Best Font for a Cover Letter Expert Top Picks (+Font Size)

Best Font for a Cover Letter Expert Top Picks (+Font Size) You may not realize it, but science has discovered that the font you see actually influences what you think and expect.Obviously, you want your cover letter font to say the important stuffprofessional, skilled, and perfect fit.But how do you choose the best one when there are literally tens of thousands to choose from?Dont worry, weve got this.In this guide youll:See a list of the 10 best fonts for your cover letter that will make it look professional and modern.Get expert tips on how to format your cover letter fonts to make them easy to read.Learn which cover letter font size will have your cover letter stand out.Want to write your cover letter fast?Use our cover letter builder. Choose from20+ professional cover letter templatesthat match your resume. See actionable examples and get expert tips along the way.Sample Cover Letter for a ResumeSee more cover letter templates and create your cover letter here.One of our users, Nikos, had this to say:[I used] a nice template I found on Z ety. My resume is now one page long, not three. With the same stuff.Create your resume nowBest Fonts for a Cover LetterThe font you use for a cover letter should:be easy to read, simple, and professionalmatch the font you use in your resumebe used consistently throughout your cover letter (limit yourself to one font)Among popular choices of cover letter fonts are Arial, Calibri, Verdana, and Times New Roman, but there are others which can be used for cover letter typing.Lets dive right in with our top picks for the best fonts for your cover letter that will do just that.1. CalibriThe fact that this font has ousted Times New Roman as Microsoft Words default font tells you how popular it actually is. Modern and light, its a great choice for your cover letter.2. Times New RomanThough no longer the king of all fonts, Times New Roman is still considered the ruler of what are popularly called traditional fonts. Its a good choice for candidates in careers such as law, medicine, government service, or business.3. GaramondOne of the most modern of the serif fonts, Garamond is a nice fusion of the modern look of sans serif and the classicism of serif. Very popular among creatives as well as academics.4. ArialArial is probably the most minimalist member of the sans serif family. Its sleek, no frills design makes a great font for almost any professional sector cover letter.5. HelveticaThis Swiss font is so popular that it even has its own documentary film! Often used in major brand names, this font is an excellent choice for job seekers in business, marketing, or sales.6. CambriaThis font was designed to work well for on screen reading and in small sizes so its an especially great font to use if you know youll be printing your cover letter.7. Trebuchet MSNamed after its medieval inspiration, this font is a bit more assertive than others on the list. Slightly larger and darker as well as quite versatile, its a good choice for any profession.8. GeorgiaThis easy to read font is another fusion of both the modern and classic styles. Its a very popular font in the writing community and used by big name newspapers. A great font for creative or writing jobs.9. TahomaThis sans serif font is super easy to read which makes it a great choice for your cover letter no matter what position youre applying for.10. DidotThis font is considered one of the more creative in its family. A particularly popular font in the fashion world, this is a great go to for artists and creatives without going overboard.Sans vs. Sans Serif FontsOne thing you may have noticed is that some letters have little tails at the ends of them while others dont. Those are serif and sans serif fonts.Serif fonts have the tails and generally have a more classic, distinguished look. Times New Roman or Didot are examples of serif fonts.Sans serif fonts dont have the tails, giving the letters a sleeker, more modern feel. Good examples are Calibri or Arial.Neither is better than the other, choose one t hat suits you.Heres a neat hack though if you see the company youre applying to using a specific type of font on their webpage or job advert, use a similar font on your cover letter in case they have a soft spot for it.Cover Letter Font SizeYour cover letter should be written in 12 pt for the most part. Pure and simple. So:This font size is too big.This font size is too small.This font size is just right.Best Font Styles and FormatsPicking the best font for your cover letter is half the battle. The other half comes from formatting it right.When reading, your eyes go through a natural scan path. Adding all kinds of bells and whistles to your letters only ends up making your cover letter as easy to read as regurgitated alphabet soup.Before we go through different cover letter formatting options, a gentle word of warning. You dont need to use all of the below options. And you definitely dont want to use them all at once.Cover Letter Font TypeBoldingThis is probably the most popular and so most overused format option.Bold is a great format feature, it makes the words really stand out on the page and grab the readers attention. The problem begins when it turns out that half the page is in bold and becomes a large mass of black blobs.Use bold sparingly to really emphasize the most important elements in your cover letter. See what I did there?ItalicisingThis is the second most widely used option to emphasize words. While italics make words stand out as much as bold does, it also makes them slightly harder to read, especially in smaller sizes, so use sparingly.HighlightingRemember that friend back in high school who always highlighted every other line in the textbook because it was important? Dont do that here.Highlighting, whether printed or on a screen, may draw attention, but also makes it harder to read. Its also considered rather unprofessional.Bold or italics are emphasis enough.ColouredletteringTheres absolutely no reason to do this unless your goal is to never get an interview for the rest of your life.UnderliningUnderlining could be used to emphasise certain words, but for the most part, italics or bold serve that purpose better in cover letters than underlining.CAPITALIZINGCaps lock means two things. Someones yelling at you or youre about to get a message sorry for the caps lock, I wasnt yelling.Refrain from capitalizing in your cover letter. I INCREASED SALES BY 15% is, indeed, screaming at the recruiter and there is just no need for that.If youre interested in some more tips and tricks on how to format your cover letter properly, check this out: Cover Letter Spacing Made Easyand Cover Letter LayoutKey TakeawayNow you know all you need to get your cover letter all decked out and with somewhere to go.To make sure you cover letter is charming instead of cheap, keep these things in mind:Select a professional font that is easy to read.Choose 12 pt font and use formatting options sparingly to really emphasise the key points in your cover l etter.Thanks for reading! Have you found these cover letter font tips useful? Let us know below!