. The original experiment doesn’t show that Comic Sans, on its own, improves memory.
There’s a practical problem with the idea as well. If someone needs to find an answer in a document, making it harder to read won’t help them. The study is interesting. It isn’t a reason to set your next leaflet in Comic Sans.
Why people keep using it
People want a note to feel informal, so they choose the most informal font they recognise. They don’t think much further than that.
Designers, meanwhile, had seen Comic Sans used badly so often that spotting it became a little test of design taste. You could point at it, groan, and everyone around you knew you were in on the joke.
That explains the hatred. The font was used where it didn’t belong, over and over. Then disliking it became part of being a designer. The first complaint was about the work. The second was about looking down on the person who made it.
None of those reasons makes me want to use Comic Sans. They do remind me that a bad font choice isn’t the whole story of the person who made it.
The stories behind Comic Sans
Designers have spent years complaining about Comic Sans. Meanwhile, it’s turned up in games, political campaigns and a presentation about the Higgs boson. There are also plenty of claims about who can read it more easily and whether it helps you remember things. Some are true. Some have got a bit carried away. Here’s what I could actually check.
Comic Sans FAQ
Why does context matter when choosing a font?
Context decides whether a font’s personality supports or undermines the message. Comic Sans was designed for cartoon speech, so it can work for playful, informal material. Put the same lettering on a war memorial, legal warning or political statement and its comic voice fights the subject. The font hasn’t changed; the job has.
When does criticism become design snobbery?
Criticism becomes design snobbery when it stops explaining why a type choice doesn’t suit the message and starts treating the person who chose it as stupid. Most people aren’t trained typographers; they choose from what’s available. Critique the decision, explain the mismatch and offer a better option. Don’t turn the user into the punchline.
Who designed Comic Sans?
Vincent Connare designed Comic Sans while working at Microsoft. He began it in October 1994. Microsoft’s font history includes his own account.
What was Comic Sans made for?
Connare wanted informal lettering for cartoon speech balloons and other playful Microsoft software. He had seen a cartoon dog in Microsoft Bob speaking in Times New Roman and thought it looked wrong. Comic Sans was finished too late to appear in Bob; it found uses in other Microsoft programmes instead. Microsoft Design
What inspired its design?
Comic book lettering, particularly the lettering Connare saw in Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns. He looked at those books for reference; he says he drew the letters himself rather than scanning and copying them. Connare’s account
How was Comic Sans made?
Connare says he drew it on screen with a mouse, deleting and redrawing shapes as he went. He wasn’t trying to make every letter mechanically uniform. The regular font was also prepared for the low resolution screens of the time. Connare on drawing it · Microsoft on its screen use
Has anyone made a mainstream TV programme about Comic Sans?
I couldn’t verify a mainstream television programme devoted to the font. There is a short film about Connare and Comic Sans made by Great Big Story, but it was published online. Comic Sans has also been the subject of jokes on television, including Parks and Recreation. NPR’s account
When did Microsoft release Comic Sans?
Connare started drawing it in 1994. Microsoft says the first publicly supplied version came with the Windows 95 Plus! pack. Later versions appeared with Internet Explorer and other Microsoft products. Those are better dates to use than saying it was released with Microsoft Bob, because it wasn’t in Bob. Microsoft’s version history
Is there a Comic Sans Pro?
Yes. Comic Sans Pro was introduced in 2011. It added features such as small capitals, swashes, ornaments and alternative characters. It is an expanded version of the idea, rather than the standard Comic Sans MS sitting in most font menus.
Is Comic Sans actually more legible?
More legible than what, and for whom? Microsoft describes it as readable on small screens. In one study of children reading on a computer, Comic Sans, Arial and Times New Roman performed better than Courier New on a reading-efficiency measure; the study found no difference in reading speed between the fonts tested. That doesn’t establish Comic Sans as the most legible font for everyone, especially across different sizes, screens and lengths of text.
Do people with dyslexia find Comic Sans easier to read?
Some say they do. The British Dyslexia Association’s 2018 style guide lists it among several sans serif options and also discusses size, spacing and layout. That is useful guidance, but it isn’t proof that Comic Sans helps every dyslexic reader or works better than the other fonts listed. The sensible choice for a particular reader is to ask them.
Has anyone defended Comic Sans?
Yes. Connare has defended it as a font that did the job it was made for, while agreeing that people often use it badly. Microsoft designers and disability advocates have also argued that its popularity tells us something about what ordinary users want from type. Those are defences of its uses, not proof that it suits every document. Connare’s interview · Microsoft Design
Did Comic Sans do any good for the world?
