presentation board font

Best Fonts For Architectural Presentation Boards

• by Elif Ayse Fidanci
• 15 October 2021

One of the significant part of the design process is presentation boards. Architectural presentations are your biggest chance to convey your style and idea. Choosing the right font means designing your presentations and portfolio in the appropriate language. Below are influential fonts you may use for architectural designs.

Architect – Geometric Typeface

Architect is a digital typeface inspired by the early era of personal computers. Architect can easily pair with many fonts in your project. It creates impactful layouts with headers, logos, and subtexts. This font is able to use for headlines, logos, layouts and content.

The sans-serif font was created by Paul Renner in the 1920s.It is a classic modern graphic design inspired by Bauhaus techniques. This font causes visual exhaustion when it is used in long texts. In the architectural boards, Futura should be used as titles and subtitles.

Neutraface is a geometric sans-serif typeface designed by Christian Schwartz. It was influenced by the work of modernist architect Richard Neutra and was developed with the assistance of Neutra’s son and former partner, Dion Neutra. The designer has taken care of designing the alphabet according to the architect’s layout It is highly used in architectural presentation as a competitor for Futura.

For presentations that has minimalistic and modern theme presentation, Helvetica is one of the most important font to consider. Designed in the last decade by Eduard Hoffmann and  Max Miedinger, the font is professionally acclaimed. It is extensively used thanks for its concise and balanced design.

Gotham is designed by Tobias Frere-Jones in 2000s.Gotham that is a geometric sans serif font typography can be readily used for paragraphs as well as headers. In architecture, this font should be used in business cards and logos because of its lines transmit a kind of credibility.

Marsek Display

Marsek is a solid display font, created to emphasys big headline, title, single character. Also, it can be used for short description paragraph This sans serif font comes in three sophisticated weights you can mix and match, or use on their own. It’s ideal for used in titles, logos, and posters.

RNS Sanz is an architectural font that is clear and clean. It is a functional font with 7 weights, ramping from light to black, small caps, files prepared for Webfont use. Ideal use on the rational architecture.

Brandon Grotesque

Brandon Grotesque designed by  Hannes von Döhren  with the geometrical, sans-serif style from the early nineties. The lower width to height ratio of the font provides an elegant typeface for architectural presentations.

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Elif Ayse Fidanci

human, architect, writer.

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Privacy Overview

Presentation Board is one of the most effective ways of communicating ideas, and as architects, we have many ideas.  When creating a presentation board , we need to understand where we put certain images, which renders do we put, or even the slightest thing what font and font size should we use. 

The font size depends completely on the size of your boards, but generally these are the font size ranges you should be using:

Main Title font size

The name says it all, the main title is usually what your presentation board will be about, and normally there is only one main title. You can choose in between these font sizes depending on the layout of your board and even on the font. 

Heading font size

Obviously, you are not always going to use the main title for everything, you need to have headings to title each section of your presentation board. You can either highlight your heading with a different font or just adjusting the font size. 

Body font size

In our presentation boards we usually don’t have that much text, but when we do is either to have an introduction, a small description of the project or only to explain certain sketches, graphics, or renders. Be careful though, the font size in this doesn’t mean it is not an important section in your presentation board. 

Font combinations

Yeah, so we got the correct font size, but what about the correct font? Don’t worry! we got your back as always, here are some font combinations you can use in your presentation boards so this way you’re not always stuck with the same one. Look at the different fonts you can alternate to use in your headings and body of your presentation boards.  

1. Helvetica Bold + Ebrima

2. Lato Black + Lato Regular

3. Oswald Bold + Montserrat Light

4. Garamond + Helvetica Neue

5. Roboto Black + Nunito Light

Are you ready to start designing your presentation board? Good luck! 

Don’t know what a presentation board is? Sign up for our Presentation Boards Premium Course.

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10 Fonts For Architects

• Written by Eduardo Souza | Translated by Guilherme Carvalho
• Published on November 27, 2019

Have you ever been stuck for hours obsessing over a font that matched your work? Before starting a project, do you already think about which font you will use? Do you get annoyed when you read an important message written in Comic Sans? Or do you feel offended when a mundane sentence is written in all caps? Rest assured, you are not alone. 

Architects and designers constantly use graphic elements as expressive means in the schematization of their works. Among them, the most common are the drawings, in a constant variety of techniques, styles, and patterns. But among the elements that make up the boards, panels and drawings, techniques and models, there is a particular fragment that helps them in composition and identity: the font. 

Fonts establish one of the pillars of Graphic Design and can be defined as a set of systems to the impression of types. Types are the designs assumed by a particular family of letters in their pattern. Within the family, there are variations between the letters (light, italic and bold), by the type of box (high - upper and lower - lowercase), by source classification, including Sans - serif (without serif), Serif (with serif), Script (cursive) and Dingbat (ornamental), in addition to numerous other identity features of the same.

It is worth mentioning that the importance of fonts in the graphics schemes of designers and especially of architects is fundamental in graphic communication to nonverbal reading. The correct choice of typography leads to mental logic in reading certain graphics piece, whether a drawing, text or even a scheme, an inviting act the reader through imaginary bridges between the real and the imaginary.

In architecture, font models are not restricted to the papers and graphic presentations of architects, but also in the composition of facades, projects of visual identity of buildings and, above all, in the use of vernacular typography by the people as a cultural manifestation in approach to the popular, revealing the need for varied expression in the different layers and poles. 

We have selected some font models used by architects, from technical drawings to diagrams. Many of them are paid fonts, there is also the option to find good free fonts here . Check out our selection below:

Created by Paul Renner in the 1920s, this font is a classic Modern Graphic Design . Inspired by Bauhaus techniques, it uses straight lines and curves in syntony, providing balance in the textual set. However, despite the visual cleaning, this font should not be used in long texts, due to the visual exhaustion provoked. Indicated to punctual texts in the architectural boards, such as titles and subtitles. It is highly used for visual identity in corporate buildings.

By this font here .

Developed by the graphic designer Herbert Bayer, in 1925, its conception is perceived with, timelessness, transcending time. Its creator studied at Bauhaus between 1921 and 1923 under the direction of Kandinsky and Moholy-Nagy . Used until the present day, it is mostly attributed to titles and subtitles in the composition of boards.

This font is usually installed with Windows and can be purchased here.

In honor of the important modernist architect Richard Neutra, graphic designer Christian Schwartz took care of designing the alphabet according to the architect's layout. Julius Schulman and Dion Neutra also participated in the process. It is highly used in the works of Architecture and Design as a competitor for Futura.

Buy the font here.

Created in 1767, by Giambattista Bodoni, this font is characterized by its high aesthetic strength and should be used with caution. Due to the set of lines and striking presence of its letters, it is not indicated for long texts, but for highlights, such as titles and details.

Inspired by the typical letters used in signage and architectural visual identity, it was conceived in the 2000s by designer Tobias Frere-Jones. Widely used for publicity, due to the idea of credibility transmitted by its lines, in architecture, this font should be used in business cards and logos. 

Download this font here.

Between Bodoni and Dala Floda, Butler consists of a modern typography along curvilinear lines. Due to its strong personality, it is indicated for titles and logos.

Widely used for long texts, this font is ideal for competitions and university boards, or even text boxes in graphic details, because of its clean aesthetics and proportion of lines allows long readings without tiring the reader. The typography, designed by Lucas deGroot, is also widely used in books and specialized Architecture magazines. 

On Windows, this font along with other five (Cambria, Constantia, Corbel, Candara, and Calibri) are among the most used typologies, with no need for external acquisition. 

The majority of architects, even without advanced knowledge of graphic design, intuitively select sans serif typefaces, due to its minimalism and straight lines. Among the most used texts, as well as the previous case, Helvetica is notorious among professionals. Built in the twentieth century, by Max Miedinger and Eduard Hoffmann , it is strongly associated with modern graphic design, due to its set of lines and layout its designer sought a neutral and concise design.

Buy this font here.

For those who like versatile and yet subtle fonts to compose their boards, this typography is ideal for that. In a system of hybrid lines, between rationalism of straight lines and the break of staticity of the curved line, this font created by Gatis vilaks, privileges a harmonious set. It is suggested for titles, subtitles and textual details in the graphic composition of boards and drawings. 

Designed by Barbara Lind, this font is part of Adobe, its use presents personality and strength in its composition, ideal for a wide range of applications, such as boards, diagrams, and schemes. This font would be well used in titles, subtitles, and details.

