Extra Light, Ultra Thin Fonts: Hairline Type Lends Elegance to the Page
FF Meta Light with PMN Caecilia in Real Simple magazine.
Just as there is often a need for extra heavy type, the delicate stuff on the light end of the spectrum has its place as well. Here, we gather the typefaces in FontShop’s catalog with the thinnest of weights. See the Fine Lines newsletter for a closer look at some of our favorites.
Extra Light Sans Serifs
Sans serif families sometimes include a “Hairline” or “Thin” font meant for large sizes. The following are those sans typefaces with a weight thinner than “Light”.
- FF Milo Thin and Extralight
- FF Meta Hairline and Thin
- FF Sanuk Hairline and Thin
- FF Absara Sans Thin
- FF Clan Thin
- FF Unit Thin
- FF Kievit Thin and Extra Light
- Locator Ultra Light
- Sun Extra Light
- Stainless Thin and Ultra Thin
- Agenda Thin
- Truth Thin
- Today Sans Extra Light
- Mundo Sans Extra Light
- Taz III Hair
- Gloriola Display Hair
- FF Daxline Thin
- Agilita Hairline and Ultra Thin
- FF Speak Light
- Helvetica Ultra Light
- Titling Gothic Thin
- Interstate Hairline, Interstate Thin, Interstate Extra Light
- Benton Sans Thin and Extra Light
- Antenna Thin
- Griffith Gothic Thin
- Paralucent Thin, Paralucent Extra Light
- Stratum Thin
- Proxima Nova Thin
- Ministry Thin
- Preface Thin
- Parangon (Cyrillic with basic Latin character set)
- LTC Goudy Sans Hairline
- P22 Underground Thin
- Kabel Light
- ITC Avant Garde Gothic Extra Light + Alternate
- URW Futura Light
- Bryant Pro Light
- Drescher Grotesk Light
- Martin Gothic Thin
- Regulator Thin
- Horatio Light
- Purista Thin
Humanist
Grotesque/Gothic
Geometric
Extra Light Slab Serifs
Ultra thin headline and novelty typefaces.
- Lubalin Graph Extra Light
- Beton Light
- Serifa B Extra Light, Serifa Thin
- URW Typewriter Extra Light
- Glypha Thin
- Aquarius Light
- Constructa Thin
- Bodoni Egyptian Thin
- FF Absara Thin
- Helium Light
- Chaparral Light Display
- Adore Light
- Egyptienne Extra Light
- Aquarius Light
Extra Light Display Faces
Ultra thin headline and novelty typefaces.
- FF QType Extra Light
- Missionary
- Agency Thin
- Armada Thin
- Mostra Light
- Transfer A Gauge
- Armchair Modern A Gauge
- Anisette Thin
- Ritafurey Thin
- FF Fontesque Sans Ultra Light
- Niagara Thin
- Roller Light
- LTC Glamour Hairline Engraved
- P22 Arts and Crafts Extra Light
- Driade Linea
- Cruz Grafica Thin
- Kamaro Slang Inz
- Passenger Extra Light
- Isometrik Extra Light
- Proun Light
- Daco Thin
- Dixon Thin
Extra Light Scripts
Ultra thin script typefaces.
- Novia
- Handsome Pro Thin
- Young Baroque
- Palace Script
- Javelin Light
- Biscotti
- Milonguita
- P22 Allyson
- P22 Cruz Ballpoint
- P22 Hiromina
- P22 Zaner
- Royal Classic
UPDATE
Extra Light Serifs
There aren’t many book serifs that are as ultra light overall as those in the slab and sans categories. Display versions of text serifs are generally high contrast, so there is usually a mid-to-heavy part of the stroke. Nevertheless, it can be useful to have a list of serif fonts that are very light in color.
- Arepo
- Eldorado Display
- Electra Display
- Californian Display
- Miller Display
- FB Garamond Display Light
- Proforma Ultra Light
- Fresco Light
- Big Caslon
- Minion Display
- Warnock Light Display
- Freight Text Light
- Filosofia Grand
- Linotype Didot
- Ambroise Light
- FF Holmen Headline
- RTF Isabelle
- Quimera Blanca
- Rayuela Blanca
- Berling
Update: May 2, 2008 — Several new fonts added.
Update: August 15, 2009 — Test all the fonts in this list at FontShop.com
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3 Comments:
Hey, nice list, but you’re missing Stag Thin by Christian Schwartz. It’s a really interesting slab. Plus Stag Sans Thin is a really nice sans. Cheers.
Ultra fine types may lend elegance but according to every study known to man, the sans serif ones test very poorly in the comprehension arena. While as a designer i appreciate the concept of setting the stage and designing with elegance, as a writer i am always looking for ways to make the copy i write as easy to read as possible. I would never recommend any light font as body copy unless it was going to be at least 12 or 13 point and a serif with alternating thickness. That said, for a BIG headline and in black (not a color) they are not as dangerous. These days, if someone doesn’t read our message, they don’t respond. If they don’t respond, they don’t buy. and then we’re out of work. So I want people to read and comprehend my messages, and buy my clients’ products.
You are absolutely right. The typefaces in this list are meant for headline/display use only, in big sizes. I would never dream setting any of those at 12 or 13 point.
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