How should I perceive the use of large fonts in business emails?
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Folks often ask about font size. When we receive an email, we examine every word and the formatting used to determine the tone and intent. Unfortunately, some people rely too heavily on formatting instead of building their vocabulary to convey their points effectively.
Does Font Size Matter in Email?
Does the font size matter in an email? What I mean is, if your font is large, does it also mean that the person is yelling or screaming at you? I have a coworker who does this, and I’m not sure how to take it…
We need to examine how the larger font is being utilized. Is it the entire email or just certain words/terms? This is where you can determine intent. Plus, depending on how well you know the person, those actions can convey different intentions.
Unless you know that the sender or recipient is visually impaired and requires a larger font size to see better, anything larger than the standard default font size for only certain words or phrases can be perceived as adding emphasis. Otherwise, why would one make the font larger?
In professional business communications, there is no room for formatting. Remember my simple golden rule? Here it is again…
If you wouldn’t do it on business letterhead — don’t do it by email!
What About Visually Impaired Emailers?
I know folks who make the fonts in their emails larger because it makes writing and reading emails easier. If that’s the case, the courteous thing to do after typing your message is to revert the font to its default setting before clicking Send. That is, unless the person on the other side also likes larger fonts.
You can agree to increase the font size if that makes it easier for both of you. Personally, it seems the older I get, the smaller the fonts get!
This is all about perception and determining one’s intent and tone, right? So, we examine every character, dash, dot, and choice made to try to determine what the other side means.
Since increasing the font size requires a manual setting change (and can make your email appear spammy, be misidentified as spam, and possibly be blocked), people will wonder why the font is larger. And if certain words or phrases are much larger, yes, one can assume the sender meant to “raise their voice”—or at the very least add strong emphasis.
If you are unsure, ask before making an assumption.
As I always recommend, it is better to rely on your words for intent and tone—not formatting—and you’ll never be misunderstood.
