Typeface suggestions
A few suggested typefaces for landscape architecture graphics and boards. These are good fonts to learn with and to work with—they have good readability and legibility for small sizes and extended text, they will serve for headlines, and their designs are well refined. I’ve sought out font families that have large varieties of weights and widths.
All of these fonts are available through Adobe Fonts. There are also good free fonts.
Sans Serif
- News Gothic by Morris Fuller Benton, redrawn for digital by Adobe. A classic of American jobbing (everyday) sans serifs c. 1890
- Myriad by Carol Twombly and Robert Slimbach at Adobe. Flexible, high-performing, a little dull.
- Franklin Gothic URW — a digital version of an American jobbing sans
- IBM Plex Sans — a recent design from Mike Abbink at IBM and Bold Monday, a large and flexible family with very high readability, a modern reimagining of Franklin Gothic. There is also a serif in the same family. (Also freely available.)
- Helvetica — this version, drawn by Max Miedinger for Linotype.
- Adobe Source Sans. There is a related serif, Source Serif, in the family, but I think it’s not lovely. (Also freely available.)
- Interstate by Tobias Frere-Jones. Ample personality; inspired by the FHWA Series fonts (“Highway Gothic”) used on road signage. Many weights and widths.
- URW DIN — a German face with a large variety of weights. (The different DINs are quite different.)
- Meta by Erik Spiekermann — high readability, flexible and large family, with a related serif
- Scala Sans by Martin Majoor — drawn originally for an opera house in Utrecht, in the Netherlands. Has a related serif.
- Raleway by Matt McInerney, Pablo Impallari, and Rodrigo Fuenzalida. Echoes of early 20th century sans serifs, including Gill Sans and Johnston Sans. (Also freely available.)
- P22 Underground — a relatively faithful revival of Johnston Sans, the signage and branding typeface of the London Underground.
- Griffith Gothic by Tobias Frere-Jones
- Futura PT (please don’t overuse)
- Nobel by Tobias Frere-Jones. A geometric serif, drawing from fonts like Kabel and Futura that became distinctive parts of Bauhaus-style typography. A display face: good for headlines, but not usable for smaller body text.
Serif
- Adobe Caslon by Carol Twombly
- Adobe Garamond by Robert Slimbach
- Mrs Eaves, by Zuzana Licko at Emigre. A landmark digital revival out of the 1980s, inspired by the 18th century Caslons, and named after William Caslon’s underappreciated wife, who had a considerable hand in his printing success.
- Journal, by Zuzana Licko at Emigre
- IBM Plex Serif, same family as Plex Sans. (Also freely available.)
- Chaparral by Carol Twombly at Adobe. Light, has voice, underused.
- Minion by Robert Slimbach at Adobe. Excellent book typeface. I use it (this website is set in Minion and Myriad). Sets a little small.
- Clarendon URW
- FF Meta Serif — the serif version of Meta
- Scala by Martin Majoor — drawn originally for an opera house in Utrecht, in the Netherlands — comes out of the school of Dutch digital serif designs. Has a related sans.