Arial

Arial
CategorySans-serif
ClassificationNeo-grotesque
Designer(s)
  • Robin Nicholas
  • Patricia Saunders[1]
FoundryMonotype Corporation
Date released1982[1]
LicenseProprietary
Design based on
VariationsArial Unicode MS
Metrically compatible with

Arial is a sans-serif typeface in the neo-grotesque style. Fonts from the Arial family are included with all versions of Microsoft Windows after Windows 3.1, as well as in other Microsoft programs,[2] Apple's macOS,[3] and many PostScript 3 printers.[4] In Office 2007, Arial was replaced by Calibri as the default typeface in PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook.

The typeface was designed in 1982 by Robin Nicholas and Patricia Saunders, for Monotype Typography.[5] It is metrically compatible with Helvetica, enabling documents to use either typeface without affecting the visual layout. Because of their similar appearance, both Arial and Helvetica are commonly mistaken for each other.

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference visual was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ mijacobs. "Arial font family - Typography". Microsoft Docs. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  3. ^ "System Fonts - Fonts - Apple Developer". Apple Developer. Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  4. ^ "Adobe PostScript 3 fonts" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 4 May 2011.
  5. ^ Nicholas, Robin (11 May 2010). "Two minutes with Robin Nicholas". YouTube. Retrieved 11 May 2010.