Mirela
Multilingual fonts, designed to support a diverse array of languages and scripts, are essential tools for designers, businesses, and publishers aiming to reach international audiences seamlessly and authentically. If you’re planning to localize your software for multiple languages, it’s worth checking out what your font options are. In this article, we are going over the main considerations when choosing multilingual typefaces and provide you with some notable examples that may guide your choice.
How to choose your multilingual font
Looks matter, but when it comes to choosing a multilingual font, there are other things to consider too. Language support is probably the most important factor. Make sure the font covers all the languages you need for your website or project. Look for fonts that support the specific writing systems (Latin, Cyrillic, Arabic, etc.) used in your target languages. Don’t forget about special characters and accents!
A multilingual font should also be clear and easy to read across all supported languages. This is especially important for body text. Choose fonts with good character spacing, consistent letterforms, and appropriate weight for the intended use. Opt for fonts with a range of weights and styles within the same family, as it allows for versatility in your design.
Alas, consider how the font complements the overall design of your website or project. Does it match the brand identity? Does it maintain a cohesive visual style when used in different languages? If it does, before finalizing your font choice, make sure to test it with all the languages you need. Check for proper character rendering and any missing characters or display issues.
Popular multilingual fonts
In no particular order, because it all boils down to the languages you want to serve and the aesthetic that appeals most, we give you some of the best multilingual fonts you can use for your online and offline products or services.
Noto Sans
Of course we had to start with a staple in the world of multilingual typography, and this is due to its extensive language support and reliable quality. Noto Sans is a highly versatile and comprehensive typeface developed by Google, designed to support nearly all the world’s languages and scripts.
Launched as part of Google’s Noto project, which stands for “No Tofu” (referring to the empty box that appears when a character is not supported), Noto Sans is designed to ensure that no character is left unsupported, hence preventing the appearance of these “tofu” boxes.
The font family covers over 800 languages and numerous scripts, including Latin, Greek, Cyrillic, and many more complex scripts like Arabic, Devanagari, and Chinese. Noto Sans is praised for its clean, modern, and legible design. It includes various weights and styles, providing flexibility for designers. The open-source nature of Noto Sans means that it is freely available for anyone to use and contribute to.
TT Norms Pro
TT Norms Pro is a versatile sans-serif typeface designed by TypeType. It supports more than 260 languages, including Latin, Cyrillic, and Greek scripts, making it suitable for global use. TT Norms Pro is characterized by its geometric shapes and modern aesthetic, providing a clean and professional appearance for various design applications.
The font family includes multiple weights and styles, enhancing its usability across different media and design contexts. TT Norms Pro’s comprehensive language support ensures that it can be used effectively in multilingual projects, while its modern design elements make it a popular choice for branding, user interfaces, and editorial design. The balance between functionality and aesthetic appeal makes TT Norms Pro a valuable asset for designers working in diverse linguistic environments.
Plex
IBM Plex is a distinctive typeface family released by IBM. It was created to reflect the company’s brand and ethos, aiming to balance machine precision with humanist warmth. IBM Plex supports about 100 languages, encompassing Latin, Greek, Cyrillic scripts, and many other languages. This makes it a robust choice for global communication and branding.
The IBM Plex family includes several variations such as Plex Sans, Plex Serif, Plex Mono, and Plex Condensed, each offering multiple weights and styles. This versatility allows designers to maintain consistency across different media while addressing various typographic needs.
Misto
Misto is a contemporary typeface designed by Katerina Korolevtseva, who drew inspiration from Slavutych, the youngest city in Ukraine. It’s crafted to support a broad range of languages, primarily focusing on Latin and Cyrillic scripts. Misto’s design is characterized by its modern and elegant serif features, which combine tradition with a fresh approach, making it suitable for a variety of applications, from editorial design to branding.
The font family offers several weights, allowing for flexibility and creativity in typographic compositions. Misto’s refined aesthetics and comprehensive language support make it an excellent choice for projects that require a sophisticated and inclusive typeface. Misto is free to use for both personal projects (invitations, blogs) and commercially.