This font belongs to Adobe. It can be purchased here.

Originally published on October 16th, 2017; updated on November 21st, 2019. 

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Best Architecture Presentation Board Ideas 

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• Digital Asset Management

Posted by: Cinthya Soto

If you’re an architect, you know that one of the most impactful methods for expressing your ideas is creating architecture presentation boards. These boards serve as more than just showcasing your project; they effectively portray your concepts and narrate the story of your design. 

However, creating your architecture presentation board can prove challenging. It’s crucial to establish a well-designed layout that maintains a cohesive and engaging narrative. This will enable you to effectively communicate your ideas and elevate the impact of your architecture proposal .  

In this blog, we’ll explore ten architecture presentation board concepts, encompassing vital elements necessary for crafting a polished and visually captivating presentation. These ideas include various aspects such as layout, structure, visual hierarchy, color, and more, all contributing to the creation of a professional and visually engaging presentation. 

By the end of this blog, you’ll possess the knowledge and confidence necessary to produce a creative and impactful architecture presentation board. This will allow you to showcase your architecture projects accurately and secure new projects.

What Is an Architecture Presentation Board? 

Applying all of this information to your architecture presentation board may seem challenging, but with the help of a well-designed layout, you can effortlessly tackle this task. 

An architecture presentation board is a visually appealing graphic that effectively summarizes all the ideas of your project. It provides a condensed and clear representation of your design. Architects use architecture presentation boards to showcase their projects and work. 

The purpose of a presentation board is to construct a narrative that effectively conveys the essential information of your project in a self-explanatory manner. This enables readers to comprehend each of the proposed solutions with ease. 

An architecture presentation board fulfills multiple objectives, including:

• Serving as a tool for presenting designs to clients, superiors, or colleagues 
• Assisting in attracting clients and securing commissions 
• Contributing to the advancement of your career and elevating your architectural projects to new heights 

Architecture presentation boards serve various purposes, being used by both students and professionals. During your time as a student, these presentations are crafted for juries and submissions, allowing you to present your work to professors and peers. In your professional life as an architect, these boards are used to present designs to clients, committees, shareholders, and exhibitions. 

In many ways, an architecture presentation board resembles a sales pitch, as you are essentially promoting your design, ideas, and concept to win clients over.

10 Architecture Presentation Board Ideas 

While the architecture presentation board may not be the only aspect of the project itself, it certainly has an impact on the audience. Additionally, it can showcase your artistic abilities and design skills. 

The structure of an architecture presentation board serves as the platform for combining the key ideas of your project, presenting only the essential elements required for a clear understanding of the proposed concept. Remember, there is no need to incorporate every single detail into the presentation board. It is equally important to be careful with the amount of text used and to maintain focus on the central idea of the project. 

To help you get started, let’s take a look at some of the essential concepts (with examples) that must be considered when creating your architecture presentation board. This will help you create a flawless presentation board for clients.

1. Size and Orientation 

When designing your architecture presentation board, you will have to determine whether you will be presenting them in landscape or portrait orientation. You can explore different formats to enhance the presentation of your proposal. 

However, it’s not certain you’ll get to choose the size or orientation of your presentation boards. You’ll most likely encounter limitations that restrict you to a particular board size and a specific number of boards. Sometimes you will have the opportunity to choose the size and orientation of your presentation boards. However, more often than not, these decisions will be decided by your director, client, or professor. It’s important to ensure that you are aware of the parameters beforehand to avoid any inconsistencies. 

If you’re a student, it is common for professors to impose restrictions regarding board sizes and the number of boards. In such cases, you should verify whether your boards should be presented in landscape or portrait orientation. 

However, if you have been allowed to decide for yourself, take some time to think about it. Consider which orientation will make your graphics stand out the most and which one will best tell the story of your project. 

Apart from deciding whether your board will be in the landscape or portrait orientation, you will have to decide which way you will present your board. Some options include: 

• Side by side as a single large board 
• As one equivalent-sized poster
• As separate boards arranged in a sequence 

Keep in mind, the orientation and size of your boards can also have an impact on the structure and layout of your presentation.

2. Layout 

When arranging your architecture presentation board, think about the main ideas you want to express. Then, decide on the images and graphics that will best showcase those concepts. Collect all the required information and take note of the graphics and text that will best convey your concepts effectively. 

Before starting the actual layout of your boards, take time to sketch out different versions to identify the most suitable arrangement. Create small-scale sketches to capture the basic flow of each board, enabling you to experiment with different element placements before finalizing your design on the boards themselves. This process allows for flexibility and adjustments to ensure you achieve a complete overview of your ideal layout. 

Once you have decided on the layout you want, think about how much space each element will require on the page. Make sure each graphic is big enough to make an impact and consider the amount of space you want to leave between each graphic. Leave enough space so that it doesn’t look crowded or messy, but, avoid leaving too much space as well, as it may give the wrong impression. 

3. Structure 

Using a grid structure is the most common layout method used among architects because it simplifies the organization of visual elements in your presentation. Several compositions can be used when using a grid structure, such as square or rectangular grids, mixing texts, and images, or even adopting an organic structure. 

The grid serves as the fundamental framework for diagramming. Diagramming an architectural presentation board involves the organization and arrangement of graphic and textual elements that deliver comprehensive information about your project. This process ensures a well-structured and cohesive representation of your proposal, providing viewers with an accurate representation of your architectural vision. 

Keep in mind, you are essentially narrating a story, therefore you must carefully consider the flow of the narrative as you organize your presentation board. To help you get started, follow these steps: 

• Consider the perspective of the individual observing your presentation 
• Prioritize what you want them to see first 
• Strategize the most effective approach to displaying your project’s story to them 
• Evaluate if your structure and layout successfully achieve this objective 

Remember, normally, we read presentations from left to right and from top to bottom, so consider the story of your project and how it will be read. 

You should also consider how each board in your presentation relates to each other. Assess whether there is a logical progression from one board to the next, ensuring that the sequence flows seamlessly. In case you will not display all the boards simultaneously, consider numbering them to guide your viewers and ensure they follow the correct sequence. 

4. Background 

The background of your architecture presentation board should not be complex or cause difficulty. We want the viewer to easily see all the elements without any distractions from a busy background. It’s important to avoid anything that may draw attention away from the crucial details of the board. Let your graphics and text take center stage, refraining from using bold colors or textures that may take away the focus from them. 

With that being said, be very careful when choosing a black background. It may diminish the readability of text and potentially reduce the impact of your graphics. Moreover, background images, if chosen, can often be distracting. A black background could also set a cold and boring tone. Therefore, if you opt for this approach, make sure that all the information remains easily comprehensible. 

On the other hand, going for a white or light gray background will enhance the visibility of your graphics and text, allowing them to stand out effectively. This choice gives your presentation a professional appearance without overwhelming the viewer. While you can incorporate other colors that align with your central concept, ensure that the background remains plain enough for the viewer’s attention to be primarily directed towards the design rather than the background itself. 

Regardless of the color you select for your background, use it strategically to your benefit. Embrace the concept of negative space and leverage its power. Include only essential information in your presentation, resisting the temptation to fill empty spaces with irrelevant details. The skillful use of negative space enhances the impact of your design, creating a clean and professional feel. 

5. Colors 

While we discussed the use of the typical black, white, and gray colors in an architecture presentation board, don’t hesitate to include some colors. ​​However, be mindful of your color choices to strike the right balance, ensuring that your board doesn’t appear dull or overwhelming. Introducing hints of color can bring life to your presentation boards and draw attention to the elements you want to highlight. This will help guide your viewers’ focus to the key aspects of your presentation board.

How you can use colors to make your design more lively? One example is you can add a contrasting color like green for landscaping to a mostly single-color presentation. You can also use a different color to represent specific building materials, such as brick, glass, or wood. These color choices bring visual appeal and improve the overall look of your design. 

You can also consider opting for a bold and attention-grabbing color, such as pink or red, to serve as a prominent feature in your diagrams. If you aren’t feeling inspired, there are many pre-made color palettes available online for you to work with. 

The choice is yours and whichever color you decide to continue with, make sure to always ensure consistency by using the same color across all of your boards. This approach will help maintain a cohesive and seamless flow throughout your presentation.

