Fonts for Instagram highlight names

A highlight name has two jobs: say what’s inside, and fit into a label about as wide as the circle above it. Instagram sets these labels in small type on a single line and cuts long ones short. Compact styles keep a row of labels neat, which is why tiny text and small caps turn up here so often.

Small caps are the safe middle choice. Tiny text is the most decorative and works best on short words people recognise at a glance, such as ᴹᵉⁿᵘ or ᵀʳᵃᵛᵉˡ.

Most profiles use the same handful of highlight names. Here is how some of them come out, including two that tiny text handles badly.

FAQ and Q&A show where tiny text runs short. The generator has no long-established raised capital for C, F, Q, S, X, Y or Z, so those come out as small raised letters, and q is borrowed from Canadian Aboriginal syllabics as ᑫ. That leaves ᶠᴬᑫ with one capital out of three, while the & in Q&A stays full size. Small caps and bold handle both names with fewer surprises.

Tip: If you like the tiny look, type highlight names in lowercase before converting. The generator has a proper raised letter for every lowercase letter except q, so a row like ᵐᵉⁿᵘ, ʳᵉᵛⁱᵉʷˢ and ᵗʳᵃᵛᵉˡ comes out even.

Visitors see your highlights as one row, so the names read best as a set: one style, one case and roughly the same length.

• Pick one style for every name. A row that mixes tiny, bold and plain labels looks unfinished.
• Keep to one word where you can, like ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡꜱ, ᴍᴇɴᴜ and ʜᴏᴜʀꜱ. Short names are less likely to be cut off.
• Match covers to names. Plain-colour covers with simple icons leave room for styled labels, while busy photo covers pair better with plain or bold names.
• Mind the order. Adding a Story to a highlight moves it to the front of the row, so add to your most important highlights last.

1. Type the new name in the box above and copy the style you want.
2. On your profile, press and hold the highlight, then tap Edit highlight.
3. Clear the old name, paste the new one and tap Done.
4. Check the row on your profile. If the name trails off, shorten it or cut it to a single word.

The same screen lets you change the cover and add or remove Stories, so a rename is a good moment to tidy the whole highlight.

People using a screen reader usually hear a highlight’s name before they open it. A name in tiny letters or small caps may be read as a string of odd characters, spelled out letter by letter or skipped, which leaves the highlight a mystery. For highlights that hold practical information, such as prices, a menu or opening hours, a plain name is the kinder choice. Keep styled names for the ones that are just for fun.

An emoji beside a plain name, such as 🍰 Cakes, adds decoration that a screen reader can describe by name.