---
description: "What is the best font for a sign that asks customers to please seat themselves? Here's what one PickFu user discovered in this #WhichOneWon."
title: Choosing a polite font for a sign that asks customers to take a seat
image: https://cdn.sanity.io/images/glx4ha4f/production/caf4c99cd612a8acfc4ce0d47c6f9951d9f1e571-1024x512.png?rect=25,0,975,512&w=1200&h=630&fit=crop
---

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# Choosing a polite font for a sign that asks customers to take a seat

![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/glx4ha4f/production/beb9655674cc025c7570b0bc36827df66c3aa139-96x96.jpg?w=80&fit=max&auto=format) [Laura Ojeda Melchor](https://www.pickfu.com/blog/author/lauramelchor) · August 18, 2021

![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/glx4ha4f/production/caf4c99cd612a8acfc4ce0d47c6f9951d9f1e571-1024x512.png?w=1400&fit=max&auto=format)

Have you ever felt a sense of peace when you entered a restaurant? Maybe it was the lighting, the furniture, or the signage. On the other hand, has a restaurant ever made you feel stressed or unwelcome?

If you’re opening a brick-and-mortar business, you need to be aware that even the smallest design details can make a customer feel relaxed — or the opposite.

[That’s what one PickFu user found](https://www.pickfu.com/design/general-design/which-of-these-designs-do-you-prefer-and-why-DP4D7RYC) after polling 50 people to see which of four signage designs they prefer.

The signs, which look like they’re for a restaurant, say “Please Seat Yourself.” Each uses slightly different font styles and word positioning to get the message across.

Can you guess which one won?

![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/glx4ha4f/production/d934b345c997e55a8cebc9aa0c2242478ead6999-500x625.jpg?w=1400&fit=max&auto=format)

*Option A*

![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/glx4ha4f/production/bccdde2054a9a703028d4f919c5c475657c7c7a6-500x625.jpg?w=1400&fit=max&auto=format)

*Option C*

And the winner of this Ranked poll is…**Option D**, with a score of 62! Respondents liked the sign with *Please* in cursive and *Seat Yourself* centered beneath it.

**Option C** came in second with a score of 38, **Option A** scored 26, and **Option B** was last with 12. Let’s figure out why.

[![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/glx4ha4f/production/95084eaf4bcb066e68baf62053a2a601d030d063-1024x512.png?w=600&fit=max&auto=format) Related guide Which One Won? Getting Risky With Logo Design The logo is one of the staples of your business. It establishes your brand. It distinguishes your company from others. Therefore, it’s important to make sure that you have tested …](https://www.pickfu.com/blog/which-one-won-getting-risky-with-logo-design)

## Pretty please

When it comes down to it, respondents liked how Option D has the word *Please* in, well, a pleasing cursive font that looks handwritten. The sign reads like a “kindly request,” one person wrote.

![A black and white image of a sign that reads, "Please Seat Yourself." ](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/glx4ha4f/production/f64141e6c40c1d47d5aeb05f06f32089252f400a-500x625.jpg?w=1400&fit=max&auto=format)

*Option D, the winner, centers the words Seat Yourself under a cursive Please.*

While Option A also uses a cursive *Please*, the positioning of *Seat Yourself* on the righthand side isn’t appealing, some respondents said. That might be because the English-reading eye naturally looks first at the lefthand corner of a page.

![A black and white image of a sign that reads, "Please Seat Yourself." ](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/glx4ha4f/production/d934b345c997e55a8cebc9aa0c2242478ead6999-500x625.jpg?w=1400&fit=max&auto=format)

*In Option A, the words Seat Yourself are aligned on the right.*

Options B and C also use cursive font but with the emphasis on the word *Seat*, which several respondents found off-putting. It sounds like a directive instead of a request, they said.

“Options B and C I do not like either way,” one person wrote. “In my brain it emphasizes the wrong word and kinda makes it sound like a command.”

Who knew that switching the emphasis from one word to another could make such a difference?

