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Typography

Our brand includes standard and system fonts with specific styling. Consistent application is key to effective expression. 

Standard Fonts

Standard brand fonts should be used for marketing collateral and branded communications where possible, especially external-facing communication.

Titles, headlines
Subheads, call-outs, calls-to-action
Body copy and call-outs

Countach

  • Used for: Large and concise headlines
  • Font: Countach BOLD
  • Case: All caps, do not use sentence case
  • Size: larger than 30pt
  • Colour: SFU light red or white, do not use black
  • Linespacing: 86% of font size
  • Alignment: Left or right. Bleed off the same page whenever possible
If this text is 100pt, the correct linespacing (X) is 86. Tip: Leading = Font size times .86

Countach title bars

We often contain titles and headlines within graphic bars that are inspired by the design of the institutional SFU logo. Title bars are optional and offset text the same distance as the set linespacing.

Title bars sit behind text the same distance as between the lines.

Barlow

  • Used for: Subheads, call-outs, calls-to-action
  • Fonts: Barlow Condensed Bold, Barlow Bold, Barlow Regular
  • Case: All caps, sentence case and title case
  • Colour: SFU dark red or black
  • Linespacing: 120% of font size
  • Alignment: Left or right aligned, avoid centre align

Subhead 1

  • Font: Barlow Condensed Bold
  • Case: All caps
  • Colour: Dark Red
  • Linespacing: 120% of font size
  • Letterspacing: 20

Subhead 2

  • Font: Barlow Condensed Bold
  • Case: Title case or sentence case
  • Colour: Dark grey (90% black)
  • Linespacing: 120% of font size
  • Letterspacing: 20  

Subhead 3

  • Font: Barlow Condensed Bold
  • Case: All caps
  • Colour: Dark Red
  • Linespacing: 120% of font size
  • Letterspacing: 20  

Subhead 4

  • Font: Barlow Bold
  • Case: All caps
  • Colour: Black
  • Linespacing: 120% of font size
  • Letterspacing: 120  

Sidebar and Captions

  • Font: Barlow Regular
  • Case: Sentence case
  • Colour: Black
  • Linespacing: 120% of font size
  • Letterspacing: 20  

Using subhead styles

  • Subhead 2 titles should be formatted in title case, ie. “Reports & Publications.”
  • Subhead 2 headlines and sentences should be formatted in sentence case, ie. “SFU Continuing Studies launches new Climate Action Certificate program.”
  • Subhead and paragraph styles are sized relative to each other.
  • Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) styles are hard-coded and optimized for web display.  

DIN Serif

  • Used for: Body copy and callouts
  • Font: DIN Serif Regular
  • Case: Sentence
  • Linespacing: 150% of font size
  • Letterspacing: 0
  • Alignment: Left  

How to obtain standard fonts

  • Standard font licenses are available to SFU Communicators whose main duties include graphics production.
  • Countach and DIN Serif licenses are attached to individuals and managed by Communications & Marketing. When licensed font users change, the license must be returned or transferred.
  • Please email sfu-brand@sfu.ca to request, return or transfer licenses.
  • Once licensed, Communicators will receive a font pack that includes only the fonts used in our styles including Barlow.
  • Do not distribute standard brand fonts.

Working with an external partner

External partners can purchase Countach and DIN Serif by following the links below:

Barlow is open source and freely available by following the below link. Note, please ensure the external partner uses the correct typeface, ie. Barlow Condensed Bold for Subhead 1, not Barlow Medium.