That’s a judgement, not something we can settle with a statistic. It gave ordinary computer users an obvious way to make text look informal at a time when their choices were limited. It also got a lot of people noticing that a font changes how words come across. You can grant it that without wanting to see it on another official letter. Microsoft’s account of its early spread
Are there more weights of Comic Sans?
Standard Comic Sans MS has regular and bold weights. Current Microsoft versions also list italic and bold italic styles; italic is a style, not an extra weight. Comic Sans Pro likewise has four styles: regular, italic, bold and bold italic. There isn’t an official family running from thin through to black. Microsoft’s style list · Comic Sans Pro announcement
Is Comic Sans free, and where can I download it?
Comic Sans MS is available to use when it comes with Microsoft software you’re licensed to use, but that doesn’t make the font file free to copy or redistribute. First check whether it’s already installed, then use Microsoft’s font page to see which products include it. Microsoft doesn’t offer a standalone free download there, and its font licensing FAQ explains the difference between using a supplied font and distributing the file. Comic Sans Pro is sold separately.
What file format is Comic Sans?
Microsoft lists the standard Comic Sans MS files as .ttf, which are TrueType fonts. Comic Sans Pro supports OpenType features, including alternate characters and small capitals. “OpenType features” describes what that version can do; it doesn’t mean every file called Comic Sans has the same features. Microsoft’s file list · Comic Sans Pro details
How many glyphs does Comic Sans have?
There isn’t one count for every version. A font inspection of Comic Sans MS version 5.14 reports 1,106 glyphs. Older versions and Comic Sans Pro can have different counts. A glyph count also isn’t the same as a count of languages or characters: a font can contain several glyphs for one character.
Does Comic Sans support other languages?
Yes, but it isn’t a font for every language. Microsoft lists support for Latin, Greek and Cyrillic scripts, including character sets used for several European languages and Turkish. The exact characters depend on the version, so check the font itself if you need to set a particular language. Microsoft’s script and character-set list
Has Comic Sans ever been mentioned in a song?
Yes. Andrew Gunadie, better known as Gunnarolla, made The Comic Sans Song with Andrew Huang in 2012. Audrey Nuna also released a track called “Comic Sans” on her 2021 album A Liquid Breakfast. There is, apparently, more than one way to put a font in a song. Sony Music’s album announcement
Has it been mentioned in a film?
Yes. The characters in the 2017 film The Square discuss using Comic Sans for a letter. There’s also a 2018 Croatian film actually called Comic Sans, though that doesn’t mean it’s a film about type. The Square discussion · Croatian Audiovisual Centre film listing
What is the stupidest thing Comic Sans has been used for?
My vote goes to a Dutch war memorial in Geffen. The wording on the stone commemorates victims of war, and it was cut in Comic Sans. The local council said the group behind it chose the lettering because it suited the rounded stone and could be read from a distance. I understand the practical argument. I still think a memorial deserved more thought than that. The local government report includes the council’s explanation.
Has a political party or politician ever used Comic Sans?
Yes. In 2019, the UK Conservative Party posted a Brexit campaign graphic using what contemporary reports identified as Comic Sans. It urged MPs to come together and get Brexit done. That verifies that a political party used it; it doesn’t prove Boris Johnson or any individual MP personally chose the font.
Has a print magazine ever used it?
Yes. The colophon of this printed student magazine explicitly says its “Innocence” section was set in Comic Sans MS. That’s a documented example, even if it isn’t Vogue.
A more famous print incident involved a newspaper, not a magazine: The Sydney Morning Herald put Comic Sans in speech bubbles on its front page in 2014. That was one of the rarer occasions when its use made sense, which didn’t stop the complaints. The Guardian’s report
Was it featured in WIRED magazine?
WIRED has certainly covered Comic Sans. Its site published an account of Vincent Connare speaking at a WIRED event. I haven’t verified a particular printed issue featuring it, so I wouldn’t claim one.
Has Creative Review written about it?
Yes. It published “An oral history of Comic Sans”. That’s one of the better places to start if you want the story of how a font made for cartoon speech bubbles spread far beyond them.
Why is Comic Sans despised?
Its name and lettering make a promise before you’ve read a word: this is going to be light, informal and a bit like a comic book. Then you find it on a serious notice, a political message or a memorial.
Designers also object to aspects of the drawing and spacing. Those criticisms are fair to discuss. But the scale of the hatred needs another explanation: Comic Sans was everywhere, and mocking it became an easy way to show you knew better. Even Microsoft’s own account acknowledges the distance between what it was made for and where it ended up.
Is Comic Sans ADHD friendly?