6. Visual Hierarchy 

When creating your architecture presentation board, leverage visual hierarchy to highlight specific images on your presentation boards. This means you should select which image deserves the most visual attention within the hierarchy. Identify your project’s strongest point that you want to highlight, and make it the main focus that catches the viewer’s eye from far away. You should also incorporate other images that reveal their details when viewed up close. 

So, how can you do this effectively? There are various techniques to draw attention to a specific drawing, such as playing with color or size. Don’t be afraid to use up the space you need to display the images that are crucial for your vision. For example, you can make the image you wish to highlight the largest, ensuring it can be viewed clearly from a distance of 6ft. This effectively communicates the visual hierarchy and emphasizes the importance of the highlighted image. 

Another method is to use color to direct the viewer’s attention to a specific graphic. By using color in a targeted manner, you can effectively guide the viewer’s eye toward the main idea on the board. 

You also have the option to center the image you want to highlight and arrange the surrounding content to complement it. This technique is particularly effective when the image contains elements that serve as the background of the architecture presentation board, such as a large sky or landscape. 

For the best outcome, focus on keeping the overall vision of your project in mind and selecting images that directly display and strongly support that idea.

7. Image Selection 

Choosing the right images is an important aspect of creating your architecture presentation board. The graphics you select can either make or break your entire presentation board. Throughout the architectural design process, you will generate various sketches, models, renderings, and drawings. Make sure to carefully select the images that effectively communicate the important details of your project. 

Keep in mind, using an excessive number of images in your presentation can lead to a cluttered and confusing visual experience for the viewer. However, using enough images may give the impression that you needed to invest more effort into your presentation. Strive for a balanced representation that showcases your project effectively. 

8. Content 

Not only should your architecture presentation board be easy to understand but it should also demonstrate your full commitment and dedication to your project. 

When it comes to planning out the content for your presentation board, consider the following elements to ensure a clear understanding:

• Internal and external images 
• Isometric views and exploded views 
• Perspective cut 
• Diagrams 
• Volumetry studies 
• Descriptive memorial 
• Technical drawings (plans, cuts, and details) 

It’s important to note that not all the mentioned items need to be included in every project, as this depends on the specific requirements and nature of each project. However, these elements are valuable resources that can enhance the understanding of your architecture proposal whenever applicable. 

9. Text 

It’s important to keep text at a minimum on your architecture presentation board. You should write a concise and focused concept statement, avoiding wasting time on lengthy descriptive text that is unlikely to be read. Shoot for a clear and short message that effectively communicates your concept. 

Some questions to consider when organizing the text sections in your architecture presentation board include: 

• What is easier to read? 
• What flows best? 
• What is pleasing to the eye?

Moreover, when creating the text for your architecture presentation board, consider the alignment of your text within its designated text box. Think about which alignment is easier to read and pay attention to text spacing and hyphenation to ensure they appear visually pleasing on your presentation board. Don’t forget that the size and alignment of your text boxes should complement your graphics. They are important elements of the visual hierarchy in your presentation. 

Some tips to consider when creating the text for your architecture presentation board: 

• Do not use all capitals in your text, unless it’s for the title 
• Follow the standard rules of capitalization for a professional and easy-to-read presentation board 
• When possible, replace text with simple illustrative sketches and figures

Remember, your presentation serves as your sales pitch. Therefore, avoid lengthy explanations that would cause you to lose your audience’s attention and keep your message concise and engaging to effectively capture and maintain their interest.

10. Font 

Select an appropriate font for your title and text, using only one font type per project whenever possible. However, you can create variations by adjusting the font size for the title, concept statement, and labeling. Consider using Sans Serif fonts such as Futura or Helvetica, as their sleek and minimalistic style complements modern high-tech designs. 

When choosing a font for your architecture presentation board, consider the following: 

• Avoid script or handwriting fonts to achieve a clean and professional look 
• Keep the color of your font dark (ex. black or dark gray) to provide contrast to a light background 
• Choose a font and size that will be easy to read 
• Make sure the title font and placement are consistent from board to board 
• Use font sizes to create a hierarchy (e.g. a large font for titles, a slightly smaller font for subtitles, and a standard size for the rest of the content.) 

The font you choose for your architecture presentation board can significantly impact its success or failure and greatly influence its level of engagement, which is why it’s important to make sure you find the best architecture font . 

Choosing the Right Elements 

Unless specific instructions are provided to you when creating your architecture presentation board, the choice of elements to include will be up to you. When making these important and creative decisions, consider what elements will effectively express and explain your design most compellingly. Remember to prioritize clarity and coherence to create a successful architectural presentation. 

Next Steps 

We hope this guide on the best architecture presentation board ideas was helpful. As you begin creating your architecture presentation board, remember that there are several solutions out there to help you make better presentation boards and win more business. When it comes to asset management for AEC and real estate professionals, OpenAsset provides a high-quality software solution. 

At OpenAsset, the only Digital Asset Management (DAM) solution designed specifically for firms in the built world, we make it easy to find the digital assets you need. With OpenAsset, you can easily find assets by project or person using keywords or file type. Our secure platform also helps you protect your digital assets by keeping them safe from unauthorized access and accidental deletion. You can also easily share files with team members, clients, and partners using controlled access to files. 

To ensure consistency and manage your ever-growing number of digital assets, request a demo with us and learn how OpenAsset can help you manage your digital assets today.

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The 10 Best Free Fonts for Architects

From modernist sans serifs to contemporary serif typefaces, make sure your type looks as elegant as your plans with these exceptionally stylish free fonts for architecture portfolios, architect branding and architectural presentations..

Did we mention these stylish and minimal architecture fonts are all totally free for commercial use? Go forth and find the perfect font for your architecture portfolio.

Unlimited Downloads: 1,000,000+ InDesign Templates, Mockups & Design Assets by

The new Architecture Template Kit includes a complete range of Adobe InDesign templates for architects looking to present and brand their work beautifully and professionally. Discover the kit here .

Designed by Jonathan Pinhorn, Karla is a grotesque sans serif in the tradition of Helvetica and Futura. Distinctly modernist in style, Karla is a versatile sans serif with a subtly retro flavour. Corbusier would approve. Available in four weights, you can download the print typeface from FontSquirrel .

You can also find Karla as a web font on Google Fonts , meaning you can streamline your type choice across both print and online architecture portfolios.

Created by Pampatype foundry, Reforma is a bespoke typeface originally designed for the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba in Argentina. A humanist sans serif, Reforma combines the simple appeal of sans serifs with a little more warmth and character. At once both classical and contemporary, this is a great font choice for architects looking for more personality in their portfolio type.

You can download the complete suite of 18 weights (and yes, for free) from Pampatype’s website here .

Aileron is a neo-grotesque typeface with a clean, futuristic personality. Designed by Japanese foundry Dot Colon, the Aileron font family consists of a whopping 16 weights, making it a highly versatile and free font alternative to traditional neo-grotesques such as Univers or Helvetica.

A perfect pairing with post-modernist or futuristic architecture portfolios, Aileron is understated, elegant and minimal.  

Looking for an architectural sans serif with a little more character? Gilroy is a geometric typeface with a modernist style. While it wouldn’t look out of place on mid-century signage, Gilroy is determinedly contemporary and looks fantastic set as headlines or pull-quotes. This stylish typeface, created by Radomir Tinkov, is available in 20 weights, two of which are free to download from FontSpring .

D-DIN imitates the style of architect font favorite DIN. Taking its name from the Deutsches Institut fur Normung (German Institute for Standardization), DIN was widely used for traffic and administration signage from the 1930s onwards. The typeface was designed for technical purposes, which gives it its simplified, ultra-legible style.

Completely unadorned and minimalistic, D-DIN is a faithful tribute to the 1930s original typeface, and looks just as effective on the captions of architecture portfolios as it does for architectural brand identities. 

Unlimited Downloads: 1,000,000+ Fonts, Mockups & Design Assets by

6. Bellefair

Architects are often averse to serif typefaces, but the right serif font can bring understated elegance and a high-end feel to presentation boards, architecture portfolios and practice websites. Bellefair is a clean, sculpted serif font which strikes a balance between traditional and contemporary. Use for impactful headings or elegant captions. 

UNLIMITED DOWNLOADS: 50 Million+ Fonts & Design Assets

You can download Bellefair Regular, designed by Nick Shinn, for free from FontSquirrel .

7. Work Sans

A trusty sans serif font based on early grotesque sans serifs, Work Sans has wider letterforms than Futura or Univers, making it feel solid, stable and ultra-legible. Available as a free font family of 21 weights, Work Sans has been optimised for screen displays (with larger diacritic marks, for example, to boost readability at small-scale), but can also be used for print portfolios and presentations with equal ease.  

