Buzz
We rarely give fonts much thought. Most of us can't identify or name most of them. Yet, history has shown that fonts are far more significant than we often realize.
Fonts have sometimes become emblems of progress or political allegiance. They've been used to expose fraud or postpone legal rulings. Over the years, they have sparked long-standing feuds, toppled governments, and ignited protests and public outcry.
10. A Two-Century-Long Font Dispute Resolved After Hitler's Involvement
From the 1800s through World War II, Germany was embroiled in a peculiar debate over the use of two fonts: Fraktur and Antiqua.
Fraktur was the dominant typeface in Germany until the 16th century when Antiqua made its way into use. While Antiqua was already popular in other parts of Europe like France and Italy, it had not been adopted in Germany. German printers, however, began using Antiqua for non-German words but kept Fraktur for German words.
Antiqua began to gain favor in Germany during the 1800s. Many Germans opposed it because it had been associated with several significant political movements, including the Renaissance and the French Revolution. The backlash against Antiqua intensified after Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo.
Conservative Germans saw Antiqua as a symbol of French influence and considered it unpatriotic. In contrast, radical Germans advocated for Antiqua, believing it to be more progressive. Soon, German printers were divided, with those using Antiqua referred to as Altschrift and those sticking to Fraktur known as Frakturbund.
The Frakturbund emerged victorious. In 1911, Germany even outlawed Antiqua in schools and replaced it with Sutterlin script. The Nazis, who found themselves caught in the midst of the heated Fraktur-Antiqua debate after gaining power, initially backed Fraktur. However, in January 1941, Hitler declared it a 'Jewish script,' leading them to abandon it in favor of Antiqua.
9. A Font Leads to the Downfall of Pakistan's Prime Minister
On April 3, 2016, the German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung published 11.5 million pages of incriminating documents from the Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca. These documents revealed how Mossack Fonseca helped numerous high-net-worth individuals set up fake companies to conceal their wealth in tax havens.
The leak implicated several prominent figures, including celebrities, business leaders, and politicians, both current and former world leaders. Among them were Iceland's Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson and Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Gunnlaugsson resigned immediately after the leak, while Sharif managed to cling to power for a few more months.
The Panama Papers exposed that Sharif and his family allegedly channeled state funds through fake companies to purchase properties in London. Sharif and his family denied the allegations. His daughter, Maryam, even presented documents claiming the homes were owned by a private business and that her family merely acted as trustees.
The crucial document was dated February 2006, but it was printed using the Calibri font, which wasn't released until 2007. While Sharif's attorneys and supporters argued that Calibri was designed in 2004, which was true, the font's designer, Lucas De Groot, started working on it in 2002 and completed it in 2004.
However, Microsoft only released test versions to a limited group prior to the official 2007 launch. De Groot stated that it was unlikely an unreleased font would have been used in official documents back in 2006. Nawaz Sharif ultimately resigned after the Pakistani Supreme Court ruled that he lacked the honesty to remain in office.
8. Telecom Executive Loses His Homes After Choosing the Wrong Font
In December 2017, Gerald McGoey, the CEO of Look Communications, filed for bankruptcy. He was instructed to sell his properties to settle the $5.6 million he owed to creditors. Trustees were appointed to audit McGoey's assets and determine what they could seize.
The trustees discovered two properties. However, McGoey argued that the homes belonged to his three children and even presented paperwork to support his claim. He was soon caught when the documents were found to have been printed with fonts that hadn’t existed when the supposed trusts were signed.
One document from 1995 was printed in Cambria, which was created in 2002. Another document from 2004 was printed in Calibri, which wasn’t available until 2007. McGoey’s attorneys later explained that the couple had made errors with the dates but maintained their claims were true. The court disagreed.
7. Comic Sans: The Font Everyone Loves to Hate
Vincent Connare created Comic Sans in 1994 for Microsoft Bob, a program Microsoft was developing at the time. Microsoft Bob transformed the Windows 95 interface into a virtual home, where users could interact with icons resembling household objects to launch programs.
For example, clicking on the clock opened the calendar, while clicking on the pen and paper launched Microsoft Word. A dog acted as the guide through the virtual home, speaking in a speech bubble in Times New Roman. Connare felt that Times New Roman was too formal for the program, so he designed the fun and friendly Comic Sans.
Although Comic Sans never made it into Microsoft Bob, Microsoft included it in Windows 95. The font quickly gained popularity and was soon used in official and serious contexts, such as tombstones, warning signs, and even life-saving medical equipment. This sparked widespread outrage against the font.
Using a playful-looking font for official or important matters was considered a major faux pas. It was akin to having a clown at a business meeting. As a result, Comic Sans became the most despised font, with some even launching a campaign to ban it. Still, it remains a favorite for children and helpful for people with dyslexia.
6. The Fury Over IKEA's Font Change
In August 2009, IKEA quietly phased out the trademark Futura font used in its signage and catalog, replacing it with Verdana. Customers quickly noticed, sparking a backlash that would go down in history as 'Verdanagate.'
