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F is for Franklin

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Day 6: Franklin Gothic

I’m sure you’ve seen this one. Maybe on a poster or a magazine headline. Or in the Windows 95 font menu. The MoMA logotype is based on it. It’s named after Benjamin Franklin, the most famous printer in American history.

Sometimes, a classic can’t be beat. But it can be perfected.

Early letterpress specimen of Franklin Gothic at different type sizes

An early font specimen for Franklin Gothic. Source.

Meet the Franklins

Why are there so many versions?

The short answer is technology. Franklin Gothic was designed by Morris Fuller Benton at American Type Founders, and was originally released in the early 1900s as metal type. Phototypesetting, Letraset, and later desktop publishing (and all its various font formats) required new versions of these fonts to be redrawn. Different companies in different parts of the world have had the license to this type from ATF. Every designer who touched this typeface was looking to improve with new widths and weights, while remaining true to the spirit of Benton’s original design.

Cover of U & LC Magazine: An Illuminating, Often Profound Dissertation on the Versatility of ITC Franklin Gothic -Oh wow!- And its eponym, Benjamin Frainklin. Dynamite!

Years before digital typesetting, here’s how ITC Franklin Gothic was marketed in 1980. View the publication on the Internet Archive.

That said, there are some subtle differences between these different versions. The ITC version of Franklin Gothic “Helvetica-ized” the transitions between stems and arches, whereas Benton’s original design for ATF featured more contrast and sharper transitions. The ear in the lowercase g in ITC version is bigger and more pronounced.

HEX Franklin compared to ITC Franklin Pro. The ear on the lowercase g is bigger in the ITC version.

HEX Franklin compared to Libre Franklin. Libre is quite soft and round compared to HEX

The Libre Franklin version is a bit softer and more rounded than any of the other versions listed above, almost as if a rounded stroke was applied to the letterforms. Once you see it, its kind of hard to unsee. If you must use this free version, I’m sure it’s OK at text sizes. But out of respect for Mr. Benton, use something else at 24px and above.

Where should I use Franklin?

Franklin is a quintessentially American typeface. As I mentioned earlier, MoMA uses this font, their own proprietary version. So does The New York Times. Franklin was used extensively through the 20th century American visual landscape for a variety of uses. Looks great in all caps, or with tight letterspacing, or both. It’s a pretty rugged and utilitarian sans-serif, but versatile too. It rarely looks dated. One type designer has compared Franklin to blue jeans, in that way.

The Ramones self titled album used Franklin Gothic in huge type with tight letterspacing.

If you can’t get enough Franklin and type history, make sure you don’t miss Nick Sherman’s talk, Franklin Gothic Goes On Forever. Sherman is the designer behind HEX Franklin, and a self-proclaimed “Franklin Gothic Monster”.

  • News Gothic, another Morris Fuller Benton design, very similar to Franklin, originally released with lighter weights.

  • Alternate Gothic, yet another MFB joint, good for headlines.

  • Benton Sans, a revival of News Gothic by Cyrus Highsmith and Tobias Frere-Jones.

  • Trade Gothic, a somewhat different grotesque, designed by Jackson Burke and released in 1948.

  • Balto, a design by Tal Leming that is inspired by both Franklin Gothic and Trade Gothic

  • GT America, “the missing bridge between 19th century American Gothics and 20th century European Neo-Grotesk typefaces”.

See the Franklins