What Fonts Are Most Popular | 매거진에 참여하세요

A practical guide to understanding font choices in global products

Choosing a font is more than picking a style

— it’s about making your content readable, accessible, and on-brand.

Whether you’re designing a global app, a Korean e-commerce site, or a personal blog, the right font plays a key role in shaping user experience.

In this post, we’ll break down common font categories, explore which fonts top global and Korean usage charts,

and help you understand why certain fonts dominate — not just what they are.

The Four Major Font Categories

Before diving into usage trends, let’s clarify the main font categories used across digital and print platforms:

1. Serif

• Key trait: Decorative “feet” at the end of strokes

• Best for: Print materials, long-form reading

• Tone: Traditional, trustworthy, formal

• Examples: Times New Roman, Georgia, Garamond

2. Sans-serif

• Key trait: Clean lines with no decorative edges

• Best for: Digital screens, mobile UI, web content

• Tone: Modern, clean, neutral

• Examples: Helvetica, Arial, Roboto, Noto Sans

3. Monospace

• Key trait: Equal width for every character

• Best for: Code, console UIs, technical docs

• Tone: Mechanical, precise, utilitarian

• Examples: Courier New, Consolas, IBM Plex Mono

4. Script

• Key trait: Handwritten or calligraphic strokes

• Best for: Invitations, branding, decorative use

• Tone: Elegant, emotional, expressive

• Examples: Pacifico, Dancing Script, Brush Script

Global Font Usage: What the World Is Using

If you're building for a global audience, these are the fonts dominating digital interfaces:

1. Helvetica

• One of the most recognizable sans-serif fonts worldwide

• Known for its versatility, neutrality, and clean design

• Used in corporate branding, advertising, and interface design

• Used by: Apple, BMW, Panasonic, Lufthansa

Pros:
✔ Trusted design legacy
✔ Excellent for print and identity systems

Cons:
✖ Requires paid license for commercial use
✖ Considered “too common” or generic by some
✖ Not a default web-safe font (may impact load times)

2. Roboto

• Developed by Google as the default font for Android

• Widely adopted due to open-source licensing

• High readability across screen sizes and resolutions

Pros:
✔ Free and open-source
✔ Great mobile and web support
✔ Maintains strong visual consistency

Cons:
✖ Can feel robotic or impersonal
✖ Less visual character than Helvetica

Currently ranks top 1–2 on Google Fonts usage stats

3. Open Sans

• Designed for legibility in digital UI

• Soft curves and broad language support

• A favorite for websites and mobile apps

Pros:
✔ Smooth, approachable look
✔ Excellent readability across devices
✔ Free for all use cases

Cons:
✖ Lacks strong brand personality
✖ May appear too soft for corporate or technical use

Used by Google, Facebook, Twitter, and more

Top Fonts for Korean Interfaces

Font selection in Korean UI comes with unique typographic needs. Here are the most widely used fonts in Korea:

1. Nanum Gothic

• Developed by Naver, optimized for Korean readability

• Clean sans-serif ideal for web and mobile

• Used across Naver blogs, search, and services

Pros:
✔ Free and widely supported
✔ Familiar to Korean audiences

Cons:
✖ Limited weight options
✖ Lacks brand distinctiveness due to overuse

2. Malgun Gothic

• Default Korean font for Microsoft Windows

• Broad adoption in government and enterprise docs

• Strong in paragraphs and digital documents

Pros:
✔ High readability
✔ Supported in Microsoft environments

Cons:
✖ Licensing tied to Windows
✖ Round letter shapes can lack strong character

3. Noto Sans KR

• Co-developed by Google and Adobe for multilingual support

• Clean, minimal sans-serif used by Kakao and Naver

• Full compatibility with web/mobile platforms

Pros:
✔ Open-source and free
✔ Excellent global language support
✔ Ideal for UI/UX

Cons:
✖ Somewhat plain for branding
✖ May not be available in legacy systems

4. Pretendard

• A modern, open-source font by designer Hyungjin Gil

• Combines the best of Inter and Noto Sans

• Supports 9 weights and variable font formats

• Excellent consistency across platforms

Pros:
✔ Professional and versatile
✔ Supports Hangul, Latin, Japanese
✔ Free under SIL Open Font License

Cons:
✖ Not (yet) on Google Fonts
✖ Variable font features may not work on older browsers

Where to Explore and Compare Fonts

Check out Google Fonts to explore usage trends, performance data, and download options for most popular typefaces worldwide.

Final Thoughts: Choose Fonts Based on Purpose, Not Popularity

Trends can guide you, but your audience should lead the way.

• Need to support millions of Android users? Go with Roboto.

• Want maximum cross-language support? Choose Noto Sans.

• Building a Korean product with modern flair? Try Pretendard.

In the end, the best font is one that balances performance, branding, and user experience — all grounded in thoughtful design.