Arial

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Arial
font Arial
category Sans serif
Font family Arial
Font classification Grotesque
Font designer Robin Nicholas and Patricia Saunders
Type foundry Monotype
Creation 1982
example
Font example for Arial

Arial [ ɛəɹiəl ] is a sans serif font that of the type designers Robin Nicholas and Patricia Saunders in 1982 for Monotype to a more readable on low resolution monitors alternative to widespread was created Helvetica of Max Miedinger to offer.

Arial is characterized by long center lengths and simple shapes without serifs . The font was widely used because it has been part of Microsoft Windows as standard since version 3.1 .

Arial and Helvetica

As is often claimed, Arial was not created as a direct copy of Helvetica. Instead, Monotype 's Grotesque 215 typeface was redesigned to match Helvetica's metrics. Arial and Helvetica are therefore geometrically similar, but their respective typefaces are easy to distinguish for the trained eye.

A comparison of selected letters and numbers from Helvetica, Arial and Monotype Grotesque 215

criticism

Numerous typographers find the Arial unattractive, as its typeface appears poor in character and unbalanced and its lines run counter to the general development of the time. In particular, capital letters appear formatted in bold because of the too high gray value .

Classification of the script

  • According to DIN 16518 , Arial is categorized in Group VIa (sans serif linear antiqua with a classicistic character) .

Arial in computer technology

When operating PostScript- compatible printers with Microsoft Windows, the Arial is often exchanged in the background for the Helvetica preinstalled in the printer in order to achieve a (nowadays minimal) increase in speed. If you still want to see the Arial in the printout, you must call up the “Replacement table for fonts” in the “Properties” menu of the printer concerned and define the Arial with the “Download as font” option. This is required for all four font styles (normal, bold, italic, bold italic).

The special variant Arial Unicode MS is a relatively widespread font that contains the majority of the Unicode character set. For typesetting in non-Asian languages it is less suitable because there is no italic font to this section is the font and no kerning pairs containing that provide the text set for an uncluttered look.

Web links

Commons : Arial  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Description on Fonts.com
  2. ↑ Mark Simonson: The Scourge of Arial. 2011, accessed February 10, 2012 .
  3. ↑ See Mark Simonson: How to Spot Arial. 2011, accessed February 10, 2012 .
  4. ↑ Ralf Turtschi: Arial: Ein Nekrolog, 2005, with examples ( Memento from March 6, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 535 kB)