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IKEA is known as a leader in design. So what made them decide to switch to a standard, boring typeface for all their print materials?

The Swedish brand's 2010 product catalogue ditches their signature IKEA Sans, a version of Futura created specifically for them, and replaces it with Verdana. You know, the font that automatically appears when you're typing blog entries or Twitter posts?

Verdana is praised by web designers for its legibility in a pixel-based format, but it's rarely held as an example of an attractive typeface. Designers and IKEA-lovers everywhere are in a veritable rage over IKEA's big switch, which the company cites as being more "efficient and cost-effective."

Read the article from TIME online here. There's even a link to sign a petition that chastises IKEA for its poor taste and begs the company to bring back IKEA Sans.

This "font war" is making big headlines--which explains why I got the link from my stepdad, of all people (who'd probably never even heard of Verdana!).  All the backlash from fans and consumers of IKEA is just another reminder of the emotions people invest in their fonts, and how important it is for a company to make conscientious type choices.