Emotional meaning of four typographical variables

Abstract

The influence of typeface variables (angular vs. curved, bold vs. light, simple vs. ornate, serif vs. sans-serif) on judgments of emotional meaning was studied in 40 college Ss. In addition to specific conclusions for each mood, it was found that moods such as sprightly, sparkling, dreamy, and soaring tend to be matched to curved, light, ornate, and perhaps sans-serif type; while moods such as sad, dignified, and dramatic are matched to angular, bold, and perhaps serif type. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)