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One Extra Pixel has a look at the impact of different fonts. The really interesting bit to me was this:

... fonts that are exceptionally disfluent and hard to read can lead to a lack of comprehension and a lack of enthusiasm. One study showed that students who were given exercise instructions in clear, easy-to-read Arial were willing to perform the routines and assumed that they could do so with ease. Those who were given the same instructions in a more disfluent font, Brush, comprehended less of the text. As a result, these participants perceived the instructions themselves as more complex. They doubted their ability to perform the routines and were less willing to take the time to try. The success of the exercise plan depended upon the emotional reaction of the reader to the font.

More details on the study can be found at Scientific American.