Typography
Typography
Our communications use three typefaces that work together to bring our story to life. They each have their own strengths, so use the following section to guide your typographic choices.
To receive a copy of a licensed font, use the Marketing Project Request Form. Licensed fonts are available to staff and faculty. Rights are granted to install the font on one machine at a time. Any distribution of these fonts outside the university is strictly prohibited.
Obviously
Obviously is a sans serif typeface with lots of personality. By choosing from its several different weights, we can turn the volume up or down for headlines. It’s suitable for applications where bold visual impact is desired.
Obviously
Obviously typeface, shown in regular, medium, semibold, bold and black.
Uses
Uses:
- Headlines
- Subheads
- Impact words
Tracking:
Between –20 and –40
(Use your judgment to adjust for the specific context.)
Kerning:
Optical
Case:
All caps
Sentence case (occasionally)
Theinhardt
Theinhardt is the workhorse of our brand. It can be used for big moments like a headline or for longer-form writing. With its clean letterforms, it’s accessible and easy to read at different scales.
Theinhardt
Use Theinhardt Medium for subheads. The preferred colors are Navy Pier Blue, Fire Engine Red or Steel Gray.
Uses
Uses:
- Headlines
- Subheads
- Callouts
- Body copy
Tracking:
Between 0 and –20
Kerning:
Optical
Case:
Sentence case (typically)
All caps (occasionally)
Pitch Sans
Pitch Sans is a typeface that feels tactile and immediate. It’s a synthesis of digital and analog forms that evokes typewritten text. We use it as an accent to support our two main typefaces.
Pitch Sans
Pitch Sans typeface shown in regular, medium, semibold, bold, regular italic, medium italic, semibold italic and bold italic.
Uses
Uses:
- Eyebrows and footers
- Introductions
- Calls to action
- Body copy
Tracking:
Between 0 and –20
Kerning:
Optical
Case:
Sentence case
All caps (occasionally)
Typesetting examples
Typesetting examples
Examples for how we combine our different font families to establish a clear information hierarchy.
Uses
Headline
Obviously Black
All caps
Size: 74 points
Leading: 72 points
Tracking: –10
Subhead
Theinhardt Medium
Size: 44 points
Leading: 45 points
Tracking: –10
Lead-in or pull quote
Pitch Sans Medium
Size: 29 points
Leading: 32 points
Tracking: –10
Body copy
Theinhardt Regular
Size: 21 points
Leading: 25 points
Tracking: –10
Callout
Theinhardt Bold
Size: 24 points
Leading: 25 points
Type with graphics
Examples of using type with graphics:
Headline graphic
Headline
Obviously Semibold
Size: 43 points
Tracking: –20
Headline line 2
Theinhardt Regular
Size: 21 points
Tracking: 110
Badge graphic
Headline
Obviously Bold
Size: 97 points
Tracking: –25
Subhead
Theinhardt Bold
Size: 25 points
Tracking: 0
Badge
Theinhardt Regular
Size: 18 points
Tracking: –20
Circular type
Pitch Sans Bold
Size: 32 points
Tracking: 0
Subhead
Subhead
Theinhardt Bold
Size: 23 points
Tracking: 0
Headline
Obviously Bold
Size: 94 points
Tracking: 0
Headline with image
Headline
Obviously Black
Size:136 points
Tracking: 0
Alternate system fonts
Sometimes our preferred fonts aren’t available. In those cases, use the alternatives shown here. All of the alternative typefaces are available for free via Google Fonts, which you can download and install into Microsoft programs.
Obviously > Bricolage Grotesque
Obviously > Bricolage Grotesque
Theinhardt > Arial
Theinhardt > Arial
Pitch Sans > Azeret Mono
Pitch Sans > Azeret Mono
How to download and install the alternative fonts
Azeret Mono and Bricolage Grotesque can be used for free in your Microsoft-branded templates, documents and presentations.
Alternative brand fonts
The two alternative fonts are for use in Microsoft programs such as Word, PowerPoint and Outlook.
- Azeret Mono: free alternative for the Pitch Sans typeface, with 18 font styles available
- Bricolage Grotesque: free alternative for the Obviously typeface, with seven font styles available
Important note:
If a document or presentation uses Azeret Mono or Bricolage Grotesque and is opened on a computer where those fonts are not installed, the text may not display correctly and could be automatically replaced with a different font.
