In Defense of Papyrus: Your Guide for When to Use Despised Fonts

Comic Sans in the wild. Image courtesy of aimee rivers / Flickr

Tensions flared in the typography fandom when Saturday Night Live featured a sketch mocking the Papyrus typeface; in particular, its appearance in the title for James Cameron’s Avatar.

As a typography enthusiast, I must object to this round dismissal of Papyrus.ttf. Every typeface has its time and its place — even Papyrus. Even Wingdings. Yes, even Comic Sans. Sure, that time and place might be on the signage for a preschool in a suburban Wisconsin strip mall. But though coastal elites deny it, that is, indeed, a real place.

Hence, I’ve assembled a quick guide to much-loathed fonts accompanied by details as to what kinds of establishments may use them without being mocked. Break these rules at your own peril.