Typefaces

The Yale typeface, called “Yale”—designed by School of Art faculty member Matthew Carter for use in the university’s print and digital publications—reflects Yale’s history of typographic excellence and serves as a handsome and ubiquitous element of the university’s contemporary graphic identity. Available free of charge to all members of the university community for Yale-related work only, the Yale typeface supports the work of professional designers, administrators, faculty, and students. 

In August 2014, Carter & Cone delivered a new set of Yale typeface files in OpenType format. These files improve upon the legacy PostScript Type 1 fonts that we have used for the past decade. Perhaps the primary advantage of the OpenType format is that it consolidates the Yale typeface family, which originally included nearly 30 fonts and more than 60 other related files, into just four conventionally named font files: YaleNew Roman, Italic, Bold, and Bold Italic. All typographic features of the legacy Yale fonts, including old-style figures, ligatures, and Web small caps, are now folded into the four new OpenType files.

Also, please note the following:

  • The Yale OpenType font files are fully compatible with Mac, Windows, and Unix systems. The same four files may be used interchangeably across these platforms.
  • To avoid font conflicts, the new OpenType Yale typeface family is named “YaleNew.” This permits users to simultaneously run legacy Yale fonts with the new OpenType versions. Indeed, both old and new fonts may be mixed within the same document if necessary.
  • Features of the legacy “Design” fonts of the Yale typeface, such as ligatures, old-style figures, and small caps, are now accessed as OpenType features through the Character palette (in Adobe CS applications) or through the Format/Font/Advanced menu (in Microsoft Word). The default presentation of the font—if you choose not to access OpenType features—mirrors the glyph set of the legacy “Admin” fonts. See additional information about OpenType fonts.
  • The new Yale fonts incorporate hundreds of additional characters, including an extensive set of diacritical marks for scholarly publishing, true fractions, purpose-made superior and inferior figures, arrows and fists, the Yale logo and shield, and a stylistically matched lowercase Greek alphabet.

YaleNew: Roman, Italic, Bold, and Bold Italic

The OpenType-format “YaleNew” fonts include the full range of glyphs and typographic options covered by our legacy Yale Design, Admin, and small-cap fonts—and more. Note the inclusion of many new diacriticals, ligatures, Yale marks, numerals, and arrows, as well as a specially drawn manicule (adapted from an illustration in Aldus Manutius’s Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, printed in 1499).

The YaleNew fonts default to the equivalent of the legacy Yale Admin features. In other words, if you choose not to activate OpenType features, the new fonts offer conventional aligning figures, non-clashing ff, fi, and fl combinations, and the standard Q with a short tail. Alternatively, OpenType menus in MS Word and the Adobe CS applications provide access to old-style figures (both proportional and fixed width), an extensive array of ligatures, small caps, and true and “made” fractions generated from custom-drawn superior and inferior numerals. Glyph palettes in those programs permit selection of accented characters and many other less frequently used characters.

YaleNew is the official serif font for Yale websites. Please see the “Web” section of this site for additional information.

YaleNew Roman

Example of the YaleNew Roman typeface

YaleNew Italic

Example of the YaleNew Italic typeface

YaleNew Bold

Example of the YaleNew Bold typeface

YaleNew Bold Italic

Example of the YaleNew Bold Italic typeface

Yale Display (Type 1 Postscript)

“Yale Display” is an adaptation of the Yale typeface designed to optimize its appearance when set at large sizes. It features sharp serifs, high contrast between thick and thin strokes, tall x-height, and tight letterspacing. It is useful for web and print display of all kinds, generally in sizes greater than 24 points. While Yale Display is included in the Yale typeface download package, it is currently available only as a Postscript Type 1 font, compatible only with Macintosh operating systems.

Yale Display

Example of the Yale Display typeface

Yale Street

The “Yale Street” font is so named because it is designed to be legible from a distance—from the street. It was designed in 2001 by Matthew Carter for the university’s campus-wide sign system. Design, manufacture, and installation of all exterior signs must be coordinated through the Office of the University Printer. See the Yale University Campus Signage manual for additional information about Yale’s signage system and policies. The Street font is not available for download.

Yale Street

Example of the Yale Street typeface

Mallory

Mallory is an effective companion to Matthew Carter’s Yale typeface. Issued by Tobias Frère-Jones in 2015, Mallory combines qualities of American and English typographic forms to produce a distinctive and timeless face. Frère-Jones serves as Senior Critic at the Yale School of Art where he teaches type design. Mallory is available in eight weights, each with an italic option. In 2018 Frère-Jones developed a version of Mallory (Mallory Calibrated Book) that sets interchangeably with YaleNew Roman in terms of size and character count. Thus, a document set in the Yale typeface can be reset in Mallory with minimal adjustment, permitting on-the-fly experimentation with the option of serif or sans-serif typography. Web font versions and Microplus versions for use when setting very small type or text for screen display are available. A limited license for Mallory OpenType fonts may be requested by designated Yale graphic designers and vendors for Yale projects. Mallory Web fonts may be used for official Yale Web sites. Please contact Maura Gianakos for further information about obtaining and using the Mallory typeface.

MALLORY calibrated Book

Mallory Calibrated Book typeface

Other useful typefaces for print

Although the Yale typeface should appear in some form in most publications, there will be times when other typefaces are useful. Please contact the Office of the University Printer for advice.

When a print project calls for a sans-serif, slab-serif, or script face in addition to, or instead of, the Yale typeface, the following are recommended.

Slab Serif

Serifa is the preferred slab-serif choice. The slab serif is a very old typographic form, reminiscent of the “athletic” lettering associated with the university since the late nineteenth century. Serifa is available in four weights.

Serifa

Example of the Serifa Roman typeface

Serifa Italic

Example of the Serifa Italic typeface

Script

Snell Roundhand is the preferred choice among script faces. While script is infrequently employed in Yale design work, it can be an appropriate and appealing option in some instances. This face is designed by Matthew Carter, designer of the Yale typeface. Snell Roundhand should not be set in all-caps or widely tracked. It is available in three weights.

Snell Roundhand

Example of the Snell Roundhand Regular typeface