To maintain the intended design, consider sharing the document as a PDF, installing the fonts on all devices that will view or edit the file or embedding fonts when the software supports that option.
How to check for fonts on your computer
Azeret Mono and Bricolage Grotesque are installed on all public computers on the UIC campus. IT administrators have been asked to download these fonts on their departmental computers.
Please note: If your department has an IT administrator and you do not already have these fonts installed on your computer, please reach out to your IT team to request font installation for your department.
How to check in Windows
- Click the Start menu.
- Type “Fonts” and select “Fonts settings.”
- Type “Azeret Mono” in the search bar.
- If the font appears in the results, it is installed on your computer.
- Repeat for “Bricolage Grotesque.”
Alternative option:
- Open Control Panel.
- Select “Fonts.”
- Search for the font names in the font list.
How to check in Microsoft Word
- Open Microsoft Word.
- Create a new blank document.
- Click anywhere in the document.
- On the Home tab, locate the “Font” dropdown menu.
- Type “Azeret Mono” in the font box.
- If the font appears in the list and can be selected, Word recognizes it.
- Repeat for “Bricolage Grotesque.”
Alternative option:
- Select the font from the font dropdown menu.
- Type a sample sentence.
- If the text changes appearance and Word continues to show the selected font name, the font is available and functioning correctly.
How to check in Microsoft PowerPoint
- Open Microsoft PowerPoint.
- Create a blank presentation.
- Insert a text box on a slide.
- Click inside the text box.
- On the Home tab, open the “Font” dropdown.
- Type “Azeret Mono” into the font box.
- If the font appears and can be selected, PowerPoint recognizes it.
- Repeat for “Bricolage Grotesque.”
Additional option:
- Select the font from the font dropdown menu.
- Enter sample text in the text box.
- Confirm the font name remains displayed in the font field after you click elsewhere on the slide.
How to install fonts manually for Windows PC
If your department does not have an IT administrator and/or you’d like to manually download and install the fonts to your computer, follow the instructions below:
Step 1: Download the fonts
- Go to Google Fonts using each link below:
- Click on “Get font.”
- Select “Download All” for each font. *
- The zip files will automatically be saved in your Downloads folder.
*Depending on your browser settings, you may see the option to “Download All (2)” fonts, which will download both fonts at the same time.
Step 2: Extract the files
- Open your Downloads folder.
- Right-click the downloaded zip file.
- Select “Extract All.”
- The new font folder should appear for each font.
Step 3: Install the fonts
- Open the font folder (Azeret Mono or Bricolage Grotesque).
- Select all .ttf font files in the extracted folder.
- Right-click and choose “Install.”
Step 4: Verify installation
- Click the Start menu.
- Type “Fonts” and select “Fonts settings.”
- Type “Azeret Mono” in the search bar.
- If the font appears in the results, it is now installed on your computer.
- Repeat for “Bricolage Grotesque.”
Step 5: Restart applications
Close and reopen Microsoft Office, browsers and any other programs that use fonts.
How to install fonts manually for macOS
Step 1: Download the fonts
- Visit Google Fonts:
- Click on “Get font.”
- Select “Download All” for each font. *
*Depending on your browser, you may see the option to “Download All (2)” fonts, which will download both fonts at the same time.
Step 2: Extract the files
- Double-click each zip file.
- MacOS will automatically create a folder containing the font files.
Step 3: Install the fonts
- Open the extracted folder.
- Select the .ttf font files.
- Double-click a font file to open “Font Book.”
- Click “Install.”
- Repeat as needed, or drag all font files directly into the “Font Book” application.
Step 4: Verify installation
- Open “Font Book.”
- Search for:
- Azeret Mono
- Bricolage Grotesque
- Confirm both font families are listed and enabled.
Step 5: Restart applications
Close and reopen Microsoft Office, browsers and any other programs that use fonts.
Troubleshooting potential issues
- If the fonts do not appear, restart your computer.
- Ensure all font files from each font family were installed.
- If you see a warning about duplicate fonts, choose “Resolve Automatically” or keep the newest version.
- If you do not have permission to install fonts, contact your department’s IT team.