Designed by Wei Huang, you can download the complete Work Sans font family for free here . 

8. Proza Libre

With a similarly sculptural style to Reforma, Proza Libre is another fantastic alternative for architects looking for something a little different to the usual Helvetica and Futura tributes. An elegant humanist sans serif, Proza Libre would make a great partner for eco architecture or organic building styles. 

Created by Jasper de Waard, Proza Libre is influenced by Old Style Renaissance typefaces, but with the serifs removed, created a cleaner, more fluid appearance. The font is available to download for free in 12 weights from FontSquirrel . 

With a striking similarity to Futura, Jost* was designed by Owen Earl of font foundry indestructible type. Combining its early modernist influences with more rounded letterforms gives Jost* its signature bouncy and effortlessly stylish personality. 

If you love the look of Futura and Univers, but are seeking a more extrovert interpretation, Jost* will bring both personality and a minimalist aesthetic to the table. Available as both a web font and print typeface, Jost* can be downloaded from the indestructible type website here .

10. Spartan MB

A geometric sans serif font with a rounded, open character, Spartan MB is inspired by the American Type Founders Company (ATF) classic typeface, Spartan. Aesthetically simple with subtle curves, Spartan MB blends mid-century styling with contemporary geometric touches. 

An open source, free font designed by Matt Bailey and Mirko Velimirovic, Spartan MB is available in 7 weights from Bailey’s portfolio website here .

Present and Brand Beautifully with the Architecture Template Kit for Adobe InDesign

InDesignSkills’ new Architecture Template Kit contains a complete range of InDesign templates for architects, practices and architecture students.

Included in the Architecture Template Kit are 4 presentation boards, full portfolio with 40 pro-designed pages, introductory portfolio template, 5 business card templates and 4 letterhead options for Adobe InDesign, sized to a wide range of US, European, UK and Australian standard sizes.

Find Your Perfect Font Match

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The Best 12 Architecture Fonts

• Updated: April 9, 2024

Choosing the right font for your next or current project can be a timely and stressful process, especially if you don’t already have a few go to options. Whilst there isn’t strictly a specific category for architecture fonts, there are certain type faces that work better than others.

A good or bad font can make or break a presentation and severally contribute to its level of engagement.

…So here we offer a list of our favorite architecture fonts (and the ones that we consider to be the best) that will hopefully help you to decide a little quicker and stop the endless scrolling through all the “free” font sites!

But firstly…

What is an architecture font?

The term font comes from metal typesetting and was a specific size, weight and style of a typeface. The typeface would consist of a range of these fonts that would all share the overall design (the typeface) .

Today however with digital typography now very dominant, the term font is more commonly associated with/to a typeface, where each font file is a different design.

For example the typeface “ Futura ” may include the fonts “ Futura light”, “ Futura italic”, “ Futura bold” and “ Futura extended”, but the term “font” might be applied either to one of these on their own or to the Futura font as a whole.

As well as the above variations (light, italic and bold), fonts can be categorized by their type of box (higher and lower case), by source, Sans – serif (without serif), Serif (with serif), Script (cursive) and Dingbat (ornamental), in addition to numerous other identity features of the same style.

Why are fonts important for architects?

In terms of architecture, fonts form a fundamental graphic communication device for presentations with nonverbal reading.

This is particularly relevant when a project is publicaly presented and on show, or for competitions and critiques where the work presented is assessed without its author present. 

…The go to architecture font s

Hopefully you have never experienced a architectural presentation written in Comic Sans! but we can almost guarantee that you have seen (maybe even without knowing) a lot in Helvetica.

It’s an obvious one to font nerds but when you’re pressed for time and/or struggling to find the perfect scenario, Helvetica will rarely let you down.

For those that haven’t come across this font before, there is an excellent film about typography, graphic design and visual culture, that looks at the proliferation of Helvetica.

It explores the way the font affects our daily lives and invites everyone to take a second look at the thousands of words written in it that we see and experience every day.

Trailer below:

Our favorite architecture fonts

The below selection of fonts are the architecture fonts that we have had the most success with, and that we feel can be used in just about any architectural situation.

A few of them are paid fonts, and so if don’t wont to pay and cant find a free version hiding somewhere, then Google have a huge array of free fonts where you’ll be able to find something similar here

DIN 1451 font

Designed in 1931 for the German standards body DIN – Deutsches Institut für Normung (German Institute for Standardization) – this font uses all of the principles of the Bauhaus and as a result has not dated in anyway.

It has strong characteristics that make it perfect for architectural use, the first is its condensed nature, that’s means the font creates a strong mass and form when used as text in paragraphs. This results in the type becoming more of a shape on the page and presentation board .

Franklin Gothic font

Produced by the American type designer Morris Fuller Benton (1872–1948) in 1902, it reflects and speaks of confidence, boldness and expressiveness.

Franklin Gothic has more character than other sans serif fonts, and works best when accompanying a more subtle and sensitive font, forming either the title or sub-titles of text.

Gotham font

Released in 2000 by Hoefler and Frere-Jones, this clean and modern sans serif typeface was inspired by the lettering found on the architecture of New York City, and has become one of the most popular fonts for designers over the last 13 years.

Futura font

Created by Paul Renner in the 1920s, this font is a favorite for architects with its classic modern design. Similar to Din 1451 this is inspired by Bauhaus techniques, and uses straight lines and curves that provide balance when used in short paragraph grouping. 

It’s best however to avoid using this for long text, as it can it certain circumstances appear over powering and visually distracting. 

So adopt this font for titles, subtitles and short paragraphs on your architectural boards and drawings . 

Designed by Lucas deGroot, This fonts clean aesthetics and proportions make it a great option for long texts that won’t tire the reader. 

It’s widely used in books and specialized Architecture magazines , making it perfect for descriptive texts on presentation boards and for competition entries.

As described above this is a personal go to of ours and widely used due to its minimalistic and straight lined appearance by architects and firms everywhere. 

Together with Colsolas this is among one of the most used texts, and is notorious among professionals. Built in the twentieth century, by Max Miedinger and Eduard Hoffmann, it is strongly associated with modern graphic design, due to its set of lines and layout its designer sought a neutral and concise design.

Developed by Mike Abbink at IBM in collaboration with Dutch type foundry Bold Monday who are in their own words “the typographical equivalent of a so called “indie” record company”.

The front aims to IBM’s brand spirit, beliefs and design principles.

It is the corporate typeface for IBM worldwide. Plex was released as an  open source project  in 2017 and includes Sans, Sans Condensed, Mono and Serif.

Released in 2015, Lato is a free humanist sans-serif typeface designed by font designer  Łukasz Dziedzic . The name “Lato” is Polish for “summer”.

As of August 2018, Lato is thought to be used on more than 9.6 million websites, and is the third most served font on  Google Fonts , with over one billion views per day.

Best fonts for architecture portfolio’s

When it comes to choosing a font for an architecture portfolio , it’s important to consider both readability and aesthetic appeal.

A font that is easy to read will help ensure that the content of your portfolio is easily understood by your audience, while a font that is aesthetically pleasing will help make your portfolio more visually appealing.

Any of above architecture fonts can be used for any type of architectural presentation , document, or drawing, and that certainly includes architectural portfolios. The best one will ultimately depend on your personal preferences and the overall design aesthetic of the portfolio itself.

And you certainly don’t need to opt for any of these slightly more bespoke and harder to come by fonts and typefaces, as there are of course many “standard” fonts that are also very good options to consider such as:

• Arial: Arial is a sans-serif font that is widely used in print and online. It’s a clean, modern font that is easy to read and looks professional.
• Calibri: Calibri is another sans-serif font that is popular for its readability and versatility. It’s a good choice for an architecture portfolio due to it working well in both print and online formats.
• Times New Roman: Times New Roman is a classic serif font that is often used in professional documents, including portfolios. It’s a good choice if you want to convey a sense of tradition and professionalism.
• Verdana: Verdana is a sans-serif font that is designed to be easy to read on screens. It’s a good choice for an online architecture portfolio because it’s legible at small sizes and looks clean and modern.

Everything in One Place

Stand out from the competition, and create an interview ready portfolio.

As touched on, don’t be scared to combine two fonts together (this is a very normal process), one for your titles and one for the main body of your text.

