Classic Sans Serif Fonts for Your Print Projects

These sans serif fonts are designer favorites

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Updated on October 28, 2019

The uncluttered, sleek lines of sans serif fonts are perennial favorites that designers turn to again and again. Within each grouping are several varieties and renditions, some more suitable than others for body copy. These classic sans serif fonts are presented in alphabetical order because font selection is a subjective art, and few designers and typography buffs agree on rankings. You can purchase these classic sans serif fonts individually and by complete families from font sellers on the internet.

Akzidenz-Grotesk

Akzidenz Grotesk Pro Volume; Fonts.com

This is a classically drawn predecessor of Helvetica and Univers.

Avant Garde

ITC Avant Garde Gothic; Fonts.com

Drawn with geometric precision, Avant Garde is a crisp headline font that calls attention to itself without overpowering body text. The condensed weights are suitable for body text, too.

Franklin Gothic

ITC Franklin Gothic Com Book; Fonts.com

A popular choice for newspaper text, Franklin Gothic is available in various weights to give this sans serif font great versatility. The condensed versions maintain high legibility, even in tight spaces.

Frutiger

Frutiger Next Regular; Fonts.com

This clean, legible sans serif font from Adrian Frutiger originally was designed for signage but works well for text and display, too. It has a certain subtle unevenness that yields a font that is warmer and friendlier than Helvetica and other early sans serifs. As with most classics, Frutiger has many versions.

Futura

Futura Com Book; Fonts.com

Longer ascenders and descenders than similar sans serif fonts combine with geometric consistency to give Futura its elegant and practical appearance. The font comes in many weights and makes a handsome choice for both text and display use.

Gill Sans

Gill Sans; Fonts.com

Eric Gill's popular and highly legible sans serif font comes in several weights for equally effective application in text and display.

Helvetica

Helvetica Roman; Fonts.com

One of the most popular typefaces, this classic sans serif font was originally designed by Max Miedinger in 1957. The introduction of Helvetica Neue brought consistency to the various weights that had developed in fonts throughout the '60s and '70s. Helvetica works well for many applications, from body text to billboards.

Myriad

Myriad Pro Regular; Fonts.com

You'll find many uses for this 1990s-era Adobe Originals typeface. Robert Slimbach, Carol Twombly, and other Adobe staffers contributed to the design of this modern sans serif font.

Optima

Optima nova Pro Regular; Fonts.com

Hermann Zapf created Optima with tapered strokes that are almost like serif faces but without the standard serifs. It's a classy choice for text and display use.

Univers

Univers 55; Fonts.com

Similar to the ever-popular Helvetica, Adrian Frutiger's Univers family contains 21 typefaces. The full range of consistently developed weights makes it a versatile sans serif font choice that mixes and matches well for both text and display.

Format

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Your Citation

Bear, Jacci Howard. "Classic Sans Serif Fonts for Your Print Projects." ThoughtCo, Dec. 6, 2021, thoughtco.com/classic-sans-serif-fonts-clean-appearance-1077406. Bear, Jacci Howard. (2021, December 6). Classic Sans Serif Fonts for Your Print Projects. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/classic-sans-serif-fonts-clean-appearance-1077406 Bear, Jacci Howard. "Classic Sans Serif Fonts for Your Print Projects." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/classic-sans-serif-fonts-clean-appearance-1077406 (accessed May 29, 2023).