Microsoft farewells a faithful friend 😉
Its seems that even font relationships must come to an end. Microsoft has announced that Calibri – that ubiquitous font you’ve been staring at since 2007, is headed for the old-age home. And even Claibri’s designer, Lucas de Groot, is quoted as saying “It’s a relief”.
“I designed it in quite a hurry. I had some sketches already, so I adapted those and added these rounded corners to get some design feeling in it.”
Lucas de Groot – Calibri designer
For a long time, computer displays lacked the pixel density to properly render all fonts faithfully. That changed in 2000 when Microsoft introduced it’s ClearType technology. Clear Type optimized the resolution on LCD screens and made fonts like Calibri easier to read. In 2007 Microsoft made Calibri the default font for Windows Vista and the rest – as they say – is history!.
But Microsoft isn’t in a rush to replace Calibri. They actually want your opinion on their five selected alternatives!
Simon Daniels, the principal program manager at Microsoft Office Design, commissioned five new fonts from leading type designers, each one bringing a fresh take on what a default font could be:
- Tenorite is crisp and circular, with round punctuation marks
- Bierstadt is more restrained, paying homage to mid-century Swiss typography
- Skeena is a “humanist” sans serif
- Grandview, an “industrial” one
- Seaford takes inspiration from the shape of armchairs: comfortable but ergonomic.
I’m all for Seaford. What’s your preference?
Still prefer Calibri? Relax. It will still be available for old stalwarts 🙂