As much like layering your scaled drawings together to form a coherent presentation, layering architecture fonts achieves the same principle.

Here are four more fonts that architects use for both portfolios and drawings:

Bauhaus fonts

The Bauhaus font, also known as the “universal typeface,” is a geometric sans-serif typeface designed by László Moholy-Nagy in 1923.

It was created as part of the Bauhaus school’s philosophy of promoting functional, unadorned design that focused on the essential elements of form and function.

It’s characterized by its simple, geometric forms and lack of decorative elements. It features circular letterforms with smooth, straight lines and sharp angles. The letters are evenly spaced and have a uniform height, which gives the typeface a balanced, harmonious appearance.

Today, the Bauhaus typeface is considered a classic and is widely used in design projects around the world. It is considered a timeless and versatile typeface that is well-suited for a wide range of applications.

Garamond Font

Garamond is a classic, elegant font with a long history dating back to the 16th century. It is named after the French typographer Claude Garamond, who developed the font based on the handwriting of Renaissance scribes.

The font has a timeless, refined look and is often used in formal documents, such as books, reports, and resumes .

This font is characterized by its relatively small x-height (the distance between the baseline and the top of lowercase letters), which gives it a delicate, graceful appearance.

It also has a relatively large counter (the space enclosed by the letters “o” and “e”) and long, thin serifs (the decorative strokes at the ends of letterforms). These features contribute to the font’s elegant, readable look.

Garamond is generally considered a classic, timeless font that is well-suited for a wide range of architecture projects.

Montserrat fonts

Montserrat is a sans-serif font designed by Julieta Ulanovsky in 2011. It is named after the neighborhood of Montserrat in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where Ulanovsky grew up.

The font was inspired by the typography of the neighborhood’s old shop signs, and was intended to be a modern, geometric alternative to traditional sans-serif fonts.

Montserrat is known for its clean, minimalistic design, which is characterized by its relatively large x-height (the distance between the baseline and the top of lowercase letters) and low contrast between thick and thin strokes.

It has a geometric, symmetrical appearance, with circular letters and straight, simple lines.

Montserrat is widely used in a variety of medias, including websites, logos, and print materials. It is often paired with serif fonts to create a contrast between the two styles, and is well-suited for both display and body text.

Overall, Montserrat is a versatile, modern font that is widely popular among designers and architects.

Gill Sans Font

Gill Sans is a sans-serif font designed by Eric Gill in the 1920s. It is named after Gill, who was a British artist, typeface designer, and writer.

Gill Sans is known for its clean, elegant design, which is characterized by its relatively large x-height (the distance between the baseline and the top of lowercase letters) and horizontal strokes that are thicker than the vertical strokes.

This font has a humanist, geometric appearance, with rounded letters and a mix of straight and curved lines. It is often described as a “warm” font, as it has a softer, more organic feel compared to some other sans-serif fonts.

Gill Sans is often paired with serif fonts to create a contrast between the two styles, and is well-suited for both display and body text. Overall, Gill Sans is a classic, elegant font that is popular among designers for its versatility and timeless appeal.

Where can you find the best architectural fonts?

There are many places where you can find high-quality architecture fonts. Some of which include:

• Professional type foundries: Professional type foundries are companies that specialize in creating and selling high-quality fonts. Many of these foundries offer a wide range of architectural fonts that are designed to be easy to read and to clearly convey information.
• Online font marketplaces: Online font marketplaces are websites that offer a wide variety of fonts for purchase. These marketplaces often have a large selection of architecture fonts, including both free and premium options.
• Professional design software: Professional design software, such as Adobe Creative Cloud , often includes a wide selection of high-quality typefaces, including architecture fonts. These are often included as part of the software subscription, or can be purchased separately.
• Font websites: There are many websites that offer a wide variety of fonts for download, including architecture fonts. Some of these websites offer free fonts, while others charge a fee.

When looking for architectural fonts, it’s important to consider the quality and readability of the font, as well as any licensing restrictions that may apply.

Where can you find the best free architecture fonts?

If you’re looking for free architecture fonts, there are several reputable online platforms where you can discover a variety of typefaces. Here are some of the best places to begin your search:

• Google Fonts : Google Fonts is an extensive collection of free and open-source fonts. Although it isn’t tailored specifically to architecture, you can find a vast selection that could fit architectural presentations or graphics.
• DaFont : DaFont features a wide variety of fonts uploaded by their creators. You can find fonts categorized by theme, including those that might be suitable for architectural purposes.
• Font Squirrel : Font Squirrel offers a curated selection of high-quality free fonts, all of which are available for commercial use. They also provide a useful font identifier tool and font generator.
• 1001 Free Fonts : As the name suggests, this site offers a wide range of architecture fonts for free, and you might find some suitable for architectural designs or presentations.
• FontSpace : With over 32,000 free fonts shared by designers, you can filter your search by style, theme, or even popularity to find something fitting.
• Behance : Many designers and typographers share their creations on Behance. By searching for “free architecture fonts” or something similar, you may come across unique typefaces not available on other platforms.
• ArchDaily : As one of the most visited architecture websites, ArchDaily occasionally publishes articles on fonts suited for architects and designers. Although not a font repository itself, it can point you in the direction of some great resources.

A few tips when looking for and using free fonts:

• Always check the license . While many fonts are free for personal use, they may not be free for commercial use. If you’re using a font for a professional project or something that will be distributed or sold, ensure you have the right permissions.
• Download fonts from reputable sources to avoid malware or poorly designed fonts.
• Remember, the right font can greatly enhance your presentation or design, so it’s worth spending some time choosing the perfect one for your needs.

Lastly, if you have a specific style in mind, consider investing in a premium font. Paid fonts often come with more weights, styles, and glyphs, and their purchase supports typographers in their craft.

Is there a architecture font generator?

Yes, there are various font generators available online that allow you to create custom text using a specified font, which can then be used in architectural presentations, diagrams , or any other graphic work.

While these tools typically don’t allow you to design a new font from scratch, they do let you see how your text would appear in a chosen typeface. Some of these platforms might have a collection of fonts that could be suited for architectural purposes.

Here are a few options to consider:

• Font Meme : This website offers a “Fonts in Use” section where you can generate text using different fonts, including some that might be suitable for architectural projects.
• Calligraphy Font Generator : While primarily focused on calligraphy fonts, this can be a fun tool to experiment with for headers or specific architectural presentations.
• FontSpace : Apart from offering free fonts, FontSpace has a text generator where you can preview text in various fonts available on the platform.
• FontStruct : This is a more in-depth tool that allows you to actually create new fonts. While it’s more involved than a simple generator, it might be of interest if you’re looking to design a custom font for architectural purposes.
• MockoFun : An online graphic design tool where you can choose from many fonts and see how your text looks. It’s versatile and might be helpful for architectural graphics.

Remember, while generating and previewing text in different fonts can be valuable, always ensure you have the right permissions or licenses to use a font in your final project, especially if it’s for commercial purposes.

If you’re interested in creating a new font from scratch, there are software options like FontForge , Glyphs , and FontLab that allow you to design and build custom typefaces.

These are more complex tools and may have a steeper learning curve, but they provide much more flexibility and depth than simple online generators.

FAQs about architecture fonts

What is the best font for architecture in autocad.

Choosing the best font for architectural drawings in AutoCAD often depends on clarity, legibility, and professionalism. Here are a few widely recommended options that balance these aspects effectively:

• Arial : A sans-serif font that is very clear and easy to read at various sizes, making it a popular choice for technical documents.
• Helvetica : Similar to Arial, Helvetica is known for its clean and legible appearance. It’s widely used in professional settings due to its neat and uncluttered design.
• Calibri : Another sans-serif font that is designed for clarity and readability. Its slightly rounded corners can give your drawings a modern and approachable look.
• Roboto : This sans-serif typeface offers a geometric appearance that is both efficient and friendly. It’s well-suited for digital screens and prints.
• Consolas : A monospaced font favored for its clear distinction between letters and numbers, which reduces the risk of misreading. This is particularly useful for technical drawings that include lots of annotations.

Each of these fonts has its strengths, and the choice often comes down to personal preference and the specific requirements of your project. For instance, if your drawings are densely annotated, a monospaced font like Consolas can enhance readability.

For a more contemporary look, Roboto or Calibri might be preferable.

What is the best font combination for architecture?

Choosing the right font combination for architectural presentations, portfolios, and documents is crucial for conveying clarity, professionalism, and a sense of style.