Some people with ADHD say they find it comfortable to read. That’s a good reason to let them use it. It isn’t evidence that Comic Sans improves attention or reading for people with ADHD as a group. A recent study of adults’ preferences notes how little research there is on font style and ADHD. I’d ask the reader what helps them instead of declaring one font the winner.
Why did Google Docs remove Comic Sans?
Some users reported that Comic Sans MS disappeared from their Google Docs font menu, while older documents could still display it. I found Google’s support discussion, but no official explanation for why. Claims that it was removed because of Microsoft licensing are guesses unless Google confirms them. Availability may also vary by account and change over time.
What search terms trigger Google’s Comic Sans Easter egg?
Searches reported to change Google’s results lettering include “Comic Sans”, “Geocities”, “design fails”, “bad UX”, “best font ever”, “Vincent Connare” and “90s websites”. This account lists the terms. It’s an Easter egg, so Google can change it, and it may behave differently across devices.
Who is the Undertale character Sans named after?
Comic Sans. His brother Papyrus is named after another typeface, and their dialogue uses the corresponding fonts. The joke is built into the game, down to the way they speak on screen. Undertale character reference
Did Dan Gilbert write the LeBron James letter in Comic Sans?
Yes. When LeBron James left the Cleveland Cavaliers for Miami in 2010, Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert posted an angry open letter to fans in Comic Sans. The font became almost as famous as the letter. Gilbert later said he had already used Comic Sans in internal emails; it wasn’t a special font he chose solely to insult LeBron. Contemporary NPR report · Gilbert’s later account in Sports Illustrated
Was the Higgs boson discovery announced in Comic Sans?
Comic Sans appeared on slides used by physicist Fabiola Gianotti during CERN’s 4 July 2012 presentation about the new particle. So there’s a real story behind the joke. Saying the entire discovery was announced in Comic Sans makes the font sound rather more central to the physics than it was. Contemporary report on the slides
Did a country resign in Comic Sans?
No. The story appears to be a muddled version of a claim about Greek politicians leaving the Syriza party in 2015. Greece did not “resign”, and I could not verify the font of the alleged resignation document from an original copy. The party split itself is well documented; the Comic Sans detail needs better evidence before it goes in the post as fact.
Why did Skype have a frowny face for Comic Sans?
Older versions of Skype reportedly changed the little face beside the message box to a frown when a user selected Comic Sans. It was a software joke about the font’s reputation, not a warning that the font was broken. I found a contemporary account of the feature, but no statement from Skype’s designers explaining their decision, so the reason is an inference.
What is Comic Sans Day?
It’s an informal celebration started by Dutch radio presenters Coen Swijnenberg and Sander Lantinga. The first was in 2009, and it falls on the first Friday of July. There’s even an archive entry for the 2009 radio show. Nobody is making you celebrate it.
Did Donald Trump’s lawyer write an official letter in Comic Sans?
Yes, with one correction: John Dowd was a former Trump lawyer when he sent a Comic Sans letter to members of the US House Intelligence Committee during the 2019 impeachment inquiry. Calling it a letter written by “Trump’s lawyer” makes his role at the time less clear. The Washington Post reported on the letter
Am I a Comic Sans Criminal?
No. Comic Sans Criminal is a jokey site about using the font appropriately. You can dislike the choice someone made without putting them on trial for opening a font menu.
Why is Comic Sans the official Doge font?
“Official” is doing a lot of work there. The familiar Doge meme pairs a Shiba Inu with scattered, brightly coloured Comic Sans captions. Repeating that look made the font part of the meme’s visual language. There’s no Doge committee issuing font rules. Know Your Meme’s history of Doge
Did Microsoft sue over Comic Sans?
I couldn’t verify a lawsuit in which Microsoft sued somebody simply for using Comic Sans. That does not make the font software free to copy or distribute: Microsoft sets out its rules for its copyrighted content and font licensing. If somebody tells you Microsoft sued over Comic Sans, ask them for the case.
Why does The Sims use Comic Sans?
The original Sims games used Comic Sans in parts of their interface, where its informal lettering fitted the game’s humour. A person describing the early games’ font choices identifies Comic Sans in the headings. I couldn’t find a statement from the game’s designers saying why they picked it, so the fit with the game is my reading of the choice, not an official explanation.
What do you think?
I still think Comic Sans is a bad choice most of the time. If you disagree, tell me where you’ve seen it work. And if you hate it too, what bothers you most: the letters, the name, or the places people use it?
Written by Simon Stratford, type designer and graphic designer. These are my opinions, reached after too little sleep and too much coffee. You can also follow my antics on @itsmesimonok, or leave a comment below. Despite all the opinions, I’m actually quite nice.