Dominicale
Dominicale is a sophisticated serif typeface designed by Altiplano. This typeface supports more than 200 languages, primarily focusing on the Latin script but also extending its reach to accommodate various European languages. Dominicale’s design is characterized by its elegant and refined serifs, which give it a classic yet contemporary feel.
The font family includes several weights and styles, offering designers flexibility and creative freedom. Dominicale’s high readability and aesthetic appeal make it a suitable choice for editorial design, branding, and other applications that require a touch of sophistication. Its comprehensive language support ensures that it can be used effectively in diverse linguistic contexts, enhancing the clarity and visual impact of any text.
Neue Helvetica World
Neue Helvetica World was specifically designed to accommodate a broad spectrum of languages and scripts. With support for more than 180 languages, Neue Helvetica World incorporates support for characters in Latin, Greek, Cyrillic, Hebrew, and Arabic scripts, among others. This extended language support makes it a versatile choice for global communication, allowing designers to maintain consistency and cohesion in multilingual projects.
The refined aesthetics of Neue Helvetica World retain the clean, modern appeal that has made Helvetica a staple in the design world, while addressing the technical demands of contemporary digital and print media. Its comprehensive script coverage and design enhancements make it ideal for international branding, editorial work, and user interfaces that require clear and effective communication across different languages.
Brill
The Brill typeface was developed by the Dutch academic publishing company Koninklijke Brill. This typeface is designed to meet the rigorous demands of academic publishing, supporting hundreds of languages and scripts such as Latin, Greek, and Cyrillic. It also includes numerous diacritics and special characters required for scholarly works.
Brill’s design emphasizes readability and precision, making it ideal for lengthy texts and complex academic material. The font family includes various weights and styles, providing flexibility for different types of content. Its comprehensive language support and attention to typographic detail make Brill an essential tool for academics and publishers who need to present multilingual content clearly and elegantly.
Restora Neue
Restora Neue is a contemporary serif typeface designed by Nasir Udin, known for its elegant and versatile design. As an update to the original Restora typeface, Restora Neue incorporates modern design elements while preserving the classical serif characteristics that give it a timeless appeal. The typeface supports more than 200 languages, primarily focusing on Latin and Cyrillic scripts.
The font family offers several weights and styles, enhancing its flexibility for different design contexts. Restora Neue’s high readability and aesthetic sophistication make it an excellent choice for both print and digital media. Its design seamlessly blends traditional serif elements with contemporary touches, providing a fresh yet familiar feel.
SST Typeface
SST Typeface is a modern sans-serif font developed by Monotype for Sony. It is designed to support more than 100 languages, including Latin, Greek, Cyrillic, Arabic, Hebrew, and Thai scripts. Consequently, it’s a highly versatile typeface for global communication. SST Typeface combines a clean, minimalist design with excellent legibility, suitable for various digital and print applications.
The font family includes multiple weights and styles, providing flexibility for different design needs. SST Typeface’s extensive language support and modern aesthetic make it an ideal choice for multinational corporations and global brands. Its design ensures consistent and clear communication across different languages and media, reinforcing the brand identity while accommodating diverse linguistic requirements.
Gili Sans Nova
Gill Sans Nova is a modern reinterpretation of the classic Gill Sans typeface, originally designed by Eric Gill in the 1920s. Released by Monotype, Gill Sans Nova expands the classic design to include additional weights, widths, and stylistic sets, making it more versatile for contemporary use. It supports more than 60 languages, covering Latin, Greek, and Cyrillic scripts, among others.
The updated design retains the timeless elegance of the original Gill Sans while offering enhanced legibility and functionality. This makes Gill Sans Nova suitable for a variety of applications, from digital interfaces to print media. Its expanded character set and improved typographic features ensure that it meets the demands of modern designers while honoring the legacy of its classic predecessor.
Is there a font for all languages?
Our world is incredibly diverse! There are around 7,000 spoken languages, of which about half have a developed writing system, and roughly 300 writing systems used to communicate. Unfortunately, finding a single typeface that covers all the world’s languages is quite a challenge.
Because of the vast diversity of scripts and characters, there’s no such superfont capable of supporting all languages. However, as you’ve seen above, there are fonts that strive to cover as many scripts as possible, providing extensive language support. As of now, your best bet would probably be Google’s Noto font family.