A well-considered font pairing can enhance the readability of your content while also reflecting the character of your design work. Here are some effective font combinations:

• Headings : Helvetica or Arial (Sans-Serif)
• Body Text : Times New Roman or Garamond (Serif)
• Headings : Futura or Avenir (Geometric Sans-Serif)
• Body Text : Palatino or Georgia (Humanist Serif)
• Annotations/Captions : Consolas or Courier New (Monospaced)
• Body Text/Headings : Roboto or Calibri (Contemporary Sans-Serif)
• Headings/Labels : Gotham or Montserrat (Sans-Serif, All Caps)
• Highlights/Quotes : Brush Script or Zapfino (Script)

When selecting font combinations, consider the following tips:

• Contrast is Key : Ensure there is enough contrast between your chosen fonts to create visual interest and hierarchy, but not so much that it becomes jarring.
• Limit the Number : Stick to two or maybe three fonts at most to avoid cluttering your design.
• Consistency Across Projects : Consistency in font usage across different projects can help in building a recognizable brand or personal style.
• Test for Legibility : Always test your font combinations in various formats and sizes to ensure they are legible and look good both on screen and in print.

Remember, the context of your project and the message you wish to convey should guide your font choices. Experiment with different combinations to see what best complements your architectural work.

Further reading on architecture fonts…

For some further reading we recommend both “ Just My Type: A Book About Fonts ” by Simon Garfield and “ Thinking with Type: A Critical Guide for Designers, Writers, Editors, & Students”  by Ellen Lupton  

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Introduction

The Architecture Presentation Board is a means of producing visually captivating summaries of design projects. They can be used for a variety of purposes. On an academic level, students use them for their architecture school submissions but they can also assist a client’s imagination or help win a commission on the professional side. 

Your drawings, graphics and architecture presentation boards have one main purpose – to communicate your design in all its entirety from the concept to final renderings. If your presentation boards look good, but don’t do their job – you may need to think again.

In order to win over a tutor, client, planning officer or committee it is vital that your scheme is clearly conveyed and easy to understand. In a way it is like a sales pitch, you are selling your design, ideas, concept. So read through this post for some essential tips on designing the best architecture presentation boards!

And remember a great design can be mediocre if it is not presented well.

Scroll to the end to download this article as a handy PDF guide!

Our Top Important Tips for Architecture Presentation Boards

Brief requirements .

A project brief whether it is for a university project or for an architecture competition will typically outline what you need to include in your architecture presentation boards. So make sure you read this through and note down the non negotiables. 

Architecture presentation boards usually include floor plans, elevations, and sections along with some sort of perspective views, 3d drawings or renders. There may be a focus on some of the key features of your design, perhaps with brief sentences explaining your scheme. Hand drawings and development work can be good to include if relevant/required.

Going through the brief will also help you determine what content to assign to your boards. For architecture school projects, there may be more than one presentation board to curate. Try to determine each board’s key focus –  it could either be to depict your site analysis, conceptual development, material application, technical resolution or final scheme. Generally for competitions you will have to compile all of these key stages on one or two presentation boards.

For more helpful tips on how to dissect your briefs, check out our Architecture Assignments Brief Guide post. It includes a cool Architecture Assignment Planner:

Architecture Assignment Brief Guide – First In Architecture

When you start to plan your architecture presentation board is also crucial. If you begin planning out your boards immediately after reading through your brief, you will get an idea of what you are working towards. You can get as specific as you like with the details. Revisiting this rough plan throughout your design process may help you work on perfecting the images that will best represent your project.

On the other hand, if you plan your boards after completing your project, all the work you have done until then will determine your end result. It would sort of be like piecing all your work together as you would a puzzle. You may end up editing your existing work or even having to create more work to place on your presentation boards.

Either way, take a moment to organise your work. Think of what you are trying to convey. What drawings / images do you have to show as part of your brief/criteria? What are the key elements in your design that you would like to portray?

Collect all this information –  list out all the images to be included and what text you would like to put in, then you can start planning the structure of your boards. This will really help you visualise what information will be on your boards and how you are going to communicate your design.

Inspiration

Similar to having precedents for your design, we recommend having an idea of what graphic style you would like to use for your architecture presentation board. Try to bring your work together as a unified selection of drawings with a format, scale and style that work together to create a logical and comprehensive view of the project. Different graphic styles and inconsistencies can cause a lack of clarity and confusion.

For this you can seek inspiration from a variety of sources like Pinterest or Instagram. 

If you are finding it difficult to come up with a graphic style for your architecture presentation boards, check out our Pinterest board here:

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/1starchitecture/architecture-presentation-boards/

Representing Architecture

Your architecture presentation board must use graphics and text to represent your design idea and clearly communicate the details and essential aspects of the scheme. It is important to be efficient with the production of drawings, and only use what is necessary to convey your idea. Quality is better than quantity as quantity can lead to confusion. 

View your project as if for the first time, and consider how easy or difficult it is to understand the concept and the main elements of the scheme. Only add work you would be confident presenting in person and avoid any unnecessary information.

Architectural Notation

When you plan your architecture presentation boards make sure that you can see the relationship between the drawings. 

For example sections and plans should be aligned so it is clear to read. You can even use dashed/dotted lines to highlight these connections.

Every instance of a plan needs to be of the same orientation (north point always in the same place) otherwise it can get very confusing for someone who has not seen the project before.

When showing plans and elevations/sections together, it is beneficial if they are of the same scale and in line. However, if one drawing is more important than the others then it makes sense to show it on a different scale.

Just because it’s a pretty architecture presentation board, don’t forget to include your symbols! Scale bars, section lines and north points often get forgotten, but are important to be included in order to make your drawings and information clear.

We would recommend sketching out the structure of your architecture presentation board before you start, so you can get an idea of the possible configurations you can use and what might work best. A small storyboard sketch or small scale mock up of the presentation can work well as you can adjust the layout until you are happy with the arrangement and alignment.

In general we read design presentations from left to right and from top to bottom, so consider the story of your design and how it will be read. Show the progression and don’t be afraid to experiment.

Use a program you know. The last thing you need to be doing is learning a whole new software program whilst in the panic of putting your boards together. If you have allowed yourself enough time, fair enough. We would recommend InDesign or Photoshop, but Microsoft Word or Pages on the Mac will still give you good results if you are more comfortable using them. Powerpoint or Keynote on the Mac, can be good options, but do check they can print to the size you require the boards to be.

Orientation, setting and size

Confirm whether your architecture presentation boards are supposed to be presented in landscape or portrait orientation. Think of the size your presentation boards are going to be. Ensure you have the right resolution and print settings applied. Check if you are limited by the number of boards and don’t forget to explore relationships between each board, and how they will be read together. Consider numbering the boards to show what comes next. 

Ensuring you have set up your presentation board files correctly will help save you loads of time in the end.

Key Information – Title, story, content

Do you need to have a title bar? If so, consider keeping it consistent throughout your architecture presentation boards. This gives a sense of professionalism, and orderliness. Don’t forget to include your details – name, title of project etc and whatever else is applicable. 

It’s tempting to get carried away with multiple fonts but please, don’t! Stick to one font, a maximum of two. You can consider using fonts from the same font family for visual coherence.

Use font sizes to create a hierarchy on your architecture presentation boards – e.g. a large font for your titles, a bit smaller for subtitles and standard size for the remainder of your content. 

Make sure your chosen font and size is readable. Keep your sentences short and punchy. No one is going to want to read an essay on your presentation board. A picture paints a thousand words!

Consider how to align your text within its text box. What is easier to read? Think about text spacing, and hyphenation and how it appears on your architecture presentation board. 

For more advice on fonts and to discover some cool font recommendations, feel free to check out our blog post on the Best Fonts for Architects:

Best Fonts for Architects – First In Architecture

Try to keep your background plain, unless it is featuring one of your key images. Architecture presentation board backgrounds can get a little busy and it can be difficult to see the key details of the board.

A white background will make your images and text stand out and look professional. Most of the board images we are sharing in this post feature white backgrounds, it is clear to see why. The information comes across well, and the background makes the visuals pop on the page. 

A background image can often be distracting, so make sure all the information is crystal clear if you decide to go down that route. 

The standard architectural style particularly for students appears to be black, white and grey! Grey grey grey! We understand why people sway that way, but sometimes it’s good to break out and use a bit of colour. Agreed there is a place for simplicity, and grey can give a professional atmospheric board, but try to inject some colour. 