## Other highlights

- Four of the six people who favored the lowest-scoring Option B were 25-to-34-year-old male respondents
- Those in the youngest and oldest age groups (ages 18-24 and 55-64) overwhelmingly preferred Option D

![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/glx4ha4f/production/a3331f57b6c4f274f2c5d6c4e8ab0045205cb774-970x307.png?w=1400&fit=max&auto=format)

*The results filtered by age range.*

Keep exploring

- [You chose the font for your website — is it bold enough?](https://www.pickfu.com/blog/website-font)
- [Test logo design: how to evaluate whether your logo really works](https://www.pickfu.com/blog/test-logo)

[Start a poll](https://app.pickfu.com/users/create-account)

## What they said

> “I prefer \[Option D]. It is easier on the eyes with consistent font use. The use of cursive could confuse some customers.”

> “I like that the 1st word is script \[in Option D]. It stresses the PLEASE.”

> “The word ‘please’ being hand drawn evokes a feeling of sincerity; thus, Options A and D are ranked highest.”

> “I thought it was important for ‘seat’ to be the word that was handwritten in feminine lowercase since ‘SEAT YOURSELF’ in all capital letters felt too aggressive. Option C had a more feminine looking font than Option B.”

## Key takeaways

Some respondents may have preferred for *Seat Yourself* to be written in cursive, but most found that a cursive *Please* felt more friendly and welcoming.

Here’s the catch: more than one person pointed out that not everyone can understand cursive. The business owner might consider using a slightly less cursive-like font.

If it were your restaurant, what would *you* do?

For more font guidance, [read this article on choosing the best fonts](https://www.pickfu.com/blog/choosing-best-fonts) for your brand.

## Want to dive deeper?

Results by commonly used words:

- font
- word
- seat
- cursive
- center

Results by gender identity (there were no non-binary respondents in this poll):

- Female
- Male

## Tagged

Business marketingData insightsBrand positioningCreative design

## Keep reading

[![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/glx4ha4f/production/b07f53a81c363e344a7261b212c5c0692d73cd85-1024x512.png?w=800&fit=max&auto=format)](https://www.pickfu.com/blog/outdoor-brand-logo)

[E-commerce and DTC](https://www.pickfu.com/blog/category/e-commerce)

## [These logos look a little fishy — which one reels you in?](https://www.pickfu.com/blog/outdoor-brand-logo)

It takes a lot of thought — and testing — to design a logo that will hook customers. Every detail matters, as one PickFu user discovered in this Head-to-head poll …

[Laura Ojeda Melchor](https://www.pickfu.com/blog/author/lauramelchor) · December 15, 2021

[![Illustrated title card reading 'Badly designed logos' beside an app window showing three abstract logo marks with vote bars](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/glx4ha4f/production/5fea58279995df57bad525409b3a3c604ccefb28-2752x1536.jpg?w=800&fit=max&auto=format)](https://www.pickfu.com/blog/badly-designed-logos)

[Brand and marketing](https://www.pickfu.com/blog/category/brand-and-marketing)

## [14 badly designed logos (and how to avoid their mistakes)](https://www.pickfu.com/blog/badly-designed-logos)

What makes a logo bad, and how can you avoid common design fails? This guide highlights 14 real-world examples of poorly designed logos – from confusing visuals and inappropriate imagery …

[Tamilore Sonaike](https://www.pickfu.com/blog/author/tamilore-sonaike) · March 1, 2024

[![](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/glx4ha4f/production/7645995ca53c0a2e1dc30fff918e7cf1d5ae1a88-1024x512.png?w=800&fit=max&auto=format)](https://www.pickfu.com/blog/product-wording-split-test)

[E-commerce and DTC](https://www.pickfu.com/blog/category/e-commerce)

## [When choosing this home decor product, it all comes down to one word](https://www.pickfu.com/blog/product-wording-split-test)

Split testing isn’t just for product images. It’s equally effective for choosing the products you want to sell and, more importantly, people want to buy. In this PickFu poll, the …

[Matt Ellis](https://www.pickfu.com/blog/author/mattellis) · October 6, 2021

## Get real feedback on your next idea

[Start a poll](https://app.pickfu.com/users/create-account)

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