IKEA had agreed to the change a few months earlier, as executives decided to standardize the fonts across both online and offline platforms. Previously, IKEA used Verdana on its website and Futura for its signage and catalog. Since Futura wasn't available online at the time, Verdana was chosen as the alternative.
Unfortunately, Verdana was designed specifically for screen use and performs poorly in print. When the font size was increased or printed at a high resolution, it looked awkward, which is exactly what happened with IKEA’s printed materials. The poor result quickly drew attention and negative publicity, forcing IKEA to return to Futura.
5. A Font Meant to Save Money Fails to Save the US Government Any Cash
In 2014, 14-year-old student Suvir Mirchandani claimed that the US federal and state governments could save approximately $467 million annually by switching to the Garamond font for official documents.
Mirchandani based his conclusion on a comparison between Garamond and other fonts like Century Gothic, Comic Sans, and Times New Roman. He found that Garamond used 25% less ink due to its thinner design, which led him to estimate the potential savings of $467 million per year if the government adopted Garamond.
However, Mirchandani's experiment was later criticized for being flawed. It was noted that Garamond is 15% smaller than the other fonts at the same size. This means that if Garamond were resized to match the others, it would consume the same amount of ink. Similarly, other fonts could save the same amount of ink if reduced to Garamond's smaller size.
Moreover, the US government primarily uses printing presses for large-scale printing, not inkjet printers like the ones Mirchandani used in his experiment. The government also uses laser printers, which rely on toner, a cheaper alternative to ink, affecting any potential savings.
Lastly, the US government doesn't directly purchase ink. Instead, it contracts printing services from businesses, who charge based on the number of pages printed, not the ink used. As a result, the government spends the same amount to print a color photograph as it does to print a page with just a single letter.
4. Font Size Used to Stall Judgment on a Controversial Michigan Law
In 2011, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed a contentious law that empowered the governor to appoint emergency managers to oversee the operations of mayors and city councils during crises. The law quickly became notorious, sparking protests, debates, and a legal battle.
On one side was Michigan Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility, who opposed the law. On the other side was Stand Up for Democracy, which supported it. The state decided to hold a referendum in November 2012 to allow citizens to vote on whether the law should remain in effect.
Michigan Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility filed a lawsuit, requesting the Michigan Supreme Court to block the referendum. Their argument was that the Stand Up for Democracy group had used an unusually small font size in the documents they submitted to request the referendum.
Michigan Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility argued that the use of a small font made the petition legally invalid. However, the court disagreed, ultimately ruling that the state had the authority to appoint emergency managers.
3. Advertising Agency Faces Backlash Over Controversial Font
In 2017, Cliff Ross, a Philadelphia-based advertising agency, launched 10 new fonts designed to reflect the city's various neighborhoods. Each font was inspired by a different part of Philadelphia. For example, the font based on Center City, which houses many of the city's offices, resembled the shape of skyscrapers.
However, the font created to represent North Philly sparked outrage. It was designed to resemble wooden boards nailed together, which many people interpreted as an insulting representation of North Philly's African-American community, as if the area was filled with run-down shacks. The font was criticized as offensive and disturbing, leading Cliff Ross to withdraw it.
2. Researcher’s Funding Application Denied Due to Incorrect Font Usage
A few years ago, Susannah Maidment, a paleontologist at Imperial College London, tweeted that her research grant application to the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) had been rejected because she had used Calibri as the font.
It turned out that NERC had strict guidelines, requiring grant proposals to be submitted in 'Arial 11 or any other sans serif typeface that matched the size of Arial 11.' Maidment argued that the original guidelines only mentioned 'Arial or other sans serif typeface of equivalent size,' without explicitly banning Calibri.
NERC later clarified that 4 percent of funding proposals had been rejected due to incorrect fonts. They explained that the font requirement was in place to create a level playing field, as smaller fonts take up less space and allow applicants to provide more detailed information.
1. Controversy Erupts After US Federal Highway Administration Revokes Approval of a Font for Road Signs
The US Federal Highway Administration has approved only two fonts for use on highway signs. One is the Highway Gothic typeface, which has been in use for over seventy years, and the other is Clearview, a newer typeface designed to be more legible than Highway Gothic.
Clearview was first approved by the Federal Highway Administration in 2004 after studies showed it was easier to read than Highway Gothic. A 1997 test demonstrated that Clearview was 16 percent more legible at night, while a 2001 experiment found it increased reading distance by 12 percent on highways, allowing drivers to read the signs from 74 feet farther away than with Highway Gothic.
However, subsequent tests showed that Clearview was no more effective than Highway Gothic. The perceived clarity was largely attributed to the higher quality materials used in road signs with the Clearview font.
There were also suspicions that the Federal Highway Administration approved Clearview for financial reasons. Towns and cities that chose to use Clearview had to pay a licensing fee ranging from $175 to $795, while Highway Gothic is available for free. Nevertheless, the Federal Highway Administration re-approved Clearview two years later.
