 | |
| Category | Sans-serif |
|---|---|
| Classification | Neo-grotesque |
| Designer | Rasmus Andersson |
| Date created | 2016 |
| Date released | August 22, 2017 |
| Glyphs | Over 2000 |
| License | SIL Open Font License |
| Variations | Inter Tight, Inter Display |
| Website | rsms |
| Latest release version | 4.1 |
| Latest release date | November 16, 2024 |
Inter is a free open-source neo-grotesque sans-serif typeface designed by Rasmus Andersson. Released in 2017, Inter was created to improve on-screen readability foruser interface text, especially at small sizes.[1]The typeface has since become widely used in applications and websites.[2]Inter includes a wide range ofOpenType features, support for over 140 languages, and is available as avariable font.[2]
Inter was created during Andersson's tenure atFigma to address perceived limitations in existing typefaces likeRoboto.[1] The typeface is characterized by a tallx-height,open apertures, which make it optimized for readability on screens and at small text sizes.[3][4] The variable font includes anoptical size axis allowing it to adapt for readability at all font sizes, and a weight axis allowing the weight to be adjusted smoothly from Thin (100) to Black (900) without the need for additional font files.[5]
Inter was initially metrically compatible with Roboto, but by 2018, it adopted its own vertical metrics and unique design features.[1] Theitalics in Inter are true italics (rather thanoblique type), and there is extensive support for Open Type features such as a choice between single and double story "a", tabular figures, square or round quote marks and commas, number variants, and various ligatures.[6]
Inter is sometimes considered similar to the Apple system font,San Francisco.[7][8][2][9]
Inter was designed in 2016 by Rasmus Andersson who wanted a font that was easier to read on computer screens than Roboto while retaining its vertical proportions.[1] Earlier versions of Inter (named "Interface" and "Inter UI") included glyphs and followed the vertical glyph metrics (ascender and descender) from Roboto, while Roboto glyphs were included as a fallback for characters that had not been redesigned in Inter.
Inter changed its vertical glyph metrics in 2018, making it different from that of Roboto.[10] The typeface had to be released in two combined licenses: theSIL Open Font License for original glyph designs for Inter andApache License for the fallback Roboto glyphs and outlines. This exception was removed in 2020 after Roboto was re-licensed from Apache to OFL.[11]
Inter Display is an experimentaldisplay version for large font sizes.[2] This work has already been partially integrated into Inter with the introduction ofoptical sizing.[12] Another variant with similar purpose,Inter Tight, was specifically designed forGoogle Workspace and other applications that do not support control over letter spacing.[13] Inter Tight shares the same glyph shapes as Inter, while Inter Display contains redesigned glyphs.
GNOME usesAdwaita Sans which is a customized version of Inter.[14]
The Inter files distributed by Google Fonts[15] do not include many of Inter's font features, which have been removed to reduce the size of the files in order to make them faster to load.[16]
As well as serving as a UI typeface in applications such asFigma,Notion andPixar Presto, and operating systemselementary OS andGNOME, Inter is now found extensively on the internet, including high profile websites such asGitLab,ISO,Mozilla, andNASA.[17][18][19][20][21]
Inter is one of the most widely used typefaces on the Internet. For the twelve months ending May 2025, Inter was accessed 414 billion times onGoogle Fonts, with 57% growth over the previous 12 months, making it the 16th most accessed font on Google Fonts.[22]
Inter has been included in books on web development,[23] been used to typeset books,[24] used in academic studies,[25][5] and is made available in major typesetting software such asCTAN andMiKTeX, making it accessible for academic and technical publishing.[26][27]
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