Think how colour is reflected in your design. If the architecture presentation board is predominantly in black and white or grey, does this make the design feel cold? Consider how colour will have an impact on the overall feel of the scheme. Imagine the function and users of your design. What colours would resonate with these? 

As a starting point you can insert colours for natural elements such as the sky, vegetation on your site etc. Experiment with accent colours to highlight key design elements or ideas.

You will also find numerous ready made colour palettes online that you can work with. 

Layout options

Consider using a grid to help you organise the visual elements on your architecture presentation board. You can use a simple grid or something more complex. A grid helps you to organise the elements on your page and produce consistency across the architecture presentation board set.

Once you have set up your page size and orientation you can start creating a grid that suits your needs. The grid can include space for title bars, page numbers, and other information that needs to appear on each board. Using a program like InDesign is great as you can set up master pages as templates so you only need to create the grid once and it can then be used on numerous pages.

Keep in mind that the grid can also be used as a guide, so you don’t have to strictly aim for perpendicular lines. You can have elements and images that blend into one another if you want.

Visual Hierarchy

You will want some of your images to receive more visual attention than others, in order to communicate your idea. You can do this by giving certain images more space in the grid than others. If you wish to showcase one compelling visualisation, you can centre this image or  make your other content fit around this image. It often works best when this type of image has elements that form the background of the architecture presentation board, for instance an extended sky or landscape.

When you view your architecture presentation board, you want something viewable from a distance (an impact image) 6ft away, and up close. This communicates your visual hierarchy.

Also if you plan to use precedent images on your architecture presentation boards, remember to distinguish them from your proposal images to avoid confusion for the readers. 

Example Layouts

There are numerous ways to organise your work onto boards, here are some options to help you visualise:

Landscape Examples:

Portrait Examples:

Give yourself time

It’s a real shame when you have spent weeks/months on a design project, and leave yourself an hour or two to put it together for your architecture presentation boards. It is such a waste. By denying your project the time and care of developing a structure and a plan for how you present your work, you are effectively deducting grades/points there and then. By showing a well thought out presentation, with a clear process and design result, which is easy to engage with you will greatly increase your chances of showing how good your design is and why it should receive a stellar grade!

Our Architecture Presentation Board Templates

We are excited to present a selection of 14 Architecture Presentation Board Templates in Photoshop and Indesign that all have varying layouts and fonts.  They are designed to help speed up your process, create a strong design identity, and save you a huge amount of time. This bundle also includes some textured backgrounds to help you experiment!

You can find out more about these here:

Architecture Presentation Board Templates – First In Architecture

You might also be interested in…

We have a dedicated Pinterest board full of architecture presentation board ideas and styles that will really help inspire you:

We also have lots of incredible architecture content. Be sure to check it out:

Download the Guide!

Download this helpful article as a pdf to keep for reference later!

We hope this post helps you come up with some really good architecture presentation boards, and to show off your work to its best.

If you have got some tips and advice to offer to our readers, let us know in the comments below.

And finally, if you found this post useful, do share it with a friend.

Thank you! 

Image Credits

Landscape Example 1

https://www.arkxsite.com/site-chapel-_-winners

Landscape Example 2

https://architecturecompetitions.com/teamakersguesthouse

Landscape Example 3

https://archidose.tumblr.com/tagged/student

Landscape Example 4

https://www.kairalooro.com/competition_emergencyoperationcenter/winningproject_mentions.html

Landscape Example 5

https://www.archdaily.com/257270/buenos-aires-new-contemporary-art-museum-competition-results/0412750?next_project=no

Landscape Example 6

https://www.presidentsmedals.com/Entry-49001

Portrait Example 1

http://www.arquideas.net/es/vof1170

Portrait Example 2

https://www.pinterest.es/pin/488710997053933680/

Portrait Example 3

https://www.dezeen.com/2020/06/08/carleton-university-graduates-architecture-vdf-school-shows/

Portrait Example 4

https://www.behance.net/gallery/47245227/The-First-Half-A-War-to-Eywa

Portrait Example 5

https://www.archidiaries.com/result-announced-bauhaus-campus/

Portrait Example 6

http://www.arquideas.net/es/mesc1258

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24 Comments

Really great Emma,

Both in the tips and tricks but also in the observation and selection of images used. (nice to see them properly credited).

An extra tip; when including precedent studies, make it clear what is precedent rather than proposal by grouping, using a background colour or outline, and if they are on multiple pages keep them to the same place on each page.

Although your tutors are familiar with most precedents, confusing a precedent with proposal is embarrassing for all of us!

Hi Caine, Thanks for your comments – much appreciated.

I WAS ABLE TO USE THIS IN MY CLASS EMMA. WITH DUE RESPECT AND PERMISSION. MY STUDENTS WERE IMPRESSED WITH YOUR COLLECTION OF IDEAS. TNKS.

Thank you so much for this post, I’ve always had a bit of a problem with my boards and this will surely help me in the long run.

with what for a program do u make these portfolios ?

Those presentation boards look awesome! 🙂 what for a program is used to do something like that ?

Hi Jeffry, Boards like these can be achieved using a number of programs, most commonly inDesign or Photoshop. If you don’t have access to this software you can also use things like powerpoint or keynote – although you may be more limited with functionality.

Hi, just wondering what do you recommend to be the best way of getting images onto presentation boards? drawing/ rendering the design then scanning, then editing/ enhancing on photoshop? or using revit to draw and render and transferring these to the boards?

If you could reply to this, it would be muchly appreciated! thank you

Hi Stephanie, Thanks for your comment. I think a lot of it is down to what you are comfortable with, and what stage of your project you are presenting. If you are presenting initial ideas then hand drawings / sketches would be suitable for your boards. These would be best scanned in, and adapted in photoshop, adjust the levels and so on, to get the effect you are looking for. However, if you are presenting final work, perhaps some digital renders would be more relevant. Having said that, if you are comfortable with your drawing skills and have chosen to present your project as hand drawn work, then by all means you should draw and hand render your work to then scan in. I would recommend digitising all hand work and putting together on photoshop/inDesign, as it creates a more professional outcome – and also means you can adjust things as you wish. So, consider your time constraints, what can you achieve in the time you have. Consider what you want the desired outcome to be, and what stage of the project are you presenting. It may be that you use a combination of hand drawings, sketch up models, and final revit renders. There is no correct answer, just do what works well for you, and what you will be able to do at the best of your ability. Hope this helps – and best of luck with your work!! Emma

Heyyy how about capitalisation? Does all the writing should be in caps or it could include lower and upper case??? Thanksss

I think that is down to personal choice and how you want it to look. No strict rules on this. Just make sure you are consistent.

how about manual presentation formats?

thank you so much for all the tips! Appreciate it:)

You’re welcome 🙂

I had receive the pdf copy.however it doesnt contain any image

Hi Nurul, the pdf doesn’t have any images as it is for printing without using too much ink. If you want images you can print directly from the article web page.

Great post..Very helpful. Thanks

Hey, Thank you so much, this has been really very helpful as it has always been a task to understand the requirements and needs that have to be considered for architectural sheet presentation as we have a lot of information to put in but what matters is giving the information a hierarchy as to what needs to be included or not . Appreciate it.

Thank you Anand.

Hello Emma, thanks… I have a presentation next week, could you please send me a downloadable copy of that, thanks

can I take your post because your post very exelent

can i know what is a standard word size for an a1 size presentation board???

Hi, it will depend on many factors, like the font you are using, the intended purpose of the presentation board, how much text you are putting on there etc.

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The Five Best Fonts for Presentations and Why They Work So Well

Fonts, typefaces, and typography are topics covered in numerous books and articles. The majority of them describe fonts, typefaces, and how they appear in print. However, there are few books and articles that explain how to choose fonts for workshop presentations. I did some research and testing and found the five best fonts for presentations.

The 5 best fonts for presentations are Frutiger, Futura, Gill Sans, Helvetica, and Verdana. These fonts work because they are sans-serif fonts, with large x-heights and they are sharp and legible when displayed on a screen.

This article will show you how I choose these fonts that I use in my workshop presentations.

What are the five best fonts for presentations?

Over the years, I read a lot of books and articles about fonts, typefaces, and typography. Many of these books and articles explain the history and characteristics of numerous fonts and typefaces. These books and articles, however, are not particularly useful when I am looking for fonts to use in my development workshops.

Of the hundreds of fonts available, I choose fonts simply by selecting fonts that work for me. Below is what I did, and you may want to try variations of it in your search for the best fonts.

1. Find fonts that are suitable for presentations.

Since my task is to deliver an interesting development workshop, I want fonts that are good for displaying text clearly on the screen without being outlandish. This means sticking to serif and sans-serif fonts and excluding display, script, freehand, novelty, and calligraphic fonts. If you are new to fonts and typography and don’t know what are serif and sans-serif fonts, below are two examples of serif fonts and two examples of sans-serif fonts.

A serif font has small strokes (or serifs) attached to a longer stroke. Please see the serif fonts in the diagram above. Some examples of serif fonts are Baskerville and Times New Roman. A sans-serif font, on the other hand, does not have these small strokes. Some examples of sans-serif fonts are Frutiger and Gill Sans.

Since there are quite a large number of serif and sans-serif fonts, I need to narrow them down to a few. To find out which fonts are ‘better’, I showed many PowerPoint slides using serif and sans-serif fonts and I asked my workshop participants which fonts they preferred. Many preferred the slides using sans-serif fonts like Frutiger and Helvetica instead of slides using serif fonts like Baskerville and Times New Roman.

You may want to try out different fonts, including the newer Google Fonts like Roboto and Open Sans, and find out which fonts your workshop participants prefer.

2. Find fonts that are legible on the screen.

A font is legible if its characters are easily distinguishable from other characters. A common example is the letter ‘I’ should look different from the number ‘1’. Another example is the letter ‘O’ should look different from the number ‘0’. Yet another example is distinguishing between the letter ‘c’ and the letter ‘e’.

Unfortunately, many sans-serif fonts have the upper-case letter ‘I’ looking very similar to the lower-case letter ‘l’. For example, in the phrase “I like to …”, you can see the first two characters are identical although they are different letters. By the way, the font used in the phrase and in this article is Open Sans, a sans-serif font.

Font’s x-height

A font’s x-height is the height of a lowercase ‘x’ character, measured from its baseline. Fonts with a large x-height are more legible than fonts with a small x-height. Below are the x-heights of three fonts.

In the above diagram, the bottom black line is the baseline, the red line is the median line, and the top blue line is the ascender line. The x-height is the distance between the black baseline and the red median line, and the font height is the distance between the black baseline and the blue ascender line.

Frutiger has a larger x-height than Gill Sans and Times New Roman, making it more legible, especially at a distance than the other two fonts. So, choose fonts with an x-height for legibility.

For a classroom setting where participants are seated facing a screen, sans-serif fonts with font sizes from 24px to 32px are quite readable. So, choose fonts with sizes 24px and larger .

Although using this font size suggestion for readability is easy to do, the projector screen and the venue are usually beyond your control. A screen that is too big for a small classroom is ineffective. Neither is a small screen in a large room. There are many poorly designed lecture theatres that can seat 300 students but have screens that are meant for classrooms.

If the screen and the projector are movable, you can adjust the distance between them to get the sharpest text images that are readable on the screen. However, if the screen and projector are fixed on the wall or ceiling, there’s not much you can do to improve readability. You can enlarge or reduce the size of the fonts in your PowerPoint layouts, but that is likely to end up in a mess if you try to do that just before the start of the workshop.

Font’s line spacing

Line spacing is the space between two lines of text and it has an impact on readability. If the line spacing is small, it is harder to read, as shown in the diagram below.

A 1.1-line spacing is easier to read as compared to 1.0 (or single) line spacing. A 1.2-line spacing is even easier to read. However, the larger the line spacing, the few lines of text you can put on the screen.

Font and background colors

Many studies recommend using dark text on a light background. The most commonly used combination is black lettering on a white background. This combination is also recommended by the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services in their usability guidelines .

There are also studies that recommend using very dark gray (hex #444444) instead of black (hex #000000) for lettering on a white background, or using black lettering on an off-white (hex #F5F5F5) or ivory (hex #FFFF0) background.

The font and background color combination I find most readable are black letterings on a white background. Many of my workshop participants have no complaints about this combination. One interesting feedback I received from my participants is that many of them prefer black lettering on a white background over white lettering on a black background.

4. Fonts with special characters

If your workshop deals with numbers and mathematical equations, then you will need a font that has numbers, symbols, mathematical symbols, subscripts, superscripts, and Greek characters, to display mathematical equations effectively. Although most fonts have special characters and symbols, some may not have the ones that you require. So, you need to double-check.

A simple way to check whether the font you selected has the character you want is to go to the font’s Character Map .

To do this in Windows 10, click the Start button, scroll down to the Windows Accessories folder, expand the folder, and select Character Map. Select the font and see if it has the character that you want. If yes, select the character and copy it to your Powerpoint presentation.

Another way to get mathematical symbols is to download the Math Symbol Font (maths.ttf) and install it.

How to test the fonts you selected

Now that you’ve chosen a few fonts for presentations, the ‘best’ way to test them is to use them in your workshop and see which font your workshop participants prefer. So, when would be the best time to do this?

I do my font testing after the Q & A (Questions and Answers) session. Once I finished the Q & A session, I usually ask participants if there is anything that they think will make the workshop better, such as more examples, more individual exercises, more group activities, or more videos. Following that, I will show two PowerPoint pages with the same text but with different fonts and background colors, and ask which one they prefer. This test is far from perfect but it works for me.

The best fonts for workbooks and handouts

Many trainers give out handouts and notes during workshop sessions. Can those fonts for presentations be used in these printed materials? Yes, they can, although I prefer serif fonts for this.

Here’s why: I read Drew Whitman’s book Cashvertising a few years ago, and he quoted a font study that showed that people understand a paragraph set in a serif typeface better than the same paragraph set in a sans-serif typeface. That piqued my interest, and I did similar tests. I gave my workshop participants workbooks that used serif and sans-serif fonts. Surprisingly, many participants preferred workbooks using serif fonts like Minion and Times New Roman.

So, for printed materials like handouts, workbooks, and a list of references , I use Minion which is a serif font.

Font typeface, users, and designers

Here are some fun facts about the fonts I like to use in my presentations:

Frutiger , designed by Adrian Frutiger in 1975, has a humanist sans-serif typeface. The font is very legible from a distance and it is used on signs at numerous transportation hubs. Amtrak, National Health Service, Charles de Gaulle Airport, Port Authority of New York, Schiphol Airport, and Union Bank of Switzerland use Frutiger in their signage.

Futura , designed by Paul Renner in 1927, has a geometric sans-serif typeface. The font is based on geometric shapes, especially circles and ovals. Futura is used by companies such as Fox News, HP, Royal Dutch Shell, Swissair, and Volkswagen.

Gill Sans , designed by Eric Gill in 1927, has a humanist sans-serif typeface. It is a highly readable font and many people say that it has a distinctively British look. Initially designed for display purposes, Gill Sans is now used in posters and advertisements by companies such as Benetton, British Rail, and John Lewis.

Helvetica , designed by Max Miedinger in 1957, has a neo-grotesque sans-serif typeface. This font is very popular and it is highly legible because of its large x-height. BMW, GM, Lufthansa, Nestle, and Verizon are among the companies that use Helvetica.

Minion , designed by Robert Slimbach in 1989, has a neohumanist serif typeface. The font is designed for extended reading of body text and is used in many books.

Verdana , designed by Matthew Carter for Microsoft in 1996, has a humanist sans-serif typeface, similar to that of Frutiger. The font has a large x-height, making it very legible. It is also wider than most sans-serif fonts. Verdana is very readable on computer screens and many websites use it. Aston Martin, Concorde, and Jaguar are among the companies that use Verdana.

My five best fonts for presentations are:

• Frutiger for business and management workshops
• Futura for creativity and innovation workshops
• Gill Sans for workshops with lots of content
• Helvetica for workshops that are “conservative”
• Verdana for IT and high tech workshops

I select these fonts for presentations simply by displaying PowerPoint slides with these fonts to my workshop participants and asking them which ones they prefer. This way of selecting fonts is not scientific but, as they say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and it worked for me. I have been using these five fonts for years.

Try these fonts in your workshop presentation and let me know what your workshop participants think about them. Most importantly, have fun with fonts.

• Bringhurst, Robert. The Elements of Typographic Style . Hardley & Marks. 1997.
• Whitman, D E. Cashvertising . Career